Unbelievable. That’s the best way to describe the Dallas Cowboys Week 2 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. After three turnovers in the first quarter that led to a 20-point deficit, the Cowboys methodically chipped away at the Falcons lead before squeezing out a 40-39 victory.
It was the first time in NFL history a team scored 39 points without any turnovers and lost a game (previous 440 all won). The Cowboys wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without a lot going their way, including having the Falcons watch an onside kick attempt travel 10 yards before they recovered it. However, that particular play doesn’t happen without key plays from Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb.
Cooper is off to a blazing start to his third season in Dallas with 16 receptions for 181 yards in the first two games, but his biggest play of the season so far came in the third quarter last Sunday. With the Cowboys down 29-17 midway in the third quarter, they faced a 2nd and 2 from their own 25. The Cowboys called play-action and Dak Prescott found Cooper on a deep post route. Although he slightly overthrew it, Cooper made an amazing one-handed catch down to the 17 for a 58-yard gain. The Cowboys cashed in on a Prescott one-yard run to cut the deficit to five.
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Gallup has only caught five passes in the first two games, however, he’s averaging an unreal 21.6 yards per catch. His biggest of the season so far came late in the fourth quarter vs the Falcons last Sunday. Just before the two-minute warning, Prescott connected with Gallup down the sidelines for 38 yards. Gallup high points the ball and gets one foot down, then his body lands in bounds to complete the catch at the five-yard line. The drive was capped off by Prescott’s third rushing touchdown that pulled the Cowboys within two points at 39-37.
Lamb is already making an impact in his rookie campaign. After watching five passes on six targets in Week 1, he led the Cowboys with 106 yards against the Falcons, with his biggest play coming on the final drive. With the Cowboys facing a 2nd and 10 from their own 46, Lamb crosses over the Falcons defender twice to get open on an out route and Prescott found him for 24 yards down to the 30, putting the Cowboys in field goal range with just over a minute left in the game. Kicker Greg Zuerlein would connect from 46 yards out to complete the Cowboys improbable comeback and improve to 1-1 on the season.
When Lamb was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to play alongside Cooper and Gallup the expectations were for this trio to challenge to be the league’s best. In the Cowboy’s most important game of the new season, each made significant plays to help the team climb back from a seemingly insurmountable lead.
Is this a sign of things to come? The Cowboys sure hope so.
