We've just witnessed the wildest football tilt of the year.
In a contest boasting seven lead changes -- and no less than six failed two-point tries -- the Dallas Cowboys topped the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-30, on Sunday in a drama stuffed with countless narratives and star turns.
The last of those heroics -- a brilliant, game-winning, 32-yard touchdown burst by Ezekiel Elliott -- came only seconds after Pittsburgh appeared to steal the show with a juicy bit of trickery.
Trailing 29-24 with 43 ticks left on the clock, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisbergerdid his best Dan Marino impression, catching Dallas off-guard with a fake spike that turned into a 15-yard touchdown strike to Antonio Brown for the 30-29 lead.
Refusing to give in, Dallas -- taking over with 42 seconds left -- marched gracefully down the field on a five-play, 75-yard drive capped by Elliott's touchdown rumble.
Here's what else we learned from Sunday's stunner:
- Fresh off an underwhelming performance against Baltimore, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tore through the enemy for an outrageous 408 yards and three scores -- earning everything but the victory. Picking on a roster missing safety Barry Church and cover man Morris Claiborne -- and Orlando Scandrick for parts of Sunday -- Big Ben confidently fired the ball downfield while leaning heavily on Brown. The All-Pro pass-catcher led the team with 14 catches and 154 yards, both season highs.
- Still not impressed with Dak Prescott? In a game that saw him struggle early -- generating a surplus of thunderously tedious Twitter takes -- the Cowboys rookie passer threw a pair of touchdown passes and calmly guided Dallas on seven scoring drives -- including 24 points over the final 20:39 of play. Finishing the day at a gaudy 10.0 yards per throw, Prescott found Dez Bryant on a 50-yard touchdown pass and saw his lob to Elliott turn into an 83-yard scoring catch. Dallas isn't a team that loves to play from behind, but Prescott answered the call time after time. This job is his.
- A shoe-in Rookie of the Year candidate, Elliott looked sensational piling up 100-plus total yards in the first quarter alone. The output was sparked by his long touchdown grab, but Elliott's game-saving scoring gallop also put him over 100 yards on the ground for the fifth time this autumn.
- The Steelers have been the most aggressive team around when it comes to dialing up two-point conversions. It cost them on Sunday, though, as Pittsburgh saw four two-point tries fall short. Two came in the first quarter -- including a miss to long-lost tight end Ladarius Green -- which affected the team's strategy all game. We love the edgy approach, but the Steelers wound up chasing those points down the stretch.