The Dallas Cowboys came into Acrisure Stadium on a rainy Sunday night and defeated the Steelers 20-17 at the buzzer, dropping Pittsburgh’s record to 3-2 and dealing them their second consecutive loss.
The Steelers and the Cowboys boast a historic rivalry matched by few others. Although they haven’t clashed in the post season since Super Bowl XXX, their matchups in the 21st century have been intense, hard-hitting affairs. Sunday nights continued the tradition:
- Special teams sparkled with splash plays
- Defenses secured score-erasing turnovers in the Red Zone
- The game went down to the wire as it always seems to
Yes, for a second straight week, the Steelers fought tooth and nail to final gun, only to walk away the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths.
- But today’s take away differs sharply from one week ago.
The backstory behind the loss to the Colts may have carried a silver lining. Whereas the backstory behind the loss to the Cowboys is lined with lead. Let’s look at why.
Jalen Tobert scores the game winner. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review
SOS Steelers on Offense
If you see something that isn’t supposed to be often enough it starts looking normal.
- Such is the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
The Steelers offense doesn’t score much in first halves and hasn’t since everyone wore masks and teams were playing in near empty stadiums.
Yes, the Steelers teased at the start: Justin Fields came out and led the Steelers on workman-like 52 yard 11 play drive that reached the Dallas 23. Alas, there things stopped and the Steelers offense stuck to his first half MO: Settle for a Chris Boswell Field goal.
Pittsburgh’s offense quickly reverted to form and promptly punted on their next three possessions. And everyone knows why. The Steelers struggled to establish the run, couldn’t set up manageable third downs, which Justin Fields failed to convert.
And the few times the Steelers offense feigned getting into a rhythm going, penalties and in one case a Justin Fields fumble (credit his effort in recovering that) short-circuited things.
- Meanwhile, the defense also reverted its 2023 form.
Like the Colts, and unlike the Falcons, Broncos and Chargers, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys proved they could move the ball on the Steelers early and often.
For a defense that was fancying itself as a shutdown unit along the lines of its 2008 predecessor, this was not welcome.
- Yet, just as they did all last year, the Steelers defense delivered turnovers at critical moments.
The first time they struck with T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig who strip-sacked Prescott inside the Red Zone. Herbig recovered, putting the cherry on top of Watt’s 100th sack. It also took at least 3 points off the board.
- Nearly 15 minutes later they struck again, with Donte Jackson picked off Prescott in the end zone.
As the first half ended with a 6-3 Cowboys lead, Dallas was winning the statistical battles that keep Fantasy Football owners happy. But thanks to defense, Pittsburgh was holding its own in the war on the scoreboard.
A Breath of Fresh Air Followed by a Puncture Wound
Most of the post-game attention is focusing on Dak Prescott’s heroic come-from-behind closing drive. And from Pittsburgh’s perspective, that drive raises pointed questions about this team’s identity.
- But the Steelers had already set themselves to lose 15 minutes earlier.
On the very first play of the second half the Cowboys looked like they just might provide the spark needed to ignite the Steelers offense. Justin Fields opened with an incomplete pass, but Tyrus Wheat slammed into Fields for a late, helmet-to-helmet late hit. The concussion spotters pulled Fields from the game and on came Kyle Allen.
Connor Heyward scores a touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com
Najee Harris responded with a 5-yard run, and Allen followed with a perfect 20-yard pass to Pat Freiermuth. Fields returned after those two plays and fired off twin passes to Van Jefferson, hit Pat Freiermuth for another, and then after a single misfire, hit Connor Heyward for a touchdown.
The Cowboys marched down the field in response, but a T.J. Watt sack and a smart stop by Minkah Fitzpatrick forced a field goal, which Isaiahh Loudermilk blocked.
Having grasped a 4-point lead, the momentum was there for the Steelers to seize definitive control.
- Except they couldn’t.
Instead of capitalizing on the blocked field goal, Justin Fields could only find Najee Harris for 20 yards followed by a few chink and dink passes and a miss fire to George Pickens setting up another punt.
Corliss Waitman pinned the Cowboys deep in Steelers territory, but Dak Prescott put Dallas back on top by engineering a 16 play, 90 yard, 8-and-a-half-minute drive that would have made Ron Erhardt proud.
Worse yet, Prescott made it look easy.
Frustrating Final Drive
Today it is easy to forget, but the Steelers did shine at a couple of key moments in 4th quarter.
- Joey Porter Jr. picked off Prescott deep
- Justin Fields launched his own 12-play drive that included a 4th down conversion and a longish play to George Pickens
Joey Porter Jr. intercepts Dak Prescott. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review
When he found Pat Freiermuth for a touchdown at the goal line with just under 5 minutes to play, Pittsburgh was in the pole position. All they needed was a single defensive stop.
- Alas, that it was a stop Teryl Austin’s boys didn’t have in them.
Going into the game veteran handicapper Jim Wexell detailed readers that the Steelers had all of the advantages at the line of scrimmage. Dallas was already missing a few key offense linemen and lost a few more during the game.
- Although he’s a Pittsburgh native, Mike McCarthy apparently doesn’t subscribe to Steel City Insider.
By mixing runs to Rico Dowdle and short passes Dak Prescott deftly drove his team to the Steelers 32-yard line, moving the chains and keeping the clock ticking in the process.
Then, after spooking the Steelers with their success at running the ball, Prescott fired off twin 10 and 18 yard passes, bringing the Cowboys to the 3. Prescott tired to rush it in himself, but Minkah Fitzpatrick had other ideas.
Then the Cowboys tried to ram Rico Dowdle down the middle – a wise strategy on paper given how well he’d played – only to see Elandon Roberts slam him from out of no where, knocking the ball loose.
Ah, but Dak Prescott jumped on it, and two plays later Jalen Tolbert was hauling in the game-winner.
Squashing Grapes
After the game, Mike Tomlin explained “It’s a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes.” That’s an apt take, but Steelers squashed grapes for two straight weeks.
- Against the Colts the Steelers made 3 or 4 bonehead errors yet were still in it at the end.
- Against the Cowboys the defense and special teams took at least 9 points off of the board.
Big plays are nice, but a simple stop on third down would have made a world of difference, just as even an occasional ability to win a first down would give the offense a shot in the arm.
The loss to the Colts was frustrating but, all things considered, contender status still appeared to be in striking distance for the Steelers.
But the loss to the Cowboys shows the Steelers deserve to be considered as a middle-of-the-pack team, until they can prove otherwise.
