It is Day 85 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain
dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.
Welcome to Day 85 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, where we revisit one of the strangest and most dramatic recent wins in the Cowboys-Steelers rivalry. Dallas went to Pittsburgh in Week 5 of the 2024 season badly needing a stabilizing road win. The Cowboys were banged up, missing major defensive pieces, fighting red-zone mistakes, and stuck in a weather-delayed Sunday night game that did not even kick off until 9:45 p.m. ET because of thunderstorms. By the time it ended after midnight, Dallas had stolen a 20-17 win on fourth-and-goal in the final seconds.
Sunday, October 6, 2024 — 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff
Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
The Cowboys started well enough with Brandon Aubrey drilling a 55-yard field goal on the opening drive. Pittsburgh answered with a Chris Boswell 41-yarder, and from there the first half became a story of Dallas moving the ball but failing to finish. Dak Prescott was strip-sacked by T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig near the Pittsburgh red zone, then later threw an endzone interception to Donte Jackson. Despite outgaining the Steelers 202 yards to 89 in the first half, Dallas led only 6-3 at the break.
Pittsburgh took the lead in the third quarter when Justin Fields found Connor Heyward for a 16-yard touchdown. Dallas had another chance to answer, but Aubrey’s 38-yard field goal try was blocked, adding to the feeling that the Cowboys were letting the game get away. Finally, early in the fourth quarter, Prescott finished a 90-yard drive by hitting Rico Dowdle for a 22-yard touchdown, putting Dallas back in front 13-10.
The Steelers responded after another Prescott mistake. Joey Porter Jr. intercepted a deep pass, and Pittsburgh turned the short field into a six-yard touchdown from Justin Fields to Pat Freiermuth. That gave the Steelers a 17-13 lead with just under five minutes left, setting up one final Dallas possession.
That final drive was pure chaos. Prescott moved the Cowboys down the field with a mix of Dowdle runs and short completions, including a 10-yard throw to Jake Ferguson on third-and-9 and an 18-yard screen to Hunter Luepke that moved the ball to the Pittsburgh four-yard line. Dallas nearly blew it again when Dowdle fumbled near the goal line, but Prescott recovered the ball himself. Then, on fourth-and-goal, Prescott drifted left and found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone for the winning four-yard touchdown with just 20 seconds left.
Prescott’s night was messy but memorable. He was 29-of-42 for 352 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble. Tolbert had the biggest game of his young career with seven catches for 87 yards and the winning score, while Dowdle rushed 20 times for 87 yards and added the fourth-quarter touchdown reception. Dallas finished with 445 total yards to Pittsburgh’s 226, won the third-down battle 9-of-15 to 3-of-12, and somehow overcame three turnovers and a blocked field goal.
This game belongs on the countdown because Cowboys-Steelers games alway carry historical weight, and this one delivered modern drama. It was not clean or comfortable, but it was exactly the kind of road win that sticks in memory. This had it all, a late-night weather delay, hostile stadium, self-inflicted wounds, a loose ball at the goal line, and a fourth-down touchdown with the game on the line. Pure grit Cowboys victory.
Interesting Facts About the Game
The game was delayed 85 minutes by thunderstorms and kicked off at 9:45 p.m. ET, making it one of the latest-starting Sunday night games in recent memory.
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