Cowboys win on Dak Prescott’s go-ahead TD throw in final seconds as Steelers’ defense wilts: Takeaways

By Mike DeFabo, Jon Machota, Saad Yousuf and Lauren Merola

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The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed the Dallas Cowboys deep into their territory on drive after drive Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium and kept coming up with big plays to keep Dallas at bay. But with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys finally caught the break they hoped for.

Dak Prescott found wide receiver Jalen Tolbert for a 4-yard touchdown pass to take the go-ahead lead, 20-17, with 20 seconds to play.

THE DALLAS COWBOYS!! Dak to Tolbert for 6️⃣!

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It was a dramatic finish after a slow first half. The score froze tied at 3 in the first quarter after each team kicked a field goal on their opening drives. The Cowboys nabbed another three points midway through the second quarter for the 6-3 halftime lead. Dallas could’ve added another seven, but Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson intercepted Prescott in the Pittsburgh end zone with less than a minute left in the second quarter.

Prescott went 29-of-42 for 352 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Prescott delivers for Cowboys

Prescott was well on his way to having his worst game of the season. And he picked an awful time for it, throwing two bad interceptions and losing a fumble. But when the Cowboys needed him most, he came up with his biggest throws and a key fumble recovery inside Dallas’ 5-yard line. He then perfectly executed the game-winning throw to Tolbert on fourth down.

It wasn’t pretty, but Prescott got the job done in a huge win for Dallas, who was playing without several key starters, including Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Brandin Cooks. Prescott would have been the top person to blame if the Cowboys had lost. But in this win, he also deserves a lot of credit. — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer

Dallas’ defense does just enough

The Cowboys’ defense did just enough to win the game. It wasn’t the smoothest game, with missed opportunities and mistakes almost costing them. But considering the circumstances, it’s hard for the Cowboys to ask for too much more from a decimated group. They were already without Parsons and Lawrence and lost Sam Williams in training camp. When Marshawn Kneeland went down in the first quarter, their fifth defensive end was essentially their No. 1 guy.

The Cowboys had plans to convert a linebacker to an edge if the situation called for it. In the end, the defense held the combo of Justin Fields and Najee Harris to 69 yards rushing and top receiver George Pickens to 26 yards in three catches. It’s hard to ask for much more against Pittsburgh’s top guys, and it was enough to get the job done. — Saad Yousuf, Cowboys beat writer

Steelers’ defense wilts when it matters

The Steelers’ defense gave up 445 yards and allowed the Cowboys to convert 9 of 15 third downs. However, it bailed itself out on several instances with timeline turnovers, and for a time, it looked like that would be enough.

Early on, the Cowboys drove into the red zone on four consecutive series but had just three points to show for it.

With the score tied at 3, T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig converged for a sack and forced fumble. Later, offseason addition Jackson intercepted Prescott on a pass intended for CeeDee Lamb in the end zone.

The big plays continued in the second half, as Isaiah Loudermilk blocked a field goal and Joey Porter Jr. intercepted a pass that helped set up a go-ahead touchdown.

But, leading by four points with just under five minutes remaining, the Steelers’ defense wilted, allowing a 70-yard scoring drive. The Cowboys secured the win with the fourth-and-goal touchdown pass from Prescott to Tolbert. The result is more reflective of how the defense played. Aside from the turnovers, it was too porous on third downs and gave up too many chunk plays to secure the win. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer

Fields less consistent

With Russell Wilson ramping up, Fields had another opportunity to make his case to be the Steelers’ starter long term.

He was less consistent than in previous games. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked three times.

It appeared momentarily that Fields would rise to the occasion in a critical moment. He led a 12-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped by a six-yard shovel pass for a touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth to give the Steelers a four-point lead with just under five minutes remaining.

However, when the defense allowed a touchdown, all the offensive mistakes were magnified. The Steelers converted only 3 of 12 third downs and tallied 233 yards of offense. It wasn’t enough to win the game. Time will tell if it’s enough for Fields to keep his starting job. — DeFabo