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- The Dallas Cowboys completed an improbable comeback against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday after trailing 39-24 late in the fourth quarter.
- Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein kicked the attempt without a tee, spinning the ball wildly towards the Falcons.
- The Falcons, believing the ball wouldn’t make it 10 yards, refused to make a play at possession, allowing the Cowboys to box out and pounce as soon as the ball was live.
- Dallas would move the ball into field goal range and win the game as the clock expired.
- Despite never leading for a second during regulation, the Cowboys had secured their first win of the season.
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The Dallas Cowboys completed the most impressive comeback of the NFL season thus far thanks to a mind-bending onside kick in the final seconds.
The Cowboys trailed the Falcons 20-0 early in the game and were still down 39-24 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, they were able to score two touchdowns in the waning minutes to cut the deficit to 39-37 just after the two-minute warning. Due to a missed two-point conversion, the Cowboys still needed to steal a possession with an onside kick to complete their comeback.
Kicker Greg Zuerlein set up the ball on its side without a tee and spun the ball slowly towards the Falcons. At first, it looked as though the kick wouldn’t make it far enough, so the Falcons sat back rather than grabbing possession. The decision proved disastrous — Zuerlein’s spinning kick steadily made its way 10 yards, the Cowboys boxed out and immediately jumped on the ball to retake possession.
It was one of the most impressive plays of the young season.
—NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2020
The Cowboys advanced the ball into field goal range, and Zuerlein sent home a game-winning field goal as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Cowboys 40, Falcons 39.
—NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2020
The Cowboys had secured their first win of the season despite not leading until the final second of regulation.
For the Falcons, it was their biggest blown lead since letting a 28-3 lead slip in Super Bowl LI against the Patriots.
Onside kicks have become difficult for the kicking team to recover thanks to new rules put in place in recent years that restrict players from getting a running start on the ball. But as the Cowboys showed on Sunday, the art of the onside kick is not dead; it just looks a little different.
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