The score was 29-17 and the Dallas Cowboys were hanging in the game by the slimmest of margins. There was 7:15 left in the third quarter and the Atlanta Falcons had the ball 3rd-and-2 at the Cowboys 41-yard line. The Cowboys had regained a little momentum after taking the second half kickoff and scoring a touchdown to close a 29-10 score down to 29-17. They still had a long way to go, but they might have been dealt the death blow if it hadn’t been for a little luck.
On that 3rd-and-2, the Falcons lined up in a wildcat formation with receiver Russell Gage as the quarterback.