Dallas Cowboys @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Final Score: DAL 20 – PIT 17
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
After a nearly two-hour weather delay, these two historic franchises clashed in a low scoring defensive affair. It was as sloppy as the rain-soaked field at times, but both offenses came alive in the fourth quarter, culminating with a theatrical last-second score on fourth down that put the Cowboys up for good.
Three Up
- Rico Dowdle – Dallas has been desperate to revive their bottom-tier running game, so it was an answered prayer with how Dowdle performed here tonight. It wasn’t necessarily the world-beating ground attack that the Cowboys have had in years past, but they still registered a hundred yard game for the first time since Week 1 and looked good doing it. Dowdle grounded out punishing run after run to finally bring this aspect of the Dallas offense to life, and silenced his detractors for the time being.
- Justin Fields – It took a few quarters, but it does finally look like Fields is gaining his footing as a passer for the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s offense was stagnant throughout the game, with only the defense keeping them competitive on the night – but Fields kicked it into gear in the third quarter and made solid throws on quick decisions to push the Steelers to the brink of victory. While it was ultimately not enough, I would argue his play and his track record as the starter over the first five games should at least make HC Mike Tomlin think hard about making any changes now that Russell Wilson is nearing 100%.
- Jalen Tolbert – When the lights were brightest, Tolbert rose to the occasion. It was a very impressive outing for the third-year receiver, one that saw him dominate targets, receptions, and yards for the Cowboys offense on the road. He was asked to step up in light of veteran wideout Brandin Cooks‘ absence, and boy did he deliver for Dallas in a big way. His walk-off 4-yard TD was as cinematic as it gets and will make for good highlight material for the week ahead.
Two Down
- CeeDee Lamb – Lamb is getting very good at this new disappearing act of his. The game started off well enough with a multitude of targets flying his way, but he faded substantially as the game wore on. I quite literally forgot about the WR1 in Dallas until Chris Collinsworth from the booth pointed out he hadn’t logged a catch in the second half until literally the final drive. It was a concerning display to say the least, and one that has been commonplace here in 2024, unfortunately. One of the more egregious moments of the game was a misread between he and Dak Prescott that led to a head-scratcher of an interception in the red zone. It felt like a perfect summation of Lamb and Dak’s connection through the first five games.
- Dak Prescott – Speaking of Dak, the QB pulled the win out late but wow, was it not pretty at times. The highest paid man in the NFL had three total turnovers, each more bewildering than the last. The numbers early on indicated this should have been a blowout in the Cowboys’ favor, but mistakes by Prescott kept the Steelers in the game and helped cede the lead to them in the second half. There’s more to be expected from the face of the franchise in Dallas; he’s very lucky it didn’t cost them the game.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: 29/42, 352 Yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs (Fumble – Lost) | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Take away the turnovers and Prescott had himself a game on the road against a top-ranked defense.
There were multiple drives, where Prescott and Co. had absolutely no problem running up and down the field. The scheme was solid, the receivers were open, and even the running game was pushing forward consistently. It should have been a blowout, to say the least – Prescott prevented that from happening.
Dak held the ball too long on multiple sacks, one of which coughed the ball up for T.J. Watt and the Steelers pass rush to fall on. His first interception was mind-boggling, with even the SNF commentators unable to make heads or tails of it – and his second was arguably worse, with Prescott forcing a deep ball that was overthrown to Tolbert for an easy pick. It was frustrating to watch, and kept this game close for far longer than it needed to be. He still had a positive day and commandeered the go-ahead score to seal it, but this easily could have been a monster night had he been a little safer with the football.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: 20 Carries, 87 Yards (Fumble – Recovered) | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 27 Yards, 1 TD
A true introduction in primetime for the official RB1 in Dallas.
It’s been clear that Dowdle has had the reigns in the Cowboys backfield for some time now, but there has been genuine concern with the lack of production out of the RB room thus far. The running game was among the worst in the league through four weeks, and against a stout Pittsburgh front seven it did not look like it would be any better anytime soon.
Dowdle had something to say about that in this one, however.
The RB looked fast and physical on his carries, excelling in a new scheme that shied away from zone running concepts to everyone’s benefit. For a night, Dowdle and the Cowboys looked capable running the ball, and it complemented the offensive play calling well. He also managed to push his receiving TD streak to two with his impressive 22-yard score.
Ezekiel Elliott: 6 Carries, 17 Yards | 1 Target
Hunter Luepke: 2 Carries, 6 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 18 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jalen Tolbert: 10 Targets, 7 Receptions, 87 Yards, 1 TD
With the entire country watching, Tolbert sure delivered.
