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By Jon Machota
Dec 11, 2022
ARLINGTON, Texas — It was like the Cowboys were just waiting for the moment when they absolutely had to turn it on Sunday. In a game Dallas probably should have lost to the NFL’s worst team, the Cowboys rallied in the final minutes.
Dak Prescott wasn’t very good most of the day, but he completed 6 of 7 passes for 79 yards in the final minutes, leading the Cowboys to a 27-23 win over the one-win Houston Texans.
“We were kind of doing what we normally do,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said of that final drive. “We mix it up. We play all of the different coverages. Gave them as many looks as we could. Losing our corners kind of took us out of some of our blitzes, but Dak Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in our game, and he’s going to hit some. I think they kind of showed a little bit of the champion in them. They had to get a drive. There at the end, unfortunately for us, they were able to.”
The 11-play, 98-yard touchdown drive was Prescott’s 18th career game-winning drive, second in franchise history behind Tony Romo (24) and tied for the seventh most in the NFL since Prescott entered the league in 2016.
The Cowboys (10-3) had no business being in this position. They entered the game favored by 17, the most an NFL team has been favored this season. The Texans (1-11-1) were also playing without their top two wide receivers, Brandin Cooks (calf) and Nico Collins (foot). They rotated quarterbacks Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel, who entered with a combined record of 4-25-1 as starting QBs. They combined to complete 20-of-27 passes for 213 yards, one TD and an interception with a 93.6 passer rating. Driskel also rushed seven times for 36 yards. Prescott finished 24-of-39 passing for 284 yards, one TD and two INTs with a 70.9 passer rating.
“Those quarterbacks today looked like they were Brett Favre, both of them,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Mills and Driskel. “They gave us more than we wanted today and we were fortunate to have that 98-yard drive. That took a lot of fortitude, I think, and from that drive right there I think we’re a better team than when we entered the game.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy warned the team earlier in the week about not taking the cheese and buying into the outside storylines of how they should easily win over a subpar opponent. He doesn’t believe that’s what happened Sunday.
“I just think it’s the reality of the National Football League,” McCarthy said. “A big part of (not taking the cheese) is the expectation of everybody else because of the way you played the week before, because of your record versus their record and that’s where you get in trouble.
“I’m a huge believer in preparation and the path through that and how it takes you into the game. We’ve all been there, I’ve seen preparation that was not so good, and then we played great, and I’ve seen preparation that was outstanding and then didn’t play so good. So, there’s no absolutes there.
“We had a really good week of preparation. I would measure this week better than last week. So that’s that. … This is football, I’m not trying to make excuses. I get what’s on my chest and the expectations, I get that. It’s about winning, and we got it done today.”
Defensively, 23 points to the Texans is too much, but the Cowboys came up with an outstanding effort when the game was nearly lost. After Prescott’s second interception of the day with 5:45 to play, Houston had the ball on the Dallas 4-yard line, leading 23-20. According to ESPN Analytics, the Texans had an 87.1 percent chance of winning at that point.
But LB Leighton Vander Esch, DE Sam Williams, DT Carlos Watkins, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, DT Neville Gallimore and LB Anthony Barr all provided key stops in the four plays that followed, holding the Texans to only 2 yards and a turnover on downs.
“When it’s a situation like that, it’s a must-stop, it just brings the greatness out of you,” Lawrence said. “It’s either you’re going to bend or you’re going to stand tall. So, I’m just glad that I got 11 guys that are willing to stand tall with me.”
Vander Esch led all players with 14 tackles. DE Dorance Armstrong recorded the team’s only QB hit. Dallas, the NFL’s leader in sacks entering Week 14 at four per game, did not record one Sunday. Micah Parsons ended up with five tackles but didn’t make the noticeable impact that has become expected from the favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
“I don’t want to say that we came in sleepwalking,” Parsons said. “I just think that they made some really big plays with the fumbles and interceptions. They came in like it was their Super Bowl and gave us their best shot. I’m just glad that we fought through adversity.”
All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs had five tackles and a fumble recovery.
“It was a good game for us, as far as adversity-wise,” Diggs said. “You know, we need games like that just to see how we are going to respond to a little adversity. Games are not going our way, things are not going our way, so you know how we’re going to respond. And I think we did a real good job of that.
“Playoff time comes around, it’s going to be games just like that. So, we just got to fight.”
Quinton Bohanna and the Cowboys celebrate a fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter against the Texans. (Raymond Carlin III / USA Today)
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combined for 104 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
“You know every week is going to be tough,” Elliott said. “I think you guys got used to seeing us blow guys out, but it’s still the NFL. You’re not going to blow people out every week, and most games are going to come down to one score and we did what we needed to do towards the end of the game to pull this one out.”
Prescott’s two interceptions now give him nine in eight games. He had only 10 in 16 games last season. His career high is 13 in 16 games in 2017. Of his nine this season, seven have come in the second quarter.
“I am damn sure not a fan of that,” he said. “It’s frustrating. It’s very, very frustrating. If you go back some of them are miscommunications in the past games. (Today), the first one I tried to fit in too tight of a window. I don’t know if Noah Brown necessarily saw it and tried to get a hand on it, but the ball pops up in the air. On the second one, my arm got hit. Unfortunately, I’ve got to find a way to take better care of the ball. Damn right, it is frustrating.
“It is not something that I’ve ever been OK with or will be OK with. I am not going to not be aggressive. I’ve worked too hard, and this team has worked too hard. We have created too great of a chemistry for me to not be aggressive and not try to make the throws I know I can make. Damn sure, I have to be smarter and just weigh the risk versus reward in a split second. It is just part of my preparation and something I promise I will clean up.”
Other notes: The Cowboys’ 10th win gives them back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since 1996. … Jones and McCarthy did not provide specifics on the extent of the injuries the Cowboys suffered Sunday. RT Terence Steele’s knee is probably the biggest concern. Jones said Jason Peters and Josh Ball will get opportunities at right tackle if Steele is out. There is no plan to move Tyron Smith or Tyler Smith to right tackle. … Safety Jayron Kearse was able to play despite injuring his knee in pregame warmups. Kearse said after the game that he suffered a hyperextension. … Diggs injured his left thumb but was able to return. He doesn’t think it’s anything that will sideline him. “I think it’s probably doing me a little favor, I can’t hold (a receiver),” Diggs joked. “I got nine fingers to catch with. It will be all right.” … Armstrong left the stadium in a walking boot on his right foot. … DT Johnathan Hankins exited the game with a chest injury after reaching to make a tackle. … TE Jake Ferguson exited with a head/neck injury. … Has Jones moved on from free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr.? “Not at all,” he said. “Not at all. Period. With a big exclamation point. That’s all I really want to say.”