Emmitt Smith gives his thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys defense
Former Cowboy Emmitt Smith talks about Micah Parsons and Dallas’ defense.
Sports Seriously
The Dallas Cowboys earned a tough win on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to a clutch pass from Dak Prescott.
Prescott threw his second touchdown of the day with 20 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 20-17 win. Prescott accounted for three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) but salvaged the day with 352 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Rico Dowdle also added 87 yards on 20 carries. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields finished 15-for-27 for 131 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also had 27 yards rushing.
After the first half, it felt as if the Cowboys should have led by more than three. Prescott and Co. have moved the ball well in the first two quarters, tallying 202 total yards. Prescott was 15-for-20 for 188 passing yards, but the story coming out of the first half is his fumble and inexcusable interception that ended two promising possessions for Dallas.
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The Cowboys’ defense held up on their end, holding the Steelers to 89 total yards and three points despite coming into the matchup with several injuries to key players.
Here are each of the scores on Sunday Night Football:
Cowboys vs. Steelers
While having three timeouts and needing a touchdown to take the lead, Prescott and the Cowboys offense drove down the field for a 15-play, 70-yard go-ahead drive. On fourth and goal from the four-yard line, Prescott found Jalen Tolbert to give them a three-point lead in the final seconds of the game.
Aided by timely conversions on third and fourth down and costly Cowboys penalties, the Steelers turn a 12-play 63-yard drive into a go-ahead touchdown from Fields to tight end Pat Freiermuth, 17-13.
The Cowboys went three quarters without finding the end zone, but on the second play of the fourth, cashed in their first touchdown of the game to regain the lead. From Prescott to running back Rico Dowdle from 22 yards out, Dallas finish off a 16-play 90-yard drive to go up 13-10.
The Steelers started the second half with the football and came out firing to take their first lead of the night. Following quarterback Justin Fields taking a big hit that required him to get checked out for a concussion, Pittsburgh continued to orchestrate a six-play 72-yard drive that ended with Fields hitting tight end Connor Heyward for a 16-yard touchdown pass to go up 10-6.
A sloppy half of football that saw Dak Prescott turn the football over twice in plus-territory goes into the intermission with Dallas holding a slim three-point lead. The Cowboys’ defense has been holding up their end of the bargain by keeping the Steelers to three points.
It’s been a defensive struggle for both teams tonight, with little scoring or big plays to speak of. However, the Cowboys pushed a second-quarter possession deep into Steelers territory before settling for a 33-yard field goal by Aubrey to take a 6-3 lead.
After watching the Cowboys string together a methodical drive to take a lead, the Steelers answer back with three points of their own. Pittsburgh’s drive went for 11 plays and 52 yards before kicker Chris Boswell hit the 41-yard field goal to tie the game.
It was clear Dallas was trying to get the ball out quickly to neutralize T.J. Watt and the rest of the Steelers’ pass rush, allowing them to find some opening possession rhythm. Ultimately, the drive stalled out, and the Cowboys settled for a 55-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
What time is the Cowboys vs. Steelers game today?
- Date: Oct. 6.
- Time: 7:15 p.m.
- Where: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
What channel is the Cowboys vs. Steelers game Sunday?
- TV channel: NBC
- Streaming live: Peacock
- Radio: ESPN 102.7, 105.3 FM
Who is announcing the Cowboys vs. Steelers game?
- Play-by-play: Mike Tirico
- Analyst: Cris Collinsworth
- Sideline reporter: Melissa Stark
Cowboys vs. Steelers predictions
ESPN: Seven of the 11 paneled experts at ESPN are picking the Cowboys to pull off the road upset on primetime. Despite injuries and the uncertainty surrounding Dallas, some feel that they have enough talent to overcome in the Week 5 matchup.
USA Today: The experts at USA Today are less convinced Dallas can overcome their challenges, as only two of the six picks were in the Cowboys’ favor.
Tony Catalina, Austin American-Statesman: A lot seems to be going against the Cowboys heading into Week 6. With many impactful injuries to contend with, and a rocky start to the season, the feelings around Dallas are not overly positive. That being said, the Cowboys find a way to rise to the occasion in the regular season when their backs are against the wall. Although it may be ugly, Dallas finds a way to pull out a win on Sunday Night Football, 27-23.
Game lines and odds from BetMGM, per Oct. 5:
- Spread: Cowboys +2.5
- Over/under: 44
- Moneyline: Cowboys +115, Steelers -135
Cowboys Inactives:
- Deuce Vaughn, RB
- Micah Parsons, DE
- Caelen Carson, CB
- KJ Henry, DL
- Matt Waletzko, OT
- John Stephens Jr., TE
- Trey Lance, QB
Steelers Inactives
- Russell Wilson, QB
- Roman Wilson, WR
- Jaylen Warren, RB
- Alex Highsmith, OLB
- Max Scharping, G
- Mycole Pruitt, TE
- Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/KR
Cowboys vs. Steelers weather
Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 60s for kickoff, with a brief moment of rain potentially in the forecast.
- Sept. 9: Dallas Cowboys 33, Cleveland Browns 17
- Sept. 15: New Orleans Saints 44, Dallas Cowboys 19
- Sept. 22: Baltimore Ravens 28, Dallas Cowboys 25
- Sept. 26: Dallas Cowboys 20, New York Giants 15
- Oct. 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers | 7:20 p.m.
- Oct. 13: vs Detroit Lions | 3:25 p.m.
- Oct. 27: at San Francisco 49ers | 7:20 p.m.
- Nov. 3: at Atlanta Falcons | 12:00 p.m.
- Nov. 10: vs. Philadelphia Eagles | 3:25 p.m.
- Nov. 18: vs. Houston Texans | 7:20 p.m.
- Nov. 24: at Washington Commanders | 12:00 p.m.
- Nov. 28: vs New York Giants | 3:30 p.m.
- Dec. 9: vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 7:15 p.m.
- Dec. 15: at Carolina Panthers | 12:00 p.m.
- Dec. 22: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7:20 p.m.
- Dec. 29: at Philadelphia Eagles | 3:25 p.m.
- TBD: vs Washington Commanders
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