The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Cowboys vs Steelers was a rollercoaster ride

Who would have thought that the Dallas Cowboys at the Pittsburgh Steelers would make ESPN as an Instant Classic? I’m not entirely sure what people expected from this game. Fan temperature was all over the place.

Most of Cowboys Nation seemed frustrated, and with so many injuries on the defensive side of the ball, they felt like a win on the road in Pittsburgh was impossible.

Other fans were indifferent. They were truly at a point in their fandom best described as “it is what it is” and whatever happens to the Cowboys is in the hands of the football gods.

A much smaller faction of Cowboys Nation (and Cowboys Twitter/X) had a sense of confidence that Dak Prescott and the offense would have enough juice to outscore the offensively challenged Justin Fields and the Steelers’ offense.

That group ended up being right, and it came down to one final play on 4th down from inside the five yard line to make it so. It was an incredible game, and worth every minute of sleep it took away from me. I might have been sleepy Monday morning, but I was happy.

A back and forth affair on the road in a hostile environment while facing such adversities as numerous injuries to starters on both sides of the ball revealed some things about the team we want to continue: the good. However, it also revealed things the team needs to work on: the bad; and also revealed things we’d rather never see again: the ugly.

Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Cowboys vs Steelers rollercoaster ride on Sunday Night Football.

The Good

Dak Prescott

How can we start anywhere else? Dak Prescott showed up to Acrisure Stadium and ran through a defense that, statistically, was ranked #1 in the NFL. The Steelers’ defense, led by EDGE TJ Watt and S Minkah Fitzpatrick, had their moments but couldn’t stop the Cowboys’ offense when it mattered most.

Prescott was only sacked twice, but one of those was a costly fumble while the Cowboys were in the redzone. Give Dak some credit for his elite pocket presence and ability to duck the constant pressure brought by Watt and his teammates.

In the face of pressure, Prescott threw for 352 yards and two touchdowns while completing 69% of his attempts. He did throw two questionable interceptions, but he showed up when his team needed him the most, and rose to the occasion in front of a national audience.

Jalen Tolbert

Remember when Jalen Tolbert was drafted by the Cowboys in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft and the phrase most used to describe him by the Cowboys’ brass was NFL ready? How can we forget?

The Cowboys’ front office was mocked so many times for using that phrase, but it looks like it can finally accurately describe Tolbert’s performance. In the absence of Brandin Cooks from injury, Tolbert became the de facto #2 wide receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, and he didn’t disappoint.

Most will remember Tolbert for the game-winning catch, but don’t ignore his other six catches for 83 yards. Tolbert bailed out the offense with big catches at several points of the game, and finally established himself as a reliable target for Prescott.

Motion

I didn’t think HC Mike McCarthy was on Twitter/X, but what other way did he see our constant pleas for more pre-snap motion in the offense? There’s no way Cowboys Nation had a hand in the sudden change, right?

Wherever it came from, I want more of it, please. Not only did McCarthy use speed motion across the formation to make the defense pause and allow running lanes for Rico Dowdle to burst through, but he even incorporated a new orbit motion several times throughout the game.

Seeing so much pre-snap motion and the positive plays that resulted from it was a breath of fresh air. Keep that fresh air coming in for the rest of the season, coach.

Roster Depth

One of the things that we were all concerned about is the depth on a roster that is primarily made up of draft picks and cheap one-year rentals. Dallas likes to build through the draft, and that’s ok.

Free agency is never fun when you’re a Cowboys fan, and this past offseason was no different. The depth of the roster was brought into question, but after sustaining so many injuries and still pulling out a win in Pittsburgh, the backups have swayed me.

The Cowboys went into the game missing WR Brandin Cooks, CB DaRon Bland, CB Caelen Carson, EDGE Micah Parsons, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, DE Sam Williams, and lost both DE Marshawn Kneeland and LT Tyler Guyton during the game.

If you’re keeping count, that means the Cowboys were playing with defensive ends and cornerbacks listed fifth and sixth on the depth chart.

Depth players like OL TJ Bass, OL Brock Hoffman, CB Amani Oruwariye, and defensive ends Tyrus Wheat and Carl Lawson showed us the sky won’t fall in the absence of the starters.

The Bad

Penalties

The Cowboys remain one of the most undisciplined teams in the NFL under Mike McCarthy. Penalties are part of the game, but so many pre-snap and bone-headed penalties can’t be normal.

Dallas was flagged 11 times for 87 yards, with four of those penalties resulting in a new set of downs for the Steelers. For the season, the Cowboys rank tied for third with 43 total accepted penalties against them.

Preventable penalties include two delays of game, a whopping 10 false starts, and three unnecessary roughness calls. That’s 105 yards in penalties that a more disciplined team does not commit.

If McCarthy can’t reel in his team and instill some more pre-snap discipline, it could bite the Cowboys in the rear end in the long run.

The Run Game…Still

I know Rico Dowdle ran for a career high 87 yards on 20 carries for a 4.4 yards per carry average, but I still need to see more.

For example, the carry on the goal line that nearly ended the game was not blocked well at all. Steelers’ LB Elandon Roberts made a super human play that was timed perfectly, but even without his heroics, there was nowhere for Dowdle to go.

Even though Dowdle averaged 4.4 yards per carry, the rest of the group collectively averaged just 2.0 yards and seldom found running room on the field at Acrisure Stadium.

The Ugly

Redzone Woes and Turnovers

The Dallas Cowboys were fortunate to escape Pittsburgh with a win after turning the football over three times, and all three times in the redzone.

First was a fumble by Prescott on a play where he held the ball too long. Watt and second-year player Nick Herbig crashed down on Prescott and forced the ball free to end the scoring threat.

The second opportunity was squandered by a false start penalty that put the Cowboys in a third and long situation. They couldn’t convert, and settled for a Brandon Aubrey field goal instead of a touchdown.

Just before halftime, the Cowboys were driving until an ill-advised throw by Prescott up the left sideline to CeeDee Lamb was intercepted by Donte Jackson. There appeared to be some miscommunication between Prescott and his receiver, and it was later revealed that Prescott may have believed he had a free play.

The final failure in the redzone came later in the 3rd quarter after reaching the 20 yard line once again. This time, Aubrey’s field goal to extend the lead was blocked. At the end of the day, scoring one touchdown in four redzone trips is bad enough, but the manner in which they failed was ugly and needs to be fixed.