For nearly 90 minutes on Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers remained in their locker rooms as a fierce storm battered Western Pennsylvania, delaying the start of a Sunday Night Football matchup steeped in NFL history. Fans who stayed up past 1 a.m. Eastern to catch the game’s conclusion were not disappointed.
Despite a total of 19 penalties and four turnovers between the teams, the Cowboys and Steelers delivered a gripping, hard-fought thriller where neither team led by more than four points throughout. With just 20 seconds left on the clock, Dak Prescott found Jalen Tolbert for the go-ahead, game-winning touchdown, securing the Cowboys’ third victory of the season and giving Mike McCarthy his first regular-season win against his hometown team.
However, the victory was not solely achieved in those final 20 seconds. It was forged during the hour-plus delay, as Dak Prescott urged his teammates to stay focused and make the most of the unusual situation.
“I mentioned it before the game started, saying we wouldn’t forget this one no matter what,” Prescott remarked after the game, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “With all the delays and everything that happened, it’s one of those games you won’t forget, no matter how long it lasts. I kept saying, ‘Let’s make it one to remember.’ I think we accomplished that with all the ups, downs, and the ebbs and flows.”
The fourth quarter was particularly eventful. With a 13-10 lead early on, it appeared Dallas could take firm control of the game with a few more first downs and possibly another score. However, on a deep throw to Jalen Tolbert, Dak Prescott was intercepted by Joey Porter Jr. The Steelers capitalized on this, executing a 12-play, 63-yard drive to take a 17-13 lead with just 4:56 remaining.
In the end, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys had the Steelers exactly where they wanted them.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys deliver late on Sunday Night Football
Facing former Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt and one of the league’s top defenses over the first four weeks, the Cowboys reacted like a team that thrived in high-pressure situations.