The Dallas Cowboys are back in the win column, and all it took was facing an Indianapolis Colts team in despair to pull it off. It wasn’t pretty, it was unnecessarily nerve-racking, and it was filled with zany ups and downs.
Regardless, the win gives purpose to the rest of the Cowboys’ season, despite still leaving a lot of things to worry about. Here are 10 thoughts on the Cowboys 27-23 win over the Colts on Sunday.
1. Ground attack
Brian Schottenheimer wanted to show he meant business by committing to the run, using
six offensive linemen right out of the gate. Broderick Jones was in on the first play from scrimmage and was used often. The Cowboys had a perfect balance between running and passing with 34 plays of each.
Javonte Williams led the charge with 101 yards rushing, while complementary back Tyler Goodson finished with 77 yards rushing. Both averaged over five yards per carry.
2. The Lamb circus
What a strange day for Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. In a game without his pass-catching partner in crime, George Pickens, Lamb did all the heavy lifting in this one. He finished the game with 10 catches for 195 yards.
Weirdly, he was also involved in some odd stuff as he got flagged for two separate offensive pass interference penalties, negating clutch first-down catches. It was a strange mix of good and bad, and sometimes it happened on the same play.
In the fourth quarter, Lamb made a great catch on a crucial third-down play where he wisely got up and started running before being touched. It was great until he eventually fumbled the ball away after a shoestring tackle.
3. Laundry day
Speaking of penalties, the Cowboys were flagged for just about every type of penalty possible in this game. Three different times they were flagged for offensive pass interference. It felt like every offensive lineman got caught for holding (they didn’t).
Even players who weren’t playing were getting flagged for stuff, as DeMarvion Overshown was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty despite not even playing in the game. Some of the flag stuff was just touchy officiating, but for a team that struggles with discipline, it frustrating to continue to see some of this silliness.
4. Playbook problems
While the offense came through with a nice game-winning score late in the fourth quarter, everything up until that felt underwhelming. The offense did some things, we’re not discounting that, but it just felt like they weren’t doing enough against the Colts, who are one of the worst defenses in the league.
They continued to have issues near the goal line, as if their playbook starts to shrink. They got it done, but it just feels like Brian Schottenheimer chooses the worst plays possible to do it. Last week, Bryan Anger punted for a season-high four times. On Sunday, he set a new season-high with five punts.
Don’t let the win fool you. The Cowboys’ offense is starting to show some signs of trouble.
5. Trouble finding the mark
Dak Prescott was a bit off at times, as he was sometimes throwing behind receivers and into coverage. That’s not good. Even Prescott’s good throws weren’t great. If Lamb got tackled in bounds after having to come back on that underthrown ball late in the first half, the Cowboys likely would’ve had to settle for a field goal there.
Prescott still made some big plays, but he hasn’t been as sharp as he usually is, and that will need to change if they are to have a chance against better teams.
6. Defense showing up
In this game, it became more enjoyable to watch the Cowboys’ defense play than their offense. At least early on. How did that happen?
The Cowboys’ defense played well early in the game, forcing four three-and-outs on the Colts’ first five possessions of the game, and Indy’s longest play during that span was just seven yards. The Colts only had 86 total yards in the first half.
The Cowboys’ defense started to give way some in the second half, but fortunately they were able to come away with big stops in big moments, including two fourth-quarter turnovers. Well done, defense.
7. A new career high for Q
Quinnen Williams is so good at football. The Cowboys’ stud defensive tackle continues to play incredibly well, as he was constantly living the Colts backfield. He added another three tackles for loss, including a forced fumble that killed an Indy drive in the fourth quarter.
He now has a total of 14 tackles for loss this season, which is a new career-high eclipsing the 12 he had during his All-Pro season in 2022.
8. Too close for comfort
While the Cowboys came away with the win, this was another game they tried really hard to give away. The penalties, the turnovers, and even botching a snap that may have caused Brandon Aubrey to miss a field goal he almost always makes.
Again and again, they were doing things that losing teams do. And again, it was against a bad team. They had plenty of chances to pull away, but that is just not their style. They continuously play down to the level of their opponent, as if they just love to live for the drama.
9. Sauce’d
Ryan Flournoy only had two catches on the day, but his second one was a big one. After the Colts went ahead 23-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys answered back thanks to a big catch by Flournoy.
Prescott took a shot deep and found Flournoy who tracked the ball well even with All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner draped all over him. It immediately changed the mood of the game as the Cowboys were instantly in field goal range and now could play for the win.
10. Sibling rivalry
It was fun to watch the Downs brothers, Caleb and Josh, go against each other, but it was nicer seeing little bro get the better of it. The Cowboys rookie safety had a sack early in the game and then a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter. Strangely, it was the Cowboys’ first interception of the season by a defensive back.
