The Cowboys went to Pittsburgh and stole a game they probably had no business winning. On the road, dealing with weather, and severely hampered by injuries at multiple key positions, Dallas seemed hamstrung from the start. But a suddenly-revived rushing attack and a defense that overcame its personnel issues combined to stage a thrilling win that should boost the Cowboys’ morale going into a tough intraconference showdown next week and offer optimism for the tough stretch of opponents to come after the bye. Much of what’s been wrong, though, remains wrong. Penalties continue to be an Achilles heel. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s three turnovers on the night cannot be overlooked just because he saved the game with a fumble recovery and threw a game-winning pass. The injuries appear to be mounting. The offense still short-circuits once they hit the red zone. And questionable in-game management is only making it harder to sustain momentum in critical situations. Those concerns, while real, are much easier to put in proper perspective, however, the day after a win. Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly to come out of Sunday night/Monday morning’s 20-17 win over the Steelers. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Good: Piecemealed Dallas D rises to occasion Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) reacts to sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (not pictured) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The questions surrounding the Cowboys defense coming in were numerous, obvious, and well-deserved. Already down its two best playmakers, Dallas lost defensive end Marshawn Kneeland just four minutes into the contest. (More on that later.) But the rest of Mike Zimmer’s crew wasted no time in stepping up in a big way, completely containing Justin Fields and the Steelers offense. Heading into halftime, the piecemealed Cowboys D had surrendered just 89 net yards and only three points. They held Pittsburgh to 1-of-7 on third downs, allowed a single play of over 10 yards, and forced almost as many punts (three) as passes Fields had completed (four). The Steelers were able to make adjustments that proved effective in the second half, but the dominance showed by the Cowboys defense in the first 30 minutes was key to keeping things close, unlike what happened against New Orleans and Baltimore. Bad: Challenges continue to be a challenge For an organization that prides itself on its forward-thinking coaching staff and cutting-edge use of analytics, the Cowboys seem to have a real challenge with… challenges. And they screwed up twice- on both ends of the spectrum- in the span of under two minutes Sunday. On the offense’s second possession, a Dak Prescott completion to Jalen Brooks looked to be extremely close to the line to gain. Replays showed Brooks probably had enough to have moved the chains. But instead of asking for a review of the spot, the Cowboys rushed to the line, ran a hurried play that ended in an intentional grounding call, and had to punt. Four snaps into Pittsburgh’s subsequent drive, a Fields fumble offered a brief tantalizing moment of hope, but the quarterback came away from the pile with the ball. McCarthy inexplicably demanded a challenge, which the entire free world knew without a doubt he would lose. It was not a good look for a head coach who is criticized frequently for poor in-game management decisions. Had Dallas not gone on to steal the win, these two plays would be a much larger talking point this week, and the temperature under McCarthy’s seat would have climbed a few noticeable degrees. Ugly: Dak’s trio of turnovers The Jeopardy! answer to come out of the game was that Prescott became the first player in league history to throw two interceptions in the same game but on different days. But the reality of the QB’s ugly trio of turnovers should be of no trivial matter to Cowboys fans. First, he fumbled in the red zone after holding onto the ball far too long with T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig closing in fast. That miscue cost Dallas the chance to go up 10-3 early. Then came another red-zone giveaway, this one on a poorly-thrown ball into the end zone when points were all but guaranteed and a touchdown seemed inevitable. That awful throw had CeeDee Lamb reminding his quarterback to put the ball up in the air. Prescott did exactly that later in the fourth quarter (and technically, Monday morning by that point), heaving an ill-advised bomb nearly 50 yards downfield to a double-covered Jalen Tolbert. That interception kick-started the Steelers’ go-ahead touchdown drive. Thankfully, Prescott’s heads-up recovery of Rico Dowdle’s fumble in the final minute was instrumental in winning the game, but Prescott often looked like he was trying to do too much to personally pilot a banged-up offense against a fierce opponent on the road… and it almost cost the team dearly. Good: Run game finds spark with Rico Dallas’s rushing attack had been stuck in neutral through four games this season, but Rico Dowdle finally got himself in gear Sunday night. His 20 carries and 87 yards on the ground were both career highs for the 26-year-old, and he was given the rock for what was designed to be the game-winning carry (and nearly was, if not for that one-in-a-million dive from Steelers LB Elandon Roberts). What’s more, Dowdle may have finally cemented his place as the clear-cut lead back for the Cowboys, more than tripling Ezekiel Elliott’s rushing attempts on the night. Fullback Hunter Luepke had just two totes, Deuce Vaughn was on the inactive list, and Dalvin Cook remains on the practice squad; Cook will ostensibly be elevated at some point, but a pecking order seems to be establishing itself among the Cowboys’ running back committee. Based on a strong Week 5 in which he also added two catches and a very important receiving touchdown, expect Dowdle to shoulder the biggest part of the load out of the backfield

