The Cowboys come back with a 20:17 win

In their Sunday night showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, both mystical (Mother Nature, the injury virus) and man-made (turnovers, red zone issues) forces appeared to be at work against the Dallas Cowboys.

In the end, however, the Cowboys were able to overcome the dark clouds and claim a 20-17 victory over the Steelers in this physical clash between traditional franchises.

But can things get any worse for the Cowboys at defensive end? They lose Sam Williams for the season during training camp, both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are sidelined for several weeks after being injured in the team’s previous game, and then rookie Marshawn Kneeland is brought into the locker room on the Steelers’ very first possession with a knee injury. Post the “Help Wanted” sign.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Cowboys’ offensive line has been plagued by injuries. On his first drive of the second quarter, rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton also limped with a knee injury and was ruled out for the game. That forced Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith to move to left tackle, while backup TJ Bass came into the game at left guard.

Then, in the fourth quarter, longtime All-Pro right guard Zack Martin caused a scare when he left the game with cramps, forcing backup Brock Hoffman to step in and fill that void. Luckily, Martin returned for the Cowboys’ next offensive series.

Perhaps it was no surprise then that quarterback Dak Prescott was under pressure for most of the game, leading to a turbulent evening. He moved his team between the 20-yard lines largely at will in the first half, but was unable to recover the ball in the end zone.

That changed late in the game when he created two shots on goal, including the winning goal in the final seconds of the game. Overall, Prescott completed 29 of 42 passes for 352 yards with two touchdowns. He also had three turnovers, a fumble and two picks, but overcame those obstacles and got the win.

His main target on the night was outside hitter Jalen Tolbert, who stepped up in the absence of veteran Brandin Cooks. Tolbert had seven catches for 87 yards, both personal bests, and scored the game-winning score.

However, it was truly a coming out party for running back Rico Dowdle. On the ground, he impressed with 20 carries for 87 yards, both career highs, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. But he also completed two passes for 27 yards and his second touchdown of the year.

On the other side of the ball, Dallas’ defense got the job done despite all the injuries. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields threw for just 131 yards and Pittsburgh’s running attack fell short of the century mark.

The game began when KaVontae Turpin returned the opening kickoff 38 yards, and with an illegal formation penalty on Pittsburgh, Dallas was set up for its first possession at its own 43-yard line. And although the offense moved into enemy territory, the drive stalled at the Steelers’ 36-yard line. Don’t worry, Brandon Aubrey split the uprights from 55 yards to give the Cowboys an early lead.

While Dallas needed six plays to get its three points, Pittsburgh came back and tied the score with an 11-play drive. But the Cowboys kept their opponent out of the red zone, so the Steelers settled for a 41-yard field goal.

Just before the end of the first frame, the Dallas offense came knocking and marched to the Pittsburgh 11-yard line. But on third-and-six, Prescott couldn’t find an open receiver before the Steelers’ TJ Watt and Nick Herbig sacked the Cowboys quarterback. When Herbig then fell on the fumble, the Dallas threat was over.

After the Cowboys defense forced a three-pointer, the offense immediately went back to work. Aided by a 27-yard pass to tight end Jake Ferguson, which included some outstanding downfield blocks from CeeDee Lamb, Dallas reached the Pittsburgh 15-yard line. But here too, the offense couldn’t get over the goal line, so Aubrey scored three more points with a 33-yard field goal.

Even though Prescott regrouped his offensive line after the Guyton injury, he kept his troops in shape. Another big pass, this time a 48-yarder to Tolbert down the left sideline, helped push the Cowboys deep into the red zone once again. But in a case of déjà vu, a turnover ended any thoughts of a touchdown. This time, Prescott attempted a pass to Lamb on the right side of the end zone, but the two were not on the same side, allowing Pittsburgh cornerback Donte Jackson an easy interception.

Although the Cowboys outgained the Steelers by 202 yards to 89 in the first two quarters, Dallas entered the break with just a 6-3 lead.

These mistakes by the Cowboys in the first half were quickly exploited by the Steelers early in the second half. The home team took over the kickoff in the third quarter and promptly managed 72 yards to the end zone in six plays. After a 15-yard brawl, the passer penalty gave Pittsburgh 15 yards, Fields then hit tight end Pat Freiermuth for 19 yards and added 18 more yards with two passes to receiver Van Jefferson. But tight end Connor Heyward scored the game’s first touchdown with a 16-yard reception, giving the Steelers a 10-6 lead.

For the Cowboys’ offense, however, it was more of the same: They drove through midfield but got away with no points. This time they made it to the 20-yard line, but when Aubrey attempted a 38-yard field goal, his attempt was blocked.

Prescott and Co. were on the move again as the clock reached the final frame, and finally – finally! – You put a touchdown on the board. Dowdle actually did the heavy lifting on the 16-play, 90-yard drive, running the ball eight times for 36 yards. But it was his 22-yard catch in the end zone that tied the score and gave the Cowboys a 13-10 lead.

But just when Dallas had the opportunity to truly take command, another self-inflicted injury was in jeopardy. On first-and-10 at his own 27-yard line, Prescott tried to connect with Tolbert deep down the seam. Instead, he overcame the ball, allowing cornerback Joey Porter to intercept the ball.

With the ball now at its own 37-yard line, Pittsburgh took advantage of the giveaway to cover the 63 yards needed for a touchdown. Freiermuth ended the series by intercepting a shuttle pass and rolling the final 6 yards across the goal line to put Pittsburgh back on top, 17-13.

However, with just under five minutes left in the game, the Cowboys still had plenty of time. And they stayed balanced on offense, using a mix of Dowdle runs and Prescott passes to reach the Pittsburgh 32-yard line for a third-and-9.

Then Prescott connected with Ferguson on a 10-yard completion, and on the next snap the quarterback threw a screen pass to Hunter Luepke, which carried the fullback for an 18-yard gain to the 4-yard line. It was first and first goal with 52 seconds left.

It took all four downs, but they got in. Phew.

The game was almost lost when, on second down, Dowdle knocked the ball loose as he attempted to jump over the pile. Luckily, Prescott recovered the fumble to keep hope alive.

And then the quarterback ended the game with 26 seconds left when he found Tolbert in the end zone on fourth down and scored the winning score, 20-17.