Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images The Cowboys saw role players step up and deliver on Sunday night in Pittsburgh. We have all watched a lot of football in our days. It feels like what happened on Sunday night was unique in and of itself. Maybe it was because of the massive weather delay. Perhaps it was due to the Dallas Cowboys deciding the fourth quarter was a proper time to start scoring touchdowns. Maybe the reason why is because the collective terror we all felt in this moment was DEFCON 1 level in terms of what hung in the balance. The Cowboys awoke as winners on Monday morning with various points of job security seemingly still intact. High-fives will happen at The Star and they get to sit above .500 with a chance to shock the world yet again before going on a much-needed bye. But the margins are this thing. It is crazy. We choose to follow this team! In absolutely no way was the super-delayed mess in Pittsburgh pretty, but it goes in the win column so all of its warts are way more tolerable. Here is our stock report following all of the action. Stock Up: Rico Dowdle A proper running back finally stood up and stood tall. Welcome aboard, Rico Dowdle. On Sunday night, Dowdle reached 87 yards rushing which is a mark that no Cowboys runner had reached in a game since Week 3 of last season. That seems impossible, but it is true. Dowdle became what the team needed and broke the touchdown seal in the process. DAK. DOWDLE. TOUCHDOWN. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/x8RBVjT3Z1 — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) October 7, 2024 Now so that we are kept fully calm, it should be noted that Dowdle finished with zero rushing yards over expected according to NFL Pro. But as whatever-you-want-to-call-it as it sounds, that is immense progress for this team. Consider that every other running back finished in the negative on Sunday night. Dowdle is the only semblance of a true running game that the team has and he has to be perfect for it to be viable and in Pittsburgh he finally was. Stock Up: Jalen Tolbert It was becoming obvious that the true WR2 team is Jalen Tolbert. This was the case even before the last game that Brandin Cooks played before being placed on injured reserve. Watching Tolbert succeed is certainly validating for everyone involved, namely the wide receiver himself who has not let the trials of adjusting to life in the NFL get to him. It was wonderful to see his breakout game and for him to have the game-winning moment. DAK. TOLBERT. TOUCHDOWN. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/uqKRnDGP6J — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) October 7, 2024 According to Next Gen Stats, Tolbert had only a single yard of separation on this play and the play itself had a 43.6% completion probability. Credit can go to several people for its success, but a lot has to go to Tolbert. We said all week long that someone would have to step up in the absence of Cooks and Tolbert saw the bat signal and showed up. Stock Up: KaVontae Turpin This is a similar point to the Tolbert one, but wow the KaVontae Turpin thing has really come along, hasn’t it? Turpin was a point of serious consistency in this game. Has he become a more consistent offensive weapon than special teams one? Perhaps that is going a bit too far. But Turpin caught four of his five targets for 50 yards, and the team needed every single one of them. Stock Up: Jake Ferguson It feels a bit over-the-top to be handing out stock ups for players and to keep noting how desperate the team was for a non-CeeDee Lamb (more on him in a bit) playmaker to arise. But the situation was that dire. The Cowboys were in that sort of situation. Ferguson was nothing if not consistent on Sunday night, reliable in the clutch moments. Consider that on the game-winning drive he picked up a critical 10 yards on a 3rd-and-9. We must not become numb to those kinds of performances. Stock Up: Osa Odighizuwa Sometimes the best contributions are unseen and unheard. Osa Odighizuwa had a few moments of flash on Sunday night, but most of what he did was hidden in the mess of everything. According to Next Gen Stats, Odighizuwa was double-teamed on 12 of the 24 pass rush attempts that he had on Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. On those pass rushes specifically, the Cowboys defense had a pressure rate of 58.3% This is notable information because on the plays in which Odighizuwa was one-on-one the Cowboys defense only had a pressure rate of 25%. He was quite literally was the first domino to fall that helped the defense thrive. Not quite a sacrificial lamb, but important work that deserves praise. Stock Up: Jourdan Lewis Recently my wife and I finished season two of the Lord of the Rings-related (I word it that way because as I have found out people are passionate about this) show Rings of Power. It is definitely worth some time, but that is a conversation for another day. You won’t find me spoiling anything, but there are a lot of battles that take place in the show. Some of these feature characters winning against all odds. In some instances there are friends and allies who show up at the very end who serve as the primary reason why. If I am ever in a foxhole like that then I want Jourdan Lewis as my ally. He is one of one. Jourdan Lewis on his way to the locker: “Pittsburgh need a receiver. George Pickens weak.” pic.twitter.com/GXr2uf5LDw — Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) October 7, 2024 Steelers wide receiver George Pickens embarrassed himself after his team officially lost the game on Sunday night and Lewis living in his head rent free all night is potentially the reason why. At least that makes sense. We

