It is Day 33 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain
dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.
It’s time to have some fun as we get to Day 33 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit one of the greatest fourth-quarter comebacks in Cowboys playoff history. Dallas trailed the Atlanta Falcons entering the final period, but the “Duel in Dixie” game would show that Dallas was never out the game, even when all things looked lost.
Sunday, January 4, 1981 — 4:00 p.m. ET
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 30, Atlanta Falcons 27
The Cowboys faced a transitional season during which Roger Staubach had retired, leaving Danny White to replace one of the most respected quarterbacks in NFL history. Despite this, Dallas managed to finish 12-4, but Philadelphia won the NFC East, forcing them to begin the postseason in the Wild Card round. After defeating the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas travelled to face an Atlanta team that had also gone 12-4 and earned the NFC’s top seed.
Atlanta quickly demonstrated why it had won nine consecutive games during the regular season. Tim Mazzetti opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal before Steve Bartkowski connected with Alfred Jenkins for a 60-yard touchdown. Dallas answered with a Rafael Septién field goal, but the Falcons held a 10-3 advantage after the opening quarter.
White’s five-yard touchdown pass to Billy Joe DuPree brought the Cowboys level, but Lynn Cain’s one-yard scoring run quickly gave Atlanta the lead. The Falcons nearly added more points before halftime, but Steve Wilson intercepted Bartkowski to keep the deficit at 17-10.
The situation became even more difficult after halftime. Preston Pearson caught a short pass and broke into Atlanta territory, but he was chased down and lost a fumble at the Falcons’ 15-yard line. Atlanta took advantage when Bartkowski found William Andrews for a 12-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 24-10.
The fourth quarter brought history as Dallas embarked on a comeback. A long possession that spanned the third-quarter break culminated in Robert Newhouse’s one-yard touchdown that reduced the deficit to seven. However, an interception by Atlanta safety Tom Pridemore resulted in another Mazzetti field goal, leaving Dallas trailing 27-17 late in the fourth quarter and with a significant challenge ahead.
White responded by directing a 62-yard touchdown drive. He completed the series with a 14-yard pass to Drew Pearson, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 27-24 with 3:04 remaining. The Dallas defense then forced the quick stop it desperately needed, giving White one final opportunity. Here we go.
With the season on the line, the Cowboys began their drive from their own 30-yard line, determined to move the ball. Pearson delivered the decisive play, breaking through Atlanta’s coverage and catching White’s 23-yard touchdown pass with just 47 seconds remaining.
This game belongs on the countdown because it proved the Cowboys could remain a serious postseason threat after their legendary quarterback’s retirement. White was facing enormous expectations, yet he responded to a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit by leading three touchdown drives. The performance helped establish him as Staubach’s replacement and began a run of three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances with White as the starter.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Ed “Too Tall” Jones helped create the defensive stop that gave Dallas its final possession. His sudden movement before an Atlanta snap caused confusion along the Falcons’ offensive line, but he avoided crossing the line of scrimmage and helped end the drive.
Countdown to kickoff
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57,56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34
