Rain and lightning might have delayed the kickoff by 90 minutes, but the 2024 showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers turned into one of those "instant classics" that stayed messy until the very last second. Honestly, if you turned off your TV around midnight because of the weather delay, you missed a bizarre, high-stakes slugfest.
The Dallas Cowboys won the Steelers Cowboys game with a final score of 20-17. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't efficient. But Dak Prescott and Jalen Tolbert found a way to rip the heart out of Acrisure Stadium in the final 20 seconds of play.
The Wild Finish: Jalen Tolbert’s Heroics
Imagine the scene. It’s nearly 1 a.m. on a Monday morning in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys are staring at a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line. They’re trailing 17-13. If they don’t score here, the game is over.
Dak Prescott, who had been a turnover machine for most of the night, didn't panic. He took the snap, felt the pressure of the Steelers' front seven—specifically T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig—and fired a dart to Jalen Tolbert in the end zone. Tolbert, who had briefly left the game earlier with an injury, made the catch with 20 seconds left on the clock.
Ball game.
Wait, it almost wasn't. Just a few plays earlier, running back Rico Dowdle nearly fumbled the game away on the goal line. He tried to leap over the pile, the ball got punched loose, and the stadium held its collective breath. Prescott ended up pouncing on the fumble himself, saving the possession and setting up the winning throw. That’s the difference between a "clutch win" and a "disastrous loss" in the NFL. Just a few inches and a lucky bounce.
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Why the Steelers Couldn't Close the Door
Pittsburgh had every reason to win this. Their defense was opportunistic, as usual. Joey Porter Jr. snagged an interception. Donte Jackson had a massive pick. They even sacked Dak three times, with Watt and Herbig combined for a strip-sack early on.
But the offense? It was sluggish.
Justin Fields struggled to get much of anything going in the first half. He finished the night completing 15 of 27 passes for 131 yards. He did throw two touchdowns—one to Connor Heyward and a late shovel pass to Pat Freiermuth that gave Pittsburgh a 17-13 lead—but the yardage just wasn't there. The Steelers managed only 226 total yards of offense. In the modern NFL, that usually doesn't cut it, especially when the other team is moving the ball at will between the 20s.
- Total Yards: Cowboys 445, Steelers 226
- Time of Possession: Cowboys held the ball for 32 minutes
- Turnovers: Dallas had 3, Pittsburgh had 0
See that turnover stat? Usually, if a team is +3 in the turnover department, they win 90% of the time. The Steelers lost because they couldn't capitalize on those extra possessions. They were playing "bend-but-don't-break" defense, and eventually, the dam just broke.
The Prescott Paradox: 352 Yards and 3 Turnovers
Dak Prescott’s stat line from this game is a fever dream. He threw for 352 yards, which is a massive number against a Mike Tomlin-led defense. Yet, he also threw two interceptions in the red zone and lost a fumble.
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It was a performance that frustrated Cowboys fans and delighted Steelers fans, right up until the final drive. On that final 15-play, 70-yard march, Dak was perfect. He looked like the $240 million man he is. He found Hunter Luepke for a big 18-yard gain and leaned on Jake Ferguson to move the chains.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin summed it up best in his post-game press conference. He talked about how there’s a "fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes." On that final drive, the Steelers were squashing grapes.
Impact on the Standings
This win pushed the Cowboys to 3-2 and kept them relevant in a tough NFC East race. For the Steelers, it was their second straight loss after starting the season 3-0. It also sparked the beginning of the "quarterback controversy" conversation in Pittsburgh.
With Russell Wilson nearing a return from his calf injury, Fields' inability to generate big plays in the passing game became a talking point. If you can't throw for more than 150 yards at home, even with your defense forcing three turnovers, people are going to start asking questions.
Actionable Takeaways from the Matchup
If you're a bettor or a fantasy owner looking back at this game for future trends, here are the real-world nuggets you need:
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1. Rico Dowdle is the RB1 in Dallas.
Forget the "running back by committee" talk with Ezekiel Elliott. Dowdle had 20 carries for 87 yards and looked like the only back with any burst. He’s the guy moving forward.
2. T.J. Watt is still a human cheat code.
Watt reached 100 career sacks during this game, becoming the second-fastest player in NFL history to do so. If he’s on the field, the Steelers' defense is a top-5 unit regardless of the final score.
3. Red Zone efficiency is everything.
Dallas nearly lost this game because they went 1-for-4 in the red zone for a large chunk of the night. If you’re analyzing upcoming games for either of these teams, look at their "Points per Trip" inside the 20.
4. The "Sunday Night" Factor.
This game ended after 1 a.m. ET. Fatigue played a massive role in those final two minutes. Late-night games often lead to "ugly" football, and this was the prime example.
The Cowboys-Steelers rivalry doesn't happen often—usually once every four years—but when it does, it usually delivers drama. Whether it was the Super Bowls in the 70s or this rainy night in 2024, these two logos on the same field just feel different.
For fans wondering about the next steps, the Cowboys will look to solidify their offensive consistency, while the Steelers have to figure out if their offensive identity is sustainable with a "defense-first" approach.
To keep up with the latest NFL developments, you should monitor the weekly injury reports for both Jalen Tolbert and Russell Wilson, as their availability will dictate the betting lines for the next several weeks. Check the official NFL transaction wire every Tuesday for the most accurate roster updates.