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Cowboys came through in the clutch and we have some thoughts about it all. The Dallas Cowboys pulled out the theatrics with a late-game 20-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game began with a weather delay that lasted over an hour, but once it got started, it had no shortage of excitement. After exchanging leads late, the Cowboys had the last laugh. Here are ten thoughts on the Cowboys’ Sunday night win. 1. Tolbert with the game-winner The team’s third-year wide receiver had to step up in the absence of Brandin Cooks, and Jalen Tolbert delivered. He finished the game with seven catches for 87 yards. Both are career highs. But his biggest moment was when he hobbled onto the field and caught the game-winning touchdown on a crucial fourth-down play. The game was on the line and Dak Prescott put the ball in the perfect spot for Tolbert to make the play. 2. Rico time! Fans have been asking for it for a long time, and on Sunday night they finally got it. Entering this game, Rico Dowdle’s career high in rushing attempts in a game was 12. Against the Steelers, he set a new career-high with 20 rushing attempts. He also added another 27 yards receiving, including a great catch in the end zone for the Cowboys’ first touchdown of the game. This was the first time in his career that he had over 100 scrimmage yards. The team still has a lot of things to figure out in the running game, but giving Dowdle more touches is a good start. 3. The most important fumble recovery For most of the game, the Cowboys were absolutely horrible at recovering fumbles. Early in the game, it looked like the Cowboys forced a huge takeaway when Linval Joseph stripped the ball away from Justin Fields. Initially, Carl Lawson fell on the ball, but he wasn’t able to secure possession and Fields pulled it away from him and the Steelers kept the ball. On the ensuing drive, Prescott fumbled the ball, but the Steelers’ defense pounced on it. Even when an incomplete pass by Fields was initially ruled a fumble, the Cowboys couldn’t recover that either. They were bumbling fools. Fortunately, the Cowboys recovered the most important fumble when Prescott fell on a Dowdle fumble near the end zone with time running down. This gave the Cowboys another chance to win the game, and they made it count. 4. Red zone ineptitude The Cowboys delivered when it mattered, but man it was rough for most of the game. Every time the offense would move the ball down in the red zone, they would find a way to foul it up. Fumbles, interceptions, and even blocked field goals all contributed to deep possessions that ended in no points. In a game where points were scarce, those mishaps almost cost them. The Cowboys’ offense is still misfiring on some cylinders with some good things, but not enough finishing and Sunday’s game was no different. 5. Penalties won’t go away The Cowboys are so bad at this. Last week, they were flagged for 11 penalties for 89 yards. This week it was 11 penalties for 87 yards. It’s like deja vu. Tyrus Wheat, Donovan Wilson, and even Brock Hoffman (who barely played) were all flagged for personal foul penalties. When it happens once in a while, that’s normal. When it’s an ongoing issue, the Cowboys have a discipline issue and that’s indicative of the coaching staff. It’s nauseating. 6. Almost blew it No one will talk too much about this because the Cowboys emerged victorious, but the clock management on the team’s final drive was horrendous. After Hunter Luepke stumbled his way down inside the five-yard line, the Cowboys were in great shape. They only needed three yards and could work the clock down if they didn’t get in right away. But instead of making it easy, the Cowboys chose drama. First, they called a timeout themselves rather than working the clock. Then they almost fumbled the game away at the goal line. It took them to fourth down to punch it in as they flirted with disaster. 7. Challenge failures It’s hard to put our finger on it, but when it comes to challenging plays, the Cowboys are awful at it. When they challenge a play, they lose. When the refs make a bad spot and replay would correct it, the Cowboys don’t challenge it. We don’t know what is going on upstairs when it comes to getting Mike McCarthy the right intel, but they are terrible at this. 8. Losing Kneeland The Cowboys’ defensive line was already down two starters without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. That left them short along the edge, opening the door for Marshawn Kneeland to get his first NFL start. Sadly, that start was cut short as he was injured on the fourth play of the defense’s first series of the game. He was taken back to the locker room on a cart. Chauncey Golston, Carl Lawson, and Tyrus Wheat had to handle the edge work for the rest of the game. 9. Losing Guyton The injuries kept piling up as left tackle Tyler Guyton exited the game late in the second quarter. The team slid Tyler Smith over to tackle and inserted second-year lineman T.J. Bass in at left guard. The good news was nothing changed that much. They held up okay and allowed Dak time to operate. The bad news was nothing changed that much. There were still intermittent pressures and penalties. Hopefully, Guyton will heal quickly, but it’s good to know the Cowboys can function without him. 10. Defense with another good showing It was shocking that the defense did the heavy lifting in this one, especially in the first half. At halftime, the Steelers only had 89 total yards and just three points. Pittsburgh did score two touchdowns in the second half, but overall, the defense still

