Sunday night brought chaos, sloppy play, and an exciting finish for the Dallas Cowboys.
It also brought victory, as the Cowboys left a wet field at Acrisure Stadium with a 20-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, stabilizing their season amidst major challenges.
Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert caught a four-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal with 20 seconds remaining, securing the win and concluding a wild series of events that unfolded over several tense hours in Pittsburgh.
First, thunderstorms delayed the game for nearly 90 minutes. Shortly after play began, the Cowboys’ injury-hit defensive end rotation took another blow when rookie Marshawn Kneeland exited with an apparent severe right knee injury. As the game progressed, mistakes accumulated.
The Cowboys committed 11 penalties, three turnovers, and had a blocked field goal.
Despite the errors, Dallas (3-2) had promising moments. Wide receiver Tolbert and running back Rico Dowdle had their best performances of the season, and a depleted defense stood strong in key situations despite numerous injuries.
This allowed the Cowboys to weather a barrage of mistakes.
Quarterback Dak Prescott turned the ball over twice in the red zone in the first half — once by fumble and once with a goal-line interception — and threw another interception in the fourth quarter. However, he also led the game-winning drive in a hostile environment.
Dallas gained possession trailing 17-13 with just under five minutes remaining, and Prescott led the team down the field with short passes. On second-and-goal from the half-yard line, Dowdle’s fumble threatened the drive, but the Cowboys recovered. Two plays later, Prescott found Tolbert, securing a thrilling victory for Dallas.