Report: Cowboys DE avoids season-ending injury but will require surgery Todd Brock When it rains, it pours. And not just from the clouds over Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Once the game finally got underway after a lengthy weather delay, a Cowboys defender being asked to step up due to other injuries suffered one of his own just four snaps in. Rookie defensive end Marshawn Kneeland suffered a partial meniscus tear on the first series of the night for the Cowboys defense. The injury came during a tackle of Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. Kneeland was carted off the sideline and did not return for the duration of Dallas’s 20-17 win over the Steelers. Multiple outlets are reporting Monday that the second-round draft pick avoided a season-ending ACL tear, but he will need surgery to repair the damage in his right knee. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Kneeland could miss four to six weeks while he recovers. The Western Michigan product is now the fourth edge rusher to go down with an injury this season for Dallas. Sam Williams was lost for the season in late July, Micah Parsons is considered week-to-week, and DeMarcus Lawrence will be on injured reserve through Nov. 3. Kneeland will almost certainly be moved to IR as well as the team figures out a plan for at least the next month. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Chauncey Golston, Tyrus Wheat, and Carl Lawson took on extra snaps versus the Steelers after Kneeland went down in the first quarter. All three ended the night notching half a sack on Fields. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys vs Lions: Opening odds, over-under and moneyline for NFL betting wagers K.D. Drummond Things were not friendly the last time the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions met. The two teams, jockeying for playoff positioning, met at AT&T Stadium last December in a game that went down to the wire. The Cowboys escaped with a 20-19 victory after Detroit tried not one, not two, but three two-point tries after scoring a late touchdown in a game marked with a ton of controversy. The Lions attempted to trick the Cowboys with offensive linemen reporting eligible, but tricked the refs and had their first conversion nullified. They failed on the second attempt, but got a reprieve as Micah Parsons was offside and then finally Dallas got a stop that stuck. The Lions took the emotion from the loss and ran with it, reaching the NFC Championship game a month later. Dallas didn’t, bowing out two weeks later in a lopsided wild-card loss. The Lions have maintained that momentum, winning three of their first four games before a Week 5 bye and Dallas has slogged along so far and are now dealing with a mountain of serious injuries. All of that together leads to Vegas’ opinion on who should win the game and by how much. Opening Point Spread: Cowboys +3 Relying on Bet MGM’s odds, the Cowboys are home underdogs. Many people feel that home-field advantage is an automatic three points before a spread is adjusted for the quality of the team. That isn’t always the case. Based on historical trends, some team’s home-field advantage is adjusted up or down. When reading spreads, the team that is favored is referred to as “giving points.” The Steelers are 3-point favorites, so in order to win a bet the Lions have to win by more than three points. The Cowboys are referred to as +3. Spread History in 2024 LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 02: The betting line and some of the nearly 400 proposition bets for Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos are displayed at the Race & Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on February 2, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The newly renovated sports book has the world’s largest indoor LED video wall with 4,488 square feet of HD video screens measuring 240 feet wide and 20 feet tall. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) The Cowboys were +1 road underdogs in their opener and beat the Browns by 16.  