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The Cowboys earned a validating victory on Sunday when they knocked down the Falcons on the road with a final score of 22-19. But if Dallas head coach Jason Garrett did not help his team, Atlanta coach Dan Quinn was there to help.
A handful of strange decisions and dubious calls has charted a unique path for the last two minutes of a key NFC clash. The Cowboys and Falcons accumulated time-outs, rejected big games and finally won on a 42-yard winning shot as Dallas escaped the furious return of Atlanta. But Garrett's overly conservative game call may have condemned this game to the continuation of the game, if there were not some curious Falcon deadlines.
Here is how it all went.
1. As the Cowboys face the third and fifth of their 30s, 98 seconds from time, Falcons coach Dan Quinn decides to lose his first time out
It's a coup de force. Quinn is confident enough in his defense to believe that he will stop here. He is ready to give the Cowboys an additional 20 to 25 seconds of play time if they were to convert to third and middle, as he thought giving the ball to Matt Ryan with a time remaining of 1:30 and two saves was more precious than giving Ryan the ball. with 1:05 left and three timeouts.
Instead, the Cowboys convert to the third downhill and, with 90 seconds and three remaining game stops, feel no real sense of urgency during the next game. As time goes by, the next three Dallas teams play in the spring at 30 yards.
2. Unveiling the first goal in Atlanta 30 with 34 seconds to play, Dallas snapped a tackle attempt against Ezekiel Elliott
Garrett retaliates with a stroke of strength on his side. He is so confident in his first-year kicker, Brett Maher, that he is ready to go back before scoring a goal of more than 45 yards. Still, Maher missed a 52-yard goal that marked the game against Washington, who started with a 47-yard kick before a false start penalty less than a month earlier. Or that Maher had already missed a pair of 40- to 49-yard punts this fall. Garrett has not learned anything and he wants to make sure Quinn knows it.
3. As Dallas announces its goal for a long placement and that there are 29 seconds left in the game, Quinn clinches for the second time
But Quinn is not happy to let the Cowboys hit the ball at 46 yards. He takes the second Atlanta stoppage, hoping to give the ball to Ezekiel Elliott, whose only The sideline tips were "NOT FUMBLE". Elliott missed the start of the game, but it was only his 10th time in 855 assists in the NFL. Assuming Dallas leaps 50% of his fumbles, it gives the Falcons about 1 in 171 chance of getting undressed in second place.
What is more likely is that Elliott gains a few extra yards, which further facilitates Maher's attempt at placement, or even breaks the line of scrimmage for a 30-yard touchdown.
4. Quinn challenged Garrett to throw the ball and put the game aside with a touchdown or set up a more manageable goal. Garrett immediately returns to a conservative dive center for Elliott.
"No thanks, Dan," Garrett says basically. "We are either winning this one with a 45-yard placement or not at all." He calls the safest game in his book without Dak Prescott kicking his knee. Elliott advances 2 yards.
5. With the ball in Atlanta 26 and 24 seconds from the end, Quinn wins his third and final stop
Quinn decides to try his luck before third place. He only managed to give Maher an extra position on the field when Elliott's last port of play pushed the ball midway over the ATL's 24-yard line. That gives Maher a 42-yard straight shot with a nil wind in Atlanta's indoor stadium.
So, at this point, Garrett has clearly indicated his intention to set a long field goal. Quinn, unable to accept this, burns two delays waiting in the hope of convincing him otherwise. All that can do is turn a 46-yard goal into a 42-yard shot. Garrett strikes Elliott, his 228 pound rearguard who, at this point in the game, carries the ball with all the ferocity of an elephant mother protecting her cub, in the center of her line.
And did these extra 4 meters make a difference? It looks like that.
Maher's kick, juuuuust, slides inside the right amount. Add another 4 yards to the kick, and it looks like it would either cut the goalpost or spread to the right. But that 46-yard scramble was actually a 42-yard winner. And all this is possible thanks to impressive player calls from both sides of the field on Sunday.
In the end, Garrett took the win and regained his hopes of playing in the playoffs at 5-5. The 4-6 Falcons have been forced to reconsider their post-season plans and delve into the concepts of time management. Quinn was late in the game, betting on his defense to score a goal or stop. In the end, the extra games he created only made it easier and helped the Cowboys escape Georgia with a win.
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