ARLINGTON, Texas— That game had record-breaking touchdowns – when Dak Prescott outscored some Cowboys legends – and it also had long runs and a defensive scoring.
However, every game has moves that can be overlooked but still change the course of the game. Here are five that made a difference in this one.
Cowboys convert early fourth down – On the Cowboys’ second drive of the game, Ezekiel Elliott appeared to have made a third-down conversion, but the umpires flagged him short at the 27-yard line. So they added Tony Pollard as fourth and under and brought Elliott to fullback where he did the inside handover and got 6 yards to the 21-yard line for a first down. Had the Cowboys not picked up the first, the Colts would have stopped Dallas for two straight drives and taken the lead 3-0. Instead, the Cowboys moved the chains and scored moments later.
Quick pass to CeeDee – Trailing 10-7 in the second quarter, the Cowboys were on the move at the Indianapolis 31-yard line but had a third and second place finish. Dak Prescott fired off a quick receiver screen at CeeDee Lamb, who did the rest, breaking a tackle on his way to the 9-yard line for a 22-yard gain. That led to a touchdown two plays later, but it was Lamb’s catch-and-run that put them in position to take the lead.
Colts stop running, move backwards – The Colts were down 14-10 but drove into Cowboys territory thanks to a powerful running attack led by Jonathan Taylor, who gained 5 yards on the first down. But instead of sticking to the run, the Colts opted for two passes. The first was incomplete and probably should have been flagged by Matt Ryan for intentional grounding. But in third and fifth place, Ryan was then fired by a flashing Anthony Barr, resulting in a punt.
Hookers INT changed the game – Before halftime, the Cowboys held onto a 14-13 lead, but the Colts had the ball and a chance to take the lead. Instead, a deflected pass was intercepted by former Colts safety Malik Hooker. His return resulted in a touchdown on Michael Gallup that gave Dallas a 21-13 lead at halftime.
Cowboys stick to 2-point conversion – Momentum can be a tricky thing. The Colts had just scored and were looking to level the game by 21 points. But rookie cornerback DaRon Bland was able to stop the pass at the goal line and keep the Cowboys 21-19 ahead. From there it seemed like the Cowboys woke up and eventually the Colts rolled over the rest of the way.
(Bonus) Double Strike for the Colts – An odd sequence took place that proved bad for the Colts, who nearly picked up Prescott late in the third quarter as Dallas was driving and leading 21-19. But the umpires not only ruled the potential interception had incompletely hit the turf, they called the Colts after the game for an illegal hit – a game to be declared dead over the incomplete pass. So not only did the Colts miss the ball and choose not to challenge, but the Cowboys kept the ball and eventually scored a touchdown pass to Gallup in the fourth quarter.