They were 6.5-point favorites at home over the Saints and lost by 25. In Week 3 Dallas was +1.5 and lost by three. In Week 4 Dallas was favored by 5.5 and won by only five. Last week they were +2.5 to the Steelers and won outright. The Cowboys are 2-3 against the spread. The Lions are 3-1 against the spread, matching their win-loss record. They were favored by 5.5 against the Rams and won by six. Favored by 7.5 against the Bucs and lost outright. Favored by three at home against the Cards and won by seven. Before their bye they were favored by 4.5 against the Seahawks and won by 13. Over/Under opens at 52.5 The Over/Under is the guesstimate of the total amount of points to be scored by both teams. For instance if the final score of Sunday’s game ends up being 33-20, then an Over bet would win because 53 total points were scored. If the final score was 21-20, then the Under bet would win based on a total of 41 points being scored. Over/Under History in 2024 Week 1 was expected to be a defensive struggle, but they and the Browns combined for 50 points, 8.5 above the 41.5 water level. In Week two the O/U was set for 47 and the teams combined for 63 total points. In Week 3 the O/U was 47.5 and Dallas and Baltimore combined for 53 points. In Week 4 the Cowboys and Giants combined for only 35 points and Dallas and the Steelers hit just 37, so back-to-back unders. The Lions have had high over/unders in all of their game but only once has the over hit, in Week 4. The O/U was 47 and the teams combined for 73 points, but the previous three games had O/Us above 50 and weren’t breached. Cowboys Money Line is currently set for +140 The Money Line is a simple win-or-lose bet. If someone thinks one team will win, but they don’t want to give or take any points, they bet on them “straight up.” Dallas’ moneyline is +140. The Lions’ moneyline is -165. If someone bets on a favorite the ML will be negative, an underdog, positive. All bets are spoken of in terms of wagering an even $100. A bet of $165 on Detroit to win outright would result in getting that back, plus winning an additional $100. If someone were to wager $100 on the Cowboys, then they would get their $100 back, plus $140 in profit. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Winners and Losers: Cowboys run game overcomes officials, injuries in win over Steelers angeltorres After a lengthy rain and lightning delay, the Cowboys were able to churn out an ugly but hardfought victory over a Pittsburgh team that thrives in situations Dallas found themselves in Sunday night (or Monday morning depending on the time zone). Quarterback Dak Prescott was unbelievable despite tossing two interceptions, going 29 of 42 for 352 yards and two touchdowns after the game-winning pass. It may be easy to anoint him now but there are a few unsung heroes who deserve the winner tag as well. Kudos to this no-name defense that held Pittsburgh to just 226 total yards on 57 snaps, a pedestrian four yards per play. This Dallas defense held the Steelers to just 3 of 12 on third-down conversions. As with any game though, not everything was roses and sunshine. Like Prescott’s picks there were some moments and performances that could’ve been executed much better. Here’s the collection of winners and losers from Week 5. Winner: Cowboys backup wide receivers Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) scores the game winning touchdown against Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Dallas won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Dallas lost receiver Brandin Cooks for at least the next four games due to a knee infection and, the Cowboys needed someone to step up in his absence. A usual deterrent in the return game, Pittsburgh opted to give him his chances on special teams, but it was the opportunities in the offense that placed receiver Kavonte Turpin on the list. Turpin finished the game with four catches for 50 yards which doesn’t sound like much, but it was effective enough to garner some attention. This allowed Jalen Tolbert to become the focus in the second half leading all receivers with seven grabs for 87 yards including the game-winning four-yard touchdown catch. This new development forces upcoming opponents to deal with the Cowboys newest threats but more importantly, it gives the wideouts confidence in what has been a disappointing start as a group. Perhaps all the talk of bringing in Raiders All-Pro receiver Davante Adams was the kind of motivation they needed. Loser: Sunday Night Officiating Crew Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) celebrates a touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Shawn Hochuli and his officiating crew didn’t give the Cowboys an inch when it came to the benefit of the doubt against the Steelers on Sunday Night. Twice the Sunday Night broadcasting crew highlighted the ball being spotted short of the line to gain for Dallas. Wideout Jalen Brooks appeared to have gotten the first down on his only reception of the day while running back Rico Dowdle was much closer to another first down yet both times, Dallas was shorted on the play. The crew also missed an illegal lineman downfield on the go-ahead touchdown shovel pass by the Steelers to make it 17-13 late in the fourth quarter. Luckily for them, and the Cowboys, Dak Prescott bailed them all out. Winner: Rico Dowdle Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) catches a touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images In a year where the running back position has severely lacked any “juice”, Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle finally gave a much-needed infusion of production from the position. Dowdle rushed 20 times for 87 yards adding a 22-yard touchdown through the air from quarterback Dak Prescott. His breakout game allowed the other backs to fall into their rightful place as supporting cast members. Fellow running mates Ezekiel Elliott and Hunter Luepke were able to give Dallas the dirty yards in short-yardage situations. This is an area where Dallas can be better as that Dowdle fumble at the goal line, as improbable as that was, should serve notice to the coaching staff