Cowboys vs Colts turned into the kind of game Dallas fans have learned to fear, right up until the final minute. Javonte Williams scored on a 1-yard run with 1:08 left, rookie safety Caleb Downs intercepted Daniel Jones to seal it, and the Cowboys beat the Colts 27-23 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The interception came with a family twist. Caleb’s older brother, Josh Downs, plays receiver for Indianapolis, and with Tuesday’s trade deadline coming, Sunday may have been his last game in a Colts uniform. Dallas moves to 4-5. Indianapolis drops to 2-7 with its fifth straight loss.
How the Cowboys almost let it slip
This should not have been close. Dallas outgained Indianapolis 508 yards to 271 and held the ball for 35:43, according to the team’s official recap. But the Cowboys kept handing the Colts chances: 14 penalties for 153 yards and two lost fumbles.
The first came early. On third-and-8 from his own 21, Dak Prescott was strip-sacked by Caden Curry, who recovered, and rookie Seth McGowan scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard run a few plays later. Indy led 7-3.
Dallas took control before halftime. Jake Ferguson reached over a defender for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 9, and CeeDee Lamb caught a 44-yard score with 28 seconds left in the half. It was 17-7 at the break.
Then the mistakes piled up. Lamb had what looked like another touchdown ruled incomplete because he didn’t get both feet down, and Dallas settled for a field goal. Ashton Dulin turned a short screen into a 55-yard touchdown to make it 20-17. Early in the fourth, Lamb took a pass 48 yards to the Indianapolis 13, but replay ruled he fumbled before he was down, and the Colts recovered. The Cowboys were even flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who was inactive, ran onto the field to celebrate a takeaway, the AP reported.
Spencer Shrader tied the game with a 59-yard field goal with 5:56 left. Brandon Aubrey missed a 50-yarder wide left after a low snap. Shrader then hit from 50 to give Indianapolis a 23-20 lead with 1:37 to go.
The drive that saved Dallas
Prescott needed only 29 seconds. He hit Ryan Flournoy for 46 yards to the Colts’ 29, a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the 1, and Williams finished it. The four-play, 65-yard drive was helped by two Indianapolis penalties.
The Colts still had a chance, but an intentional grounding call pushed them back to third-and-22. Jones threw deep, and Caleb Downs went up and took it away for the first interception of his career with 35 seconds left.
According to the AP, it was the first time the Downs brothers had faced each other since high school in Georgia, and about 15 family members were in the building. Josh finished with three catches for 24 yards. His little brother had the last word.
Cowboys vs Colts by the numbers
| Stat | Cowboys | Colts |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 508 | 271 |
| Time of possession | 35:43 | 24:17 |
| Penalties | 14 for 153 yards | — |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
Prescott finished 21 of 34 for 335 yards and two touchdowns. Lamb was the best player on the field, with 10 catches for 195 yards and a score, even with the costly fumble. Williams ran 20 times for 101 yards, and Tyler Goodson added a career-high 77 before leaving with a knee injury.
For Indianapolis, Jones went 20 of 34 for 180 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jonathan Taylor had just 46 yards on 13 carries and lost a fumble forced by Quinnen Williams. Keenan Allen caught four passes and moved past Tim Brown into eighth place on the NFL’s career receptions list with 1,095.
Why this game matters for the Colts at the deadline
Sunday wasn’t just a loss for Indianapolis. It may have been a farewell for some of its best-known players.
The Colts are clearly selling. They fired general manager Chris Ballard, then traded Quenton Nelson to Seattle and DeForest Buckner to San Francisco on Oct. 27. Interim GM Ed Dodds now has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to decide what else goes.
Josh Downs is the most obvious candidate. He requested a trade on Oct. 28, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported, and Pro Football Talk reported the Colts want more than a fourth-round pick for him. His Sunday stat line won’t raise his price.
Taylor is the biggest name. A 13-carry, 46-yard day with a fumble isn’t how anyone wants to go out, and the AP noted it could have been his final game with the team. We broke down the teams most likely to land him in our Jonathan Taylor trade preview. If he goes, McGowan, who scored Sunday, would likely take over the backfield.
Jones, meanwhile, appears to be staying. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that the Colts told him he won’t be traded.
What it means for Dallas
At 4-5, the Cowboys are still alive in the NFC East, where the Giants lead at 5-2-1. But the margin for error is gone, and this team keeps making the same mistakes. There was one small sign of growth: according to the team’s website, it was the Cowboys’ first win this season when scoring fewer than 30 points. A team that has to win shootouts every week rarely makes it to January.
The injury news isn’t great either. Ferguson hurt his left knee in the third quarter and didn’t return, Goodson left with a knee injury, and receiver George Pickens was one of three starters who were inactive. Pickens’ name has also come up in trade talk before Tuesday.
What’s next after Cowboys vs Colts
Dallas starts a three-game homestand next Sunday against the 49ers, the NFC’s top seed at 7-1, at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX. That’s a big step up from a 2-7 team.
Indianapolis hosts Miami at 1 p.m. ET on CBS in a matchup of struggling teams. The roster that takes the field could look very different by then. Our NFL trade deadline guide will track every Colts move through Tuesday afternoon.
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