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Dak Prescott justifies record contract with incredible game-winning drive vs. Steelers – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat It wasn’t Dak Prescott’s best game, but he delivered when the team needed it. While Prescott authored a statement drive in the third quarter to regain the lead and the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, it was his three turnovers, including an interception and a fumble in the red zone, as to why the Cowboys even had a deficit to overcome. They could have been up by as many as two touchdowns in the first half had Prescott taken better care of the football. Prescott was essentially making up for his own mistakes, but the Cowboys gave him a record-setting contract before the season to deliver with the game on the line and he did just that. With Dallas’ season potentially hanging in the balance, Prescott connected with Jalen Tolbert on 4th-and-goal for the game-winning touchdown. Cowboys’ Dak Prescott throws game-winning TD in final seconds vs. Steelers The Prescott haters were out in full force throughout the game. Rightfully so. Each of his three turnovers were worse than the last. His interception in the third quarter came on a needless deep shot while the Cowboys were clinging to a three-point lead. However, Prescott was paid to make that drive and he did. Just as folks were ready to put the loss on Dak’s shoulders, he deserves credit for the win. Unsung heroes Tolbert, Dowdle lead Cowboys to last-minute win vs Steelers, 20-17 – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire Two young players stepped up today. The Dallas Cowboys were extremely shorthanded entering Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down a slew of key defenders to begin with, they then had to sit through an hour and a half weather delay as storms passed through Acrisure Stadium. On their first defensive drive, they lost Marshawn Kneeland to a knee injury, as he was filling in for DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. Quarterback Dak Prescott fumbled first and then threw a red-zone interception later, adding a third turnover in the second half on a deep pass. It didn’t matter. Thanks to RB Rico Dowdle and WR Jalen Tolbert’s career days, the Cowboys had just enough offense to pull out a final-drive victory over the Steelers when on fourth down Prescott found Tolbert on a cross right over the goal line. Dallas’ second touchdown of the night, right before 1 am on the east coast, gave the team a 20-17 win. The victory improved the Cowboys to 3-2 on the young season, notching their first winning streak of 2024. The loss dropped the Steelers to a similar record. Tolbert finished the game with a career and team-high 87 receiving yards, which went hand-in-hand with Dowdle’s career high 87 rushing yards. Dowdle also caught two passes for 27 yards and the first score of the game. Gamebreakers: Cowboys who clawed vs. Steelers – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com There is plenty of admiration to go around. Linval Joseph, DT The reason the Cowboys signed Joseph was to add physicality and depth to the interior of the defensive line and, against the Steelers, he showed exactly what that looks like. He also put some perserverence on film, an illegal hands to the face penalty on the second drive of the game by the Steelers, acquitting himself by demolishing his blocker on the same drive and not only sacking Justin Fields, but also forcing a fumble. It was recovered by the Steelers, but Joseph sent a very real message as he continues to improve week-over-week in Dallas. Chauncey Golston, DE No Micah Parsons. No DeMarcus Lawrence. No Marshawn Kneeland. This put a ton of the heat Chauncey Golston to step up in a major way, and he more than played his part in helping the defense make it a long day for Fields — whom he drew a penalty on for roughing the quarterback that was a comedically terrible call on a damn good football play. Golston was also effective in run defense, helping to bottle up Najee Harris and Co. on a regular basis. Cowboys find a way to win late on Sunday Night, defeat Steelers 20-17 – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star Two straight primetime wins for the Cowboys. First Half The offense was able to pick up one first down on the opening drive, but, like normal, settled for a 55-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey. One thing I noticed is that the offense was trying to get the ball out as quickly as possible to avoid a quick rush from T.J Watt. They made sure two bodies touched him every time Dak dropped back to pass. The defense took another hit. On the 5th or 6th play, Marshawn Kneeland was helped off the field. It sounded like he might have torn his ACL. He was carted to the locker room after he got off the field. When it rains it pours for this Cowboys team. The Steelers drew up plenty of runs for Fields, and the Cowboys had no answers for it. Bend but don’t break from the defense had to be the motto. Mike McCarthy continued to make me scratch my head the entire first half. Jalen Brooks made a catch in the first quater that was clearly a first down. He didn’t throw the challenge flag. Then on the next drive, he threw it when Justin Fields fumbled, but clearly recovered, costing the Cowboys a timeout for no reason! After a 3-3 game, the Cowboys’ offense moved the ball inside the red zone, but a sack from Watt forced a fumble by Dak Prescott. It was the most Cowboys drive of all time. It is so hard to watch sometimes. The defense played out of their minds in the first half. Cowboys lose yet another starter on the defensive line during SNF- Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated A thin position group got thinner on Sunday. After

