INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — With the Dallas Cowboys trailing by three points and on the verge of yet another fourth-quarter collapse, Dak Prescott needed 29 seconds to bail them out.
He hooked up with Ryan Flournoy on a 46-yard pass. Three plays and two Indianapolis penalties later, the Colts let Javonte Williams waltz in from 1 yard out with 1:08 remaining, and the Cowboys held on for a 27-23 victory one week after they blew a 14-point lead and lost in overtime to Arizona at home.
Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Williams refused to let it happen again.
“We got it done,” Prescott said. “It wasn’t the prettiest, it wasn’t the best second half from the whole team, but we got it done. We said at the beginning of the game, whatever it takes to come out with a win and we did that.”
The Cowboys (4-5) won for just the second time in five games, and it came on a day they dominated the stat sheet. They outgained the Colts 508 yards to 271. CeeDee Lamb caught 10 passes for 195 yards — the second-highest total of his career. And Williams finished with 101 yards rushing, his second 100-yard game.
Dallas also made enough miscues to lose.
The Cowboys were flagged 14 times for 153 yards, their highest total since 2021. The total even included an unsportsmanlike conduct call against inactive linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who ran onto the field in street clothes to celebrate a takeaway.
Lamb had a 44-yard TD catch with 21 seconds left in the first half but failed to get both feet down on a second potential TD catch and cost Dallas another scoring chance when he realized he hadn’t been touched, got up and ran inside the Colts 15-yard line — only to fumble the ball away.
Prescott, who was 21 of 34 for 335 yards and two TDs, lost a fumble at the Dallas 19-yard line that set up Indy’s first touchdown.
But Dallas overcame all those mistakes — and Indy’s Spencer Shrader kicking field goals from 59 and 50 yards in the final six minutes that left Dallas in a 23-20 deficit with 1:37 to go.
Four plays and two Colts penalties later, the Cowboys were back on top — thanks in part to Colts coach Shane Steichen, who made the strategic decision to give his team the ball with time left for a winning drive.
“Yeah, we let them score,” Steichen said. “I mean they’ve got four shots from the 1-yard line so we have a chance to get the ball back. If not, they’re bleeding the clock.”
If Sunday was the final game with Indy for quarterback Daniel Jones or running back Jonathan Taylor, both of whom could be dealt before Tuesday’s deadline, it wasn’t the ending they wanted.
Taylor rushed 13 times for 46 yards and lost a fumble that cost Indy (2-6) a scoring chance. Jones was picked off by Caleb Downs with 35 seconds left to seal the game and finished 20 of 34 for 180 yards with one TD as the Colts lost their fifth in a row.
“I just hope they appreciate and know that I appreciate them,” Taylor said of the Colts’ fans. “They should know it was a pleasure to put on display my hard work and the team’s hard work.”
The fans booed Indy again as it went to the locker at halftime trailing 17-7.
But after the teams traded third-quarter field goals, Ashton Dulin caught a short pass from Jones, made two defenders miss and sprinted down the sideline for a 55-yard score to cut the deficit 20-17 late in the third to set up the exciting finish.
“It’s good to clean things up with a win,” Prescott said. “The way to get consistent is to get back to work and make sure we’re doing everything right, discipline and details and make sure we’re playing better.”
Injuries
Cowboys: Three starters, including receiver George Pickens, were inactive. There has also been speculation Pickens could be traded. Sunday’s most serious injury was to tight end Jake Ferguson, who did not return after hurting his left knee in the third quarter.
Colts: Linebacker Jaylon Carlies (neck) and right tackle Jalen Travis (knee) left in the first half and did not return.
Caleb Downs gets the better of his older brother
Fifteen members of the Downs family attended the game to watch as younger brother Caleb got the better of Colts receiver Josh Downs. It was the first time the brothers squared off since their Georgia prep days. Yes, they lined up against one another, and, yes, there was some trash-talking long before Caleb Downs’ game-sealing interception.
Allen reaches another career milestone
Indy’s Keenan Allen passed Hall of Famer Tim Brown for No. 8 on the league’s career receptions list. Allen finished with four catches for 26 yards, giving him 1,095 receptions — one more than Brown had.
Up next
Cowboys: Begin a three-game homestand next Sunday against San Francisco.
Colts: Host Miami next Sunday in what could be a matchup of rebuilding teams.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was warming up Sunday when the two large stadium video boards began showing a montage of his highlights.
It wasn’t necessarily a send-off, but after weeks of speculation about Taylor’s potential trade value, it sure felt like he might be playing his final home game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
After the Colts lost 27-23 to the Dallas Cowboys, the 2021 NFL rushing champ acknowledged that his 6 1/2 seasons in Indy could be coming to an end. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, and it’s possible that Indy could move Taylor, quarterback Daniel Jones or both.
“I think you play every game like it’s your last. But at the end of the day, this has been a spot where I’ve grown up,” Taylor said. “After college, you’re trying to grow up, you’re starting a family, and you really embrace this city and the people. You’re just like, ‘This place helped shape me into the man I am today.’ I’m very grateful for the city of Indianapolis.”
If this was the end for Taylor and the Colts (2-7), it was memorable for the wrong reasons.
Indy overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to take a 23-20 lead with 1:37 left, then watched as the Cowboys answered right back with Javonte Williams’ 1-yard TD run. A late interception sealed the Colts’ fifth straight loss.
Taylor never got much going. He rushed 13 times for 46 yards but the franchise’s career leader in TD runs (77) didn’t find the end zone. He added five receptions for 18 yards and lost a fourth-quarter fumble that cost Indy (2-7) a key scoring chance.
While the Colts have already traded away multiple players as they collect draft picks and clear salary cap space for 2027, Taylor has kept his focus on the task at hand — an approach coach Shane Steichen has appreciated.
Steichen, whose own job is in jeopardy, wasn’t ready to say goodbye, either.
“I’m not going to get into any trade speculation. He’s on our football team,” Steichen said, referring to Taylor.
It’s not just Taylor who could be dealt.
Jones has struggled with turnovers this season after starting his Colts career in 2025 with 10 impressive games. He was benched during last week’s 42-7 drubbing at Jacksonville, which contributed to the trade speculation.
Jones didn’t play to his standard Sunday, either. He was 20 of 34 for 180 yards with two TDs and one interception — a pick by Caleb Downs with 35 seconds left that sealed the game.
Jones said he hasn’t thought much about a potential trade.
“There have been plenty of distractions the last couple weeks with all the stuff that’s gone on, and it’s unfortunate we’re in that position,” Jones said. “But I think as players, your job is to focus as much on what’s in front of you. And playing quarterback, there’s a lot focusing on getting ready for a game. So that was my approach.”
Receiver Josh Downs, meanwhile, is ready for a change. He caught only three passes for 24 yards while playing against his younger brother Caleb Downs, but unlike Taylor or Jones, Downs requested a trade last week.
“I’m open to whatever,” he said. “If they want me to stay here, I’ll be here. If they don’t, and they want to trade me away, they’ll trade me away.”
That’s not how Jones or Taylor seem to feel, but they may not be around next week when the Colts host rebuilding Miami. In Taylor’s case, he’d like to keep producing highlights with the only NFL team he’s played for.
“I love repping the horseshoe, but it’s out of our control now,” he said. “The hay is in the barn. We just play the waiting game now.”
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