Another fourth-quarter lead had disappeared. Another disappointing finish was staring Dallas in the face. Then Dak Prescott and Ryan Flournoy changed the game with one throw.
Trailing Indianapolis 23-20 with 1:37 remaining, the Cowboys opened their final touchdown drive by attacking downfield. Prescott connected with Flournoy for a 46-yard gain, immediately putting Dallas in position to chase the winning touchdown. It was the decisive swing in a much-needed 27-23 victory.
Reaching that point was unnecessarily
painful. At halftime, Dallas led 17-7 and later held a commanding 20-10 advantage. However, turnovers and penalties kept Indianapolis alive. Despite moving the ball far more effectively than the Colts, Dallas’s 14 penalties for 153 yards and two fumbles prevented them from converting their advantage into a win.
Quinnen Williams made a crucial defensive intervention in Dallas territory, forcing Jonathan Taylor to fumble, which Shemar James recovered. However, the offense couldn’t cash in. Indianapolis eventually tied the game, and Brandon Aubrey missed a potential important field goal. Spencer Shrader then kicked a 50-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining, putting the Colts ahead.
Dallas needed an immediate response, and Prescott trusted Flournoy to deliver it.
This was no uncontested catch against a defender who had been left behind. Sauce Gardner stayed alongside Flournoy downfield, but failed to turn his head toward the football. Instead, he tried to disrupt the catch through the receiver’s hands and actually grabbed one arm. Flournoy maintained his concentration and secured the pass with the other hand against his body, producing the biggest reception of the afternoon when Dallas needed it most.
The importance of that completion went beyond the yardage. Dallas had started the possession needing to move quickly just to give itself a chance. One snap later, the offense could realistically pursue a touchdown and force Indianapolis to answer. The pressure had shifted straight back onto the Colts.
Dallas finished the job with help from Indianapolis penalties, and Javonte Williams scored from one yard out with 1:08 remaining. The Cowboys had turned a three-point deficit into a four-point lead in just 29 seconds.
There is still plenty to fix. Winning does not erase the mistakes that made this game so difficult. But when Dallas needed a play to prevent another late disappointment, its quarterback and receiver delivered, and the catch was the late-game turning point that helped seal the victory.
