Pittsburgh Steelers 17-20 Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott leads travelling side to dramatic win after match delay

Dak Prescott threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds remaining as the Dallas Cowboys slipped past the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in a dramatic match on Sunday night.

The Cowboys (3-2) won their second straight after Prescott overcame a mistake-filled night to lead a 70-yard drive that ended with Prescott finding a lunging Tolbert just across the goal line on fourth down.

Pittsburgh (3-2) dropped its second consecutive game following a 3-0 start, with a sluggish performance on a night the kick-off was delayed by nearly 90 minutes due to severe weather, the game ending at 1am on the American east coast.

Once the sky eventually cleared, the Steelers spent much of the night in a fog, particularly on offense, managing just 222 yards against a defense missing injured stars Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.

Prescott, the NFL’s highest-paid player, threw for 352 yards and two scores to offset a night he had two interceptions and fumbled in Pittsburgh territory.

Rico Dowdle gave the league’s worst rushing attack a boost by running for 87 yards. He also added a sliding 22-yard touchdown reception on the third play of the fourth quarter to cap a 16-play, 90-yard drive that put Dallas 13-10.

Stats leaders:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Passing: Justin Fields, 15/27, 135 yards, 2 TD
Rushing: Najee Harris, 14 carries, 42 yards
Receiving: Najee Harris, 2 catches, 35 yards, 2 TD

Dallas Cowboys

Passing: Dak Prescott 29/42, 352 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Rico Dowdle, 20 carries, 87 yards
Receiving: Jalen Tolbert, 7 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD

Pittsburgh’s Justin Fields passed for 127 yards and two scores, including a six-yard shovel to tight end Pat Freiermuth with 4:56 remaining for the lead.

Prescott calmly led Dallas the length of the field against the NFL’s second-ranked defense. The Cowboys moved inside the Pittsburgh 10 before things got tight.

Prescott scrambled to the half-yard line, a fumble by Dowdle at the goal line that Prescott deftly recovered and an incompletion set up fourth down. Prescott took the snap and drifted to his left before finding Tolbert. Pittsburgh had one last shot, but a lateral drill went nowhere.

The Cowboys let multiple chances to create some early breathing room slip away thanks to miscues by Prescott, who fumbled while getting sacked by TJ Watt and Nick Herbig to end one drive deep in Pittsburgh territory in the first quarter.

Dallas was driving late in the second when he threw late to Cee Dee Lamb in the end zone, giving Pittsburgh cornerback Donte Jackson time to step in front of the pass for an interception and keep the Steelers within striking distance despite a sluggish opening 30 minutes.

Prescott’s second pick – this one a heave into double coverage – set the stage for Pittsburgh’s go-ahead drive. But just as he did eight years ago as a rookie, he engineered another late winning drive to give the Cowboys some momentum after consecutive losses to New Orleans and Baltimore left them shaken.

What’s next?

The Steelers face the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday, while the Cowboys host the Detroit Lions on the same day.

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