The Steelers’ defense couldn’t stop Dak Prescott on a fourth-and-goal play with 20 seconds left to play, falling to the Dallas Cowboys, 20-17. It was the second loss in a row for the Steelers after winning three straight games to start the season.
Prescott found wide receiver Jalen Tolbert with a 4-yard touchdown pass, completing a night on which the veteran quarterback threw for 352 yards and two scores and fell on a fumbled ball that had been knocked loose by Elandon Roberts inside the one-yard-line on the winning drive. After an incomplete pass into the back corner of the end zone, Prescott hit Tolbert for the game-winning score.
The Cowboys gained 445 yards of total offense, but the Steelers could get only 226 yards themselves, with Justin Fields connecting on 15 of 27 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, to Connor Heyward and Pat Freiermuth.
Coach Mike Tomlin says the missed opportunity on the fumble by the Cowboys’ Rico Dowdle was the difference in the game.
Tomlin says despite the Steelers’ grabbing two interceptions and recovering a fumble, they didn’t convert the turnovers into points. He says his offense has to be better.
The coach says Prescott showed why he is the NFL’s highest-paid player.
TJ Watt had one-and-a-half sacks, passing the 100-sack mark for his career in only 109 games. It’s the second-fewest games to reach 100 sacks of any player in NFL history, trailing only Eagles and Packers legend Reggie White, who did it in 96 games. Watt was focused on the game itself, and says the Cowboys earned the win.
Defensive lineman Cam Heyward and his defensive teammates are not going to like watching the video of their performance.
It was another slow start for the Steelers, who managed only a field goal in the first half before taking leads of 10-6 and 17-13. Fields lamented the missed chances.
Steelers injuries included linebacker Nick Herbig, who injured a hamstring, and his substitute, DeMarvin Leal, who suffered a neck injury. They were filling in for the injured Alex Highsmith, so the Steelers finished with only Watt and Jeremiah Moon as their edge rushers.
The 3-2 Steelers play the 2-3 Raiders in Las Vegas next Sunday afternoon. The Raiders were beaten by Denver yesterday, 34-18.
Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Ravens tied the Steelers at the top of the division with a 41-38 overtime win over division rival Cincinnati, which fell to 1-4. The Browns were walloped by the Commanders, 34-13 to fall to 1-4.
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