PITTSBURGH – This back-and-forth game had it all. There were turnovers, blocked field goals and then of course, the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.
But here are a handful of plays that might have been forgotten but still had an impact in the outcome.
Run defense drops Harris – There's got to be some plays here for the defense, which played shorthanded but rallied when it had to. In the second quarter, the Steelers were on the move with a second-and-4 at the Dallas 43. Pittsburgh gave the ball to Najee Harris, who was stopped for a 1-yard loss by Carlos Watkins and Tyrus Wheat. And then on third down, Justin Field misfired on a pass to George Pickens, forcing a punt. That stop in the running game kept the Steelers with just three points at the half.
Dak's long throw to Jalen Tolbert - Backed up with a third-and-4 at their own 21 late in the first half, Dak found Jalen Tolbert streaking down the left sideline for a 48-yard completion. That didn't lead to points because Prescott threw an interception at the goal line. But the completion to Tolbert at least flipped the field and prevented the Steelers from getting points before the half.
Holding on Turpin in the route- first down - The Cowboys were facing a fourth-down near the Steelers 40 before a holding call on the Steelers gave them new life. KaVontae Turpin drew a penalty in the open field, giving the Cowboys a first down at the 33. From there, the offense came to life and scored their first touchdown on a pass to Rico Dowdle.
Ferguson converts late third down - On the game-winning drive, every play is a big one, but what about a third-and-9 conversion to tight end Jake Ferguson to the 22. The Cowboys got 10 yards on the play, extending the drive and avoiding a crucial fourth-down play. Ferguson was strong in the flats all night long, and on this play, he figured out a way to get just enough to move the sticks.
Calling timeouts before final play – Jalen Tolbert was Dak's intended receiver on the play before the game-winning touchdown, but the ball one-hopped to him. Tolbert slid down to the ground and got up with an apparent groin injury. Tolbert was going to have a hard time running the route on the next play, but the Cowboys and Steelers both called timeouts before the fourth-down play. That allowed Tolbert to not only be eligible to return to the game, but enough time to catch his breath. That's all he needed to haul in the game-winning play from Dak.