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Cowboys rookie tackle Tyler Guyton was reportedly wearing a wrap on his knee after Sunday night’s win. On Sunday night the Dallas Cowboys pulled off a last-second win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in dramatic fashion. That the game ended so late thanks to a weather delay at the start only added to the chaos of the moment. It was a tough game for Dallas in many respects, particularly on the injury front. The Cowboys began the game without Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Brandin Cooks for various reasons (in addition to DaRon Bland, but talking about players who at least played the week before) and about five minutes into the game saw rookie Marshawn Kneeland exit on a cart as well. This team has been built largely upon the idea that rookies will step up and deliver and to this point in the season we have seen that in certain respects. First-rounder Tyler Guyton has done his best to hold his own at left tackle, but that is not an easy ask. Unfortunately Guyton also left the game with injury in the first half and did not return. At the time of this writing, late Sunday night/early Monday morning, there is no official report, but he was wearing a wrap on his knee while heading to the locker room. Tyler Guyton with a wrap on his knee after the game pic.twitter.com/9kD6bZPl8P — Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) October 7, 2024 The Cowboys kicked veteran Tyler Smith out to left tackle while Guyton was not present and put T.J. Bass at guard. If the rookie has to miss any time in the future it stands to reason that this is the path that they will take. For what it’s worth the Cowboys have their bye following Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, something that they very sorely need. Hopefully we find out something on Guyton soon. We will make sure to provide updates when we do.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Cowboys open as underdogs to the Lions The Dallas Cowboys are fresh off a last-second comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers by a 20-17 score. After a rough outing for Dak Prescott where he had three turnovers, he was able to deliver the game-winning drive with an assist from Jalen Tolbert on the winning touchdown. Dallas was able to get to 3-2 on the year with the win. They head back home for a Week 6 clash against the Detroit Lions who are 3-1 and coming off a bye this week. The two teams played one of the most controversial games of the season in 2023 which Dallas won. The Cowboys lost more personnel in the Steelers game as Marshawn Kneeland and Tyler Guyton couldn’t finish the contest. The Cowboys are playing well on the road, but losing at home so far in 2024. For those reasons, they are three-point underdogs in the initial odds from FanDuel. Would you pout money on the Cowboys in Week 6 against the Lions if you were getting three points?

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images The Cowboys and Steelers are tied at 3 after the first quarter. 1st Quarter After about a 90-minute weather delay things finally got going between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. The visiting Cowboys won the toss and chose to take the ball, something we are seeing become a bit more common. A nice return and penalty put them at their own 43-yard line, but across 6 plays they were only able to pick up 21 more yards. That set Brandon Aubrey up for a 55-yard field goal that he successfully converted for the game’s first points. BA17 from 55! (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/muezAhjsRQ — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) October 7, 2024 The Steelers ultimately picked up a field goal of their own on their first possession, but the most notable thing was that early on in it the Cowboys sustained another injury. Rookie defensive end Marshawn Kneeland appeared banged up and needed assistance to get off of the field. He was ultimately carted to the locker room. Dallas and Pittsburgh traded punts, but the latter’s possession was quite the ride. Justin Fields threw a pass that hit Malik Hooker in the hands but was not intercepted. One play later Carl Lawson hit Justin Fields and popped the ball loose, but Fields was able to wrestle it away from Linval Joseph on the ground. At this point Mike McCarthy challenged the clear recovery and lost… giving the Steelers a 3rd and 24 to convert that they did not. It was a tough scene to say the least. The Cowboys offense began to find life as the quarter ended, partly thanks to a 3rd and 24 conversion from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. It looked like points were inevitable, but on the final plaly of the quarter T.J. Watt sacked Dak Prescott and the ball came loose. Pittsburgh recovered. Follow Blogging The Boys Everywhere Follow Blogging The Boys on X (formerly Twitter) Follow Blogging The Boys on Instagram Follow Blogging The Boys on Facebook Subscribe to the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel Notable Recent News Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams reportedly wants to be traded and the Dallas Cowboys were initially named as a team with potential interest. In the time since though there have been many reports that Dallas is in fact not interested, at least to a serious degree. Injury Updates The Cowboys placed wide receiver Brandin Cooks on injured reserve on Saturday and as a result he will miss at least four games, this is obviously the first of those. This is the case for DeMarcus Lawrence as well. It remains to be seen what Micah Parsons’ status is moving forward. NFL News Relevant To The Cowboys The Philadelphia Eagles were on bye this week. Up Next For The Cowboys The Cowboys have one game left before their bye week and it will be at home against the Detroit Lions. Incidentally the Lions are the last team who Dallas beat in their home building as the Cowboys emerged victorious in the penultimate game of the regular season last year. You will recall that the game in question ended a bit controversially, something that will surely be a talking point all week. Keep in mind that the Lions will be coming off of their bye themselves.

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images The Cowboys take on the Steelers in Week 5. The Dallas Cowboys are looking to create a winning streak in Week 5 in a game against an old rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. FanDuel has the Cowboys as 2.5-point underdogs on the road. Prediction: Steelers 24 – Cowboys 17. This is an open thread for game chat.