ATLANTA, Georgia – One by one, the Falcons seemed to fall at Isaiah Crowell's feet as he cut back across the Georgia Dome turf en route to a 26-yard, GIF-inspiring touchdown run.

The rookie from Columbus, Ga., dreamed of playing for his favorite team as a kid, but it showed no interest in drafting him in May. His performance Sunday wasn't meant as a payback for the snub. After all, these Falcons weren't the only ones who missed a chance at grabbing him.

"I have a chip on my shoulder every week because none of the teams drafted me," the Browns halfback said. "I've got to show them what they missed out on."

The Falcons were left grasping at air twice Sunday as Crowell ran for a pair of touchdowns, including the highlight romp, in the Browns' 26-24 victory.

He finished with a game-high 88 yards on just 12 carries and showed again why veteran Ben Tate -- released Tuesday – was so expendable. Crowell did in front of a crowd filled with friends and family members who made the 108-mile trek from Columbus.

"I think it was special for Crow today," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "This was a big game for him. I know he had 30-40 people in the stands and it cost him a few dollars ticket wise. He was pumped up and ready to play and was one of the reasons I made him a captain today. I thought he ran hard and his (26-yard TD) run was one of our best runs of the year, just exceptional."

While the game's wild finish and the return of receiver Josh Gordon dominated headlines, Crowell savored the chance to play so well at the Georgia Dome. His last trip here as a player was not a pleasant one as his Georgia Bulldogs were routed 42-10 by LSU in the 2011 SEC Championship Game.

Competing on a bum ankle, Crowell ran for just 15 yards on 10 carries. It marked his final appearance in a Bulldogs' uniform as the school dismissed him for weapons charges that were later dropped. The former SEC Freshman of the Year spent the past two seasons playing at small-school Alabama State, a move that likely cost him a chance at being drafted fairly high.

Crowell spoke of his circuitous journey to the NFL in the winner's locker room.

"A lot of my family hadn't gotten to see me play in a while -- that's the main thing I was proud of," he said. "It's been a long ride, leaving Georgia, having to go to another school and get everything back on track. I knew I wanted to get here, I wanted to be able to take advantage of the opportunity God gave me."

In the Browns' first game since unloading Tate, they rushed for 162 yards on 29 attempts. Fellow rookie Terrance West added 62 yards on 14 carries.

But it was Crowell who produced the run of the game and arguably the best in the Browns' season late in the third quarter. On a second and seven from the Falcons' 26, he took a toss from Brian Hoyer and cut left, making Falcons' linebacker Paul Worrilow miss a tackle in the backfield. Once beyond the line of scrimmage, Crowell cut right and made three more defenders miss before outracing Jonathan Massaquoi to the corner pylon.

The play illustrated his burst, strength and balance. It was the Browns' longest TD run in two seasons.

"He's amazing," Browns left tackle Joe Thomas said of Crowell. "The runs that he makes, he almost never misses a cut, he always gets his shoulders downhill . . . I love that guy, I love giving him the ball when he's in the backfield because you know good things are going to happen. You can trust him that no matter what happens he's going to get back to the line of scrimmage, he's going to get his shoulders downhill and he's going to make good things happen."

Thirty-one other teams, including the Falcons, are discovering the same.