PITTSBURGH — It's a team that has often lived by the sword of resilience, as hammered into their psyches by head coach Mike McCarthy over the past several seasons, and it was again on full display when the Dallas Cowboys took on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football — Dak Prescott being a headline story for what the blade on that sword looks like.
There was no shortage of adversity at Acrisure Stadium, and even Mother Nature herself got involved in testing the players, hurling a torrential storm at the game right before kickoff and forcing a one-hour lightning and rain delay.
When things finally got underway, Prescott and the Cowboys quickly discovered there were more challenges that awaited them, and many of them were self-created — from critical penalties to the All-Pro quarterback himself losing a fumble on a sack and throwing two interceptions; but it was also Prescott getting the last laugh before it was all said-and-done.
His go-ahead touchdown to Jalen Tolbert with only 20 seconds left in the contest was, well, as resilient a moment as you'll ever see in the NFL, capping a 15-play, 70-yard drive to give the Cowboys a three-point lead and the eventual victory.
"Yeah, I mean, we just wanted a chance," said the three-time Pro Bowler. "Just give us a chance on that two-minute drive. I personally was pissed about the two minute drive before half[time], obviously, throwing an interception there when we could get points — easily three, if not a touchdown. Two minutes, something I love, so just being able to get back in it, down four, knowing we needed a touchdown."
He went on to describe the fuel behind the calm for what became the 14th fourth-quarter comebacker and 23rd game-winning drive of his career.
"We practice that a lot," he said. "I'd say as much as, if not probably more than any team in the league, so we're all very comfortable in that situation with the plays being called. And then getting it down there pretty quick, and then having some opportunities to strike in the end zone. Whether it was my run on the first one, getting into the half yard line, or Rico [Dowdle] trying to go over the top for me — they always stress follow the ball and more than ever, that's the reason why.
"Just examples of things in practice coming up over and over again."
But even that drive had one final challenge for Prescott and the offense.
With the Cowboys standing on inside of the one-yard line with the game on the line, Dowdle, who otherwise had an exceptional game, attempted to dive over the pile but was met by the defender who forced the ball loose. And so there it was, flopping around freely on the turf for anyone to claim as theirs, and it was Prescott leaping on top of it to give the Cowboys one final shot on fourth down.
If the Steelers claim that fumble, the game is over, and the Cowboys fall to 2-3 on the season.
Instead, with his final heave of the game, Prescott rolled to his left and found Tolbert for the go-ahead touchdown that set up the defense to finish things off against Justin Fields on a few final plays that included a failed hook-and-ladder attempt.
So instead of 2-3, it's 3-2, and a much different conversation going into Week 6.
"Luckily, we had the fourth down and it was special to get it back to Tolbert," said Prescott, the chemistry between him and Tolbert being put on full display in the absence of Brandin Cooks. "He did a great job of coming across the field and getting open, and the offensive line did a great job on that play of allowing me to stay in the pocket.
"It's persistence and resilience. The team just really showed it there, on that drive."
Ah, there's that word again: resilience. After a game like that, Prescott and the Cowboys probably own stock in it.
There was rain to begin the game in Pittsburgh and, despite everything that occurred over the course of the contest itself, there was Rayne that ended it.
