The Dallas Cowboys were bruised and battered entering their Week 5 “Sunday Night Football” showdown without No. 2 wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee), three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons (high ankle sprain) and four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence (Lisfranc, mid-foot sprain).

Once the game finally kicked off an hour-and-a-half late after a weather delay, Dallas lost 2024 second-round pick edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland (knee) and 2024 first-round pick left tackle Tyler Guyton (knee). Nine-time Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin left the game with cramps early in the fourth quarter. At one point, Dallas offensive line left to right was Tyler Smith (left tackle), T.J. Bass (left guard), Cooper Beebe (center), Brock Hoffman (right guard) and Terence Steele (right tackle). Martin did return to the game with just under five minutes. Despite all that, the visiting Cowboys prevailed 20-17 to improve to 3-2 and provide head coach Mike McCarthy a happy homecoming. The 3-2 Steelers have now lost two in a row after their 3-0 start. 

The undermanned Cowboys overcame scoring just three points on their first four red zone trips after three of those stops inside the 20 ended in a strip-sack of quarterback Dak Prescott, an interception on a miscommunication with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and a blocked field goal. However, Prescott persisted. He threw for 352 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 29 of 42 passing while losing a fumble. Sunday night marked his game with three turnovers since the Cowboys’ 42-10 “Sunday Night Football” embarrassment in Week 5 last season.

However, Prescott came up clutch when Dallas needed him to. Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle tried to jump the pile from the one-yard for the go ahead score, but Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts jarred the football loose with a massive hit stick of the running back after he went airborne. Following a third and goal incompletion from the four, Dallas was out of timeouts with 26 seconds left with the game on the line. Prescott stood tall on fourth-and-goal and delivered a dart to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert for the 4-yard, game-winning touchdown. That only gave the Steelers 20 seconds left to play with, and they were out of timeouts. Prescott certainly earned his four-year, $240 million contract extension Sunday night and into Monday morning.

Dallas actually outgained Pittsburgh by 223 yards (445 to 222), but the consistent face planting in the red zone early hamstrung their ability to create separation. Steelers All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt combined with edge rusher Nick Herbig to strip-sack Prescott, which gave Watt his 100th career sack. That made him the second-fastest to 100 career sacks (109 games), trailing only Hall of Famer Reggie White (96 games). He finished with 1.5 sacks and eight tackles. 

Dallas regained its first lead since 3-0 with 13:51 left in the game after Prescott scrambled to the right and connected with Dowdle on a 22-yard touchdown reception. The running back lined up in the slot and played the scramble drill with the quarterback beautifully before making the diving snag. That hookup capped a whopping 16-play, 90-yard touchdown drive. Dowdle ran for a career-high 87 rushing yards on 20 carries in addition to 27 yards receiving and the touchdowns on two catches. 

Steelers quarterback Justin Fields needed his bell rung in order to lock in and throw his touchdown pass. He got rocked on an incomplete pass on the first play of the second half, a play in which Cowboys defensive end Tyrus Wheat was called for roughing the passer after he decleated the Steelers quarterback. Backup quarterback Kyle Allen came off the bench and then threw Pittsburgh’s longest completion of the night, a 19-yarder to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Four plays after Fields re-entered the game on the same drive, he threw the first touchdown of the night, for either team, on a 16-yard passing score to tight end Connor Hayward. That allowed the Steelers to take their first lead of the night with 11:50 to go in the third quarter.

Fields’ second touchdown pass came on a six-yard shovel pass to Freiermuth that put the Steelers up 17-13 with 4:56 to play. Fields finished with 127 passing yards and a one touchdown on 15 of 27 passing. He also added 27 rushing yards on 14carries. Sunday was his first game with multiple passing touchdowns since Week 5 of the 2023 season at the Washington Commanders when he was with the Chicago Bears. 

Why the Cowboys won

Prescott finally got help from his ground game thanks to Rico Dowdle and his offensive line. Dallas also showed they could consistently move the football through the air, so when the miscues stopped occurring in the second half, the points started flowing.

Why the Steelers lost

They completely lacked offensive rhythm despite facing a depleted Dallas defense. Five of their 10 drives ended in punts, and two others were the end of the first half plus a last-second lateral fest following the Cowboys’ go ahead score. Fields simply couldn’t beat the Cowboys defense with his arm frequently enough to take advantage of all the plays his defense made. 

Turning point & Play of the Game

How could it be anything but Prescott’s game-winning touchdown pass to Tolbert with 20 seconds left to play on fourth-and-goal from the 4? So many in the football world love to knock his clutch gene, but Prescott held the critics at bay for at least another week. 

What’s next

Dallas returns home to face a rested 3-1 Detroit Lions who spent Week 5 on their bye week. Dan Campbell’s bunch will be thirsty for revenge after a controversial 20-19 Cowboys win in Week 17 last season. Pittsburgh will hit the road to face a struggling 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders squad engulfed in drama surrounding their quarterback position and All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.