that roles must be played by certain players moving forward. Loser: Terence Steele Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele (78) lines up during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images Dallas had a built-in escape clause in case starting right tackle Terence Steele struggled to return to form from a serious knee injury. Happy with what they saw, the team opted to restructure his contract making it more expensive to move on from his salary next season. Team officials may be second-guessing themselves as Steelers edge player T.J. Watt turned him into a turnstile on national television. Steele carries an $18.1 million cap number next season and unless things turn around drastically, paying a player roughly 6.1% of your cap for less than mediocre results is probably why the front office cannot stop talking to the media, or anyone else who will listen, about their perennial salary issues. Loser: 2024 Draft Class injuries PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 06: Marshawn Kneeland #94 of the Dallas Cowboys is on the field with an injury during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Injuries in general have been a problem but the Cowboys lost rookie starting left tackle Tyler Guyton, their first-round pick in 2024, and Marshawn Kneeland, their second-round pick, in the first half against the Steelers. Neither returned and Dallas now faces a grim possibility where both players may miss an extended amount of time. Dallas has leaned heavily on their rookie class this season with center Cooper Beebe and linebacker Marist Liufau being the only members of the drafted guys this season to finish the game in Pittsburgh. Fifth-round cornerback Caelen Carson was inactive due

Unsung heroes Tolbert, Dowdle lead Cowboys to last-minute win vs Steelers, 20-17 K.D. Drummond 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. The Cowboys also got step-up performances from Kavontae Turpin as WR Bradin Cooks missed the game after being placed on IR. Turpin caught four of his five targets for 50 yards. Dallas was able to corral Steelers QB Justin Fields, who was coming off a a 300-passing yard performance last week. Fields had two passing touchdowns but accrued just 131 air yards and 27 on scrambles and designed runs. The Dallas defense had three sacks and forced two fumbles, allowing the Steelers just 226 yards on the game. Playing without their two star edge rushers, and their two corners who start opposite Trevon Diggs in Daron Bland and Caelen Carson, Mike Zimmer’s group had their best outing of the season, though they did allow Pittsburgh to march down the field and take a late lead. Still, there’s a ton to be proud of as the injuries continue to mount. Dallas lost two starting offensive linemen in the game as well. Rookie Tyler Guyton went out with a knee injury and stayed out as he was questionable to return. The team also lost RG Zack Martin to cramps, but he was able to return. Next up for Dallas will be the 3-1 Detroit Lions coming to AT&T Stadium where the Cowboys will now try and solve their home woes as they’ve lost three consecutive games in blowout fashion. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Here’s why Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb drew 2 different fines from NFL front office this week Todd Brock Through the first four weeks of the NFL season, exactly 111 plays have resulted in a monetary fine for a player in violation of some infraction. Almost three percent of them have involved CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys wide receiver was fined for two separate plays in the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Giants, it was announced Saturday. Combined, the fines will dock Lamb $25,324, just a week after an unnecessary roughness call (that was not considered a penalty during the Week 3 loss to Baltimore) cost him $22,511. The first incident from last Thursday’s 20-15 win to draw the league’s ire came after a first-quarter catch by Lamb that gained ten yards. After being tackled at the Giants’ 30, Lamb motioned for a first down with a double-handed gesture that mimicked shooting guns. The league office called it unsportsmanlike conduct involving a violent gesture and imposed a fine of $14,069. In the second quarter, Lamb caught a Dak Prescott pass of about 17 yards and then raced another 38 for a touchdown. On his way to the end zone, Lamb turned to stare down New York cornerback Deonte Banks and then flipped the ball toward him once he had scored. That was also deemed unsportsmanlike conduct- taunting, this time- and will cost Lamb $11,255. As in Week 3, neither moment drew a flag from officials in the moment. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] The NFL seems to be making a concerted effort to crack down on the recent trend of players pantomiming shooting guns; five players across the league were fined for it in Week 4 and hit with fines totaling nearly $60,000. Any violations resulting in a fine may be appealed by players, but the decisions are then binding. Collected fines are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support NFL legends in need as well as the NFL Foundation to support the health, safety, and wellness of players across all levels of the sport. Lamb has single-handedly contributed over $47,000 so far this season. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.