PITTSBURGH – The lead changed hands three times in the final two minutes, creating one of the more dramatic games the Cowboys have played in recent history. But thanks to a pair of rookies, the Cowboys rallied for a 35-30 win to get to 8-1.
On Friday, the staff writers gave their gut feeling for Sunday's game. Check out the instant reactions from the staff of DallasCowboys.com.
David Helman:This is the part where I pat myself on the back, because I'll probably never come this close to nailing a prediction again. The Steelers gave the Cowboys everything they wanted, racking up 448 yards of offense and a season-high 30 points. But for every Steeler score, Dallas had an answer. After a shaky start, Dak Prescott once again morphed into an All-Pro quarterback. He had the first 300-yard game of his career, and he led the Cowboys downfield in the dying moments for the win. How about Ezekiel Elliott? I predicted he'd get 108, but he finished with 114 – not to mention a thrilling 83-yard screen pass for a score. And yes, it was a reasonable expectation that the Cowboys' defense would surrender some yards to Big Ben & Co. But give them credit. They kept fighting back. They forced the Steelers to settle for field goals, and they prevented them from converting four two-point conversions – which helped decide the game. Their ability to answer the bell against an explosive offense was impressive. Once again, it was a full team effort to get this group to an astonishing 8-1.
Nick Eatman: Not exactly what I expected all the way, but close enough. I didn't think it would take a dramatic finish that included three combined touchdowns in the final 2 minutes, but I thought the Cowboys would win behind Zeke and Dak. That's exactly what happened. Elliott was an absolute beast all the way, including the final play where he darted through the line for the game-winner. Give Prescott tons of credit for keeping his poise and finishing the job. I whiffed on two of my side predictions as Terrance Williams and Anthony Hitchens were non-factors. But I did get the 80-yard touchdown when Elliott took a screen to the house. Overall, the Cowboys just did enough to win this game and that's quite a statement here in Pittsburgh.
Rob Phillips: I also covered the Cowboys' 2008 game in Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers to a close win, and as well as the Dallas defense played for much of the game Sunday -- the Steelers were only 4-of-10 on third down -- it wasn't surprising at all to watch Roethlisberger lead them on a quick TD drive in the final two minutes. Once again, though, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott show that no moment is too great for them. They were calm, collected and clutch on the winning drive. Not sure we've seen anything like this from two rookies on the same team. I also thought Dez Bryant would have a productive game, and he indeed capitalized on single coverage by the Steelers. The Cowboys just continue to win with contributions from all three phases of their team.
Bryan Broaddus: Great team win. Although he was probably playing with a lot of emotion, I still thought that we'd see a better game from Dez Bryant today especially against rookie Artie Burns. There is no way when I studied Burns in college and these first ten weeks of the season that he wasn't going to be able to hang with Bryant because he was just too physical of a player. Bryant and Prescott still need work on those back shoulder fades but they will get there.
For the initial gut feeling predictions of the staff writers posted on Friday, click here.
