Dak talks about “perseverance and resilience” in the Cowboys’ win over the Steelers

PITTSBURGH — This is a team that often lives by the sword of resilience that head coach Mike McCarthy has hammered into them over the past few seasons, and that was on full display again as the Dallas Cowboys took on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football – Dak Prescott is a headline about what the blade of this sword looks like.

There was no shortage of adversity at Acrisure Stadium, and even Mother Nature herself got involved in testing the players, hurling a fierce storm at the game just before kickoff, forcing an hour-long delay caused by lightning and rain.

When things finally got going, Prescott and the Cowboys quickly discovered that more challenges awaited them, and many of them were of their own making – from critical penalties to the All-Pro quarterback himself losing a fumble to a sack and two threw interceptions; But it was also Prescott who had the last laugh before all was said and done.

His go-ahead throw to Jalen Tolbert with just 20 seconds left in the contest was, well, the most resilient moment ever seen in the NFL, capping a 15-play, 70-yard drive to give the Cowboys a three-and-out to give you a -point lead and eventual victory.

“Yeah, I mean, we just wanted a chance,” the three-time Pro Bowler said. “Just give us a chance on that two-minute drive. Personally, I was upset about the two-minute drive before halftime, obviously I threw an interception there when we were scoring points – easily three, if not a touchdown. Two minutes, something I love, just being able to come back in with four downs knowing we need a touchdown.”

He then described the fuel behind the calm for the 14th fourth-quarter comeback and 23rd winning streak of his career.

“We practice this a lot,” he said. “I would say as much if not more than any other team in the league, so we all feel very comfortable in that situation when the plays are being called. And then it gets there pretty quickly and then we have some chances to strike in the end zone, whether it was my run on the first pass, getting to the half-yard line or Rico (Dowdle) trying to get over the for me To go toe-to-toe – they always make it a point to follow the ball and this is more than ever why.

“Just real-world examples of things that keep coming up.”

But even that drive presented one final challenge for Prescott and the offense.

With the Cowboys inside the one-yard line and the game on the line, Dowdle, who was otherwise having an exceptional game, attempted to jump over the pile but was hit by the defender, who released the ball. And there it was, flapping free on the turf for everyone to claim, and it was Prescott jumping on it to give the Cowboys one last shot on fourth down.

If the Steelers claim this fumble, the game is over and the Cowboys are down 2-3 on the season.

Instead, with his final swing of the game, Prescott rolled left and found Tolbert for the go-ahead touchdown, which put the defense in position to finish things off against Justin Fields on a few final plays, which included a failed hook-and-ladder heard try.

So instead of 2-3 it's 3-2, and in week 6 the conversation starts very differently.

“Luckily we had fourth down and it was special to get it back to Tolbert,” Prescott said, with the chemistry between him and Tolbert on full display in the absence of Brandin Cooks. “He did a great job coming down the field and taking the lead, and the offensive line did a great job on that play and allowed me to stay in the pocket.”

“It’s persistence and resilience. The team really showed it there, on that trip.”

Ah, there's that word again: resilience. After a game like this, Prescott and the Cowboys probably own a stake in it.

It was raining at the start of the game in Pittsburgh, and despite everything that happened during the course of the contest itself, it was Rayne who finished the game.