Mac Engel: Dak Prescott was the amazing combination of awful and terrific in Cowboys' victory

Dak Prescott’s performance on Sunday night ensured sports talk shows all over America have no less than 100 hours of fresh “Dak Content.”

Nothing destroys the needle quite like a Dak Prescott fumble, interception, mistake, misread or bad play. The Cowboys quarterback contributed all of the above on Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Nothing moves the needle like Dak Prescott leading the Cowboys from behind with a last-minute fourth quarter drive to win a game they shouldn’t.

Sunday night was Dak at his Charles Dickens’ best (that’s a cute way to say a standard cliche).

Dak gave his haters, and lovers, everything in the Cowboys’ 20-17 win at Pittsburgh in what is arguably coach Mike McCarthy’s most impressive victory as the head coach of the team. His team had no business winning this game. Not with the lineup they had. Not with the way their quarterback played for much of the night.

“Thanks” to a long weather delay, the game ended at 12:52 ET. The Cowboys have won back-to-back games, are 3-0 on the road, and 3-2 overall. This will do for a coach that sports media is dying to fire before his contract expires, after this season.

Besieged by injuries on both offense and defense, the Cowboys had plenty of reasons to get stomped on and lose by double digits against the Steelers. For reasons no one will ever know, the nameless backups played well, and a running game that has not existed in the first four games showed up to be something it has not been at any point since 2023.

All of this saved the Cowboys from their quarterback, who ultimately saved his team, and himself, from what would have been a terrible week.

“It’s a helluva, helluva team win for us,” McCarthy said after the win.

He’s “hella” not kidding.

Dak had two turnovers in the red zone in the first half; the first on a fumble on a play where he didn’t get the ball out of his hands quickly enough. The second was an interception in the end zone on a pass attempt for receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb either ran the wrong route, Dak threw a bad ball, or both.

This is what, in the sports media world, is called, “Quality Dak Content.”

One of these plays is understandable. Ish. These plays happen in an NFL game. To have them happen twice, in the same half, is inexcusable for a player like Prescott. They can’t happen together.

For most of the night, the Cowboys only offense was Brandon Aubrey field goals. That was until early in the third quarter when one of his attempts was blocked. When Brandon Aubrey misses, it’s time to jump on the team bus, head for the airport and catch the team charter early.

The bad night continued when Dak threw yet another interception, which set up the Steelers re-taking the lead, 17-13, with a little less than five minutes in the game.

This scenario set up for Dak to save himself from himself. All he had to do was do it, and not throw a pick or fumble the ball. He then led them on a 15-play, 70-yard drive that nearly died at the 1-yard line with the Cowboys losing.

It was the Cowboys’ most impressive drive of the season. They ran it well. The line blocked, even with rookie Tyler Guyton out because of injury; guard Tyler Smith moved to left tackle and backup T.J. Bass played well. Dak threw it all over the place.

But, of course they nearly screwed it all up when running back Rico Dowdle, who had his best game of the season and caught a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, fumbled at the goal line on what would have been a game-winning touchdown run.

Dak recovered the ball at the 4-yard line. Had he not recovered Dowdle’s fumble, the game is over and the Cowboys head back to Texas with a 2-3 record. Alas, he was Dak on the spot and he gave his team two more chances to win.

On fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Dak found Jalen Tolbert for the game-winning touchdown pass with 20 seconds remaining. It was the type of play Dak has made before. It was the type of play that makes the Cowboys believe in him. It was the type of play his critics will dismiss.

Much like the weather, the game was messy. It was mostly ugly. It was also by far the most encouraging game of the young season for the Cowboys. From an active 53 standpoint, they should not have won this game.

It was also a game where the starting quarterback made the plays necessary to win, and in the process provided all of America with fresh Dak content that should last at least until next Sunday.

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