The young wideout led the day in all receiving categories for the Cowboys, sealing the win with his big 4-yard score just a play removed from going down with an injury. It was tough catch after tough catch for Tolbert, but he never seemed to shy away when the opportunity arose. The fact that Dak trusts him enough to toss him the ball 10 times in a close game shows the potential he has; with the pass-happy nature of Dallas this season (and Cooks out on IR), it should lead to bigger and better outings for Tolbert going forward.
Jake Ferguson: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 70 Yards
Ferguson is as reliable a TE as it gets and he has been a clear favorite for Dak and this offense when healthy. The trend continued in Pittsburgh on this rain-soaked evening and should continue to do so with every week going forward. Hopefully he can garner a few more red zone looks, however – he seems to be severely lacking in that category as of late.
CeeDee Lamb: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 62 Yards | 1 Carry, 2 Yards
It wasn’t the worst game for Lamb, but it was a far cry from his best.
Lamb looked to be the focal point early on against a Steelers secondary that has been the weak spot for an otherwise tough Pittsburgh defensive unit, but it never yielded much in terms of production. Lamb couldn’t break off any of his routes, nor could he rack up many yards after the catch when targeted. It was extremely disappointing, but unfortunately not really surprising anymore.
We continue to label Lamb as elite, but his game just hasn’t been that through the first five weeks of the year. Not registering a catch in the entire second half until a handful of seconds are left is a bad look, especially for someone of his caliber and potential.
Kavontae Turpin: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 50 Yards | 1 Carry, -6 Yards
Yet another wideout asked to step up in lieu of Cooks’ absence, Turpin delivered as well when his number was called. The speedy return-man was used like a Swiss army knife against the Steelers, logging time in both the backfield and out on routes, springing forth for yards after the catch with some nifty running. His longest on the day was a nice 34-yard lob that Dak placed perfectly in stride for him to pluck out of the air. He may be worth rostering in some deeper leagues if the usage continues.
Brevyn Spann-Ford: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards
Jalen Brooks: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Luke Schoonmaker: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Justin Fields: 15/27, 131 Yards, 2 TDs (1 FUM – Recovered) | 6 Carries, 27 Yards
Fields looks to be finally putting it all together.
In the early going of the late Sunday night game, Fields and the Steelers offense was lethargic to put it nicely. There was no real push to get the ball moving and the passing game looked inept and shelved. It took a few snaps, but when Fields was able to come alive, he did extremely well. His decision-making was crisp, decisive, and routinely correct on his two TD drives, and it looks like he has finally mastered OC Arthur Smith‘s playcalling and scheme design. It remains to be seen what will happen next week obviously, given the nature of the loss and the projected starter Russell Wilson nearing game-readiness – but for a moment there, Fields looked solid and should feel proud of the tape he put forth thus far.
Kyle Allen: 1/1, 19 Yards
Allen filled in for two plays with Fields being pulled to evaluate for a concussion. It wasn’t much, but he delivered a dart to Pat Freiermuth for 19 yards that looked great.
Running Back
Najee Harris: 14 Carries, 24 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
With multiple Steelers backs out, Harris was called early and often but couldn’t consistently produce against a suspect Cowboys run defense.
The game was much more impressive through the air than on the ground for the former Alabama RB, but that’s not really saying much – just 35 yards and two receptions on the night. Somehow, that was still enough to lead all Pittsburgh pass catchers in receiving yards.
The expectation was that Harris was going to physically take over the game, but it just didn’t materialize. Instead, Harris managed a meager 3.0 YPC without a score. It obviously wasn’t ideal, especially with the lack of any credible threat to his opportunities through the ground with both Cordarelle Patterson and Jaylen Warren out with injury.
Aaron Shampklin: 4 Carries, 14 Yards
Jonathan Ward: 2 Carries, 9 Yard
Wide Receiver/Tight End
George Pickens: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards
There’s not much to say about Pickens.
He did lead the team in total targets, but was locked down by the Cowboys secondary for the majority of the night. At multiple points he seemed to be more concerned with starting fights with with CB Jourdan Lewis than he did catching the ball.
If you’re going to start it, at least have the ability to back it up.
Pat Freiermuth: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards, 1 TD (1 FUM – Lost)
The “MUTH” chants were loud on the night in Pittsburgh.
They were fairly pedestrian numbers for the hard working TE, but he made the most of what was sent his way by Fields. His TD was on a shovel pass late in the fourth quarter that helped push the Steelers lead, and while hes credited with a fumble on the final play of the game, he still had a nice day production-wise overall.
Connor Heyward: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards, 1 TD
He made a nice touchdown grab, but that’s about it. Despite Arthur Smith’s tendency to go with multiple tight ends, he’s still not much of a threat to Freiermuth.
Van Jefferson: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards
Brandon Johnson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Calvin Austin III: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Darnell Washington: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards