What did the players do during the weather delay in Pittsburgh?

Many heroes appeared in key moments of the Cowboys' 20-17 road win in Pittsburgh.

Due to thunderstorms that hit about 15 minutes before kick-off, the competition was delayed for 83 minutes, but I would like to thank the unsung workers of the evening: the Acrisure Stadium grounds staff.

The thunderstorm during the delay was violent and loud. The rain was pouring down. If Noah were still alive, he would have started building an ark. I wouldn't be surprised if the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo gathered in pairs. On a scale of 1 to 10, the fallout was a spinal grade of “11.”

But when it came time to tee off at 9:46 p.m. Eastern time, the playing surface held up and there were only a few instances of players slipping or sliding on a field that was too slippery. There were no muddy areas. The natural grass, specifically Kentucky Bluegrass, certainly left players with stains on their jerseys and pants, but given the amount of rain that fell in a short period of time, the conditions on the field were quite playable. And once the front passed over the city, the winds died down and had no effect on the kicking game.

A big compliment to the stadium team for maintaining the natural grass pitch, which did not fall victim to the extreme conditions.

Kudos also go to the 67,380 fans who braved the elements. Due to NFL policy regarding lightning, fans were not allowed to remain in their seats during the storm. The sold-out crowd packed into the halls until the lightning stopped. But when everyone was finally allowed to return to their seats, this appeared to be the case. From pitch level it was difficult to see an open space.

On the other hand, this was a hot ticket and fans wanted to get their money's worth. The Cowboys fans managed to get many seats behind the visitors' bench. The average price of an online resale ticket was about $560 the day before the game. On the team bus ride from the hotel to the stadium, I checked again and the cheapest ticket in the top corner of the 500 level was $281.

Kill time: What do players do during a 1 1/2 hour weather delay? You hang out in the locker room trying to stay stretched/loose and focused on the task at hand. They took off their shoulder pads, but not their cleats. The strength and conditioning team earned their money Sunday night by helping keep the boys fit.

Zeke Elliott was surprised after the game to learn how long the delay was. He said it didn't feel that long. Special teams coordinator John Fassel said the delay allowed time for good “camaraderie” among the players as they tried to stay loose. Just like fans and media, players/coaches/staff were in a holding pattern until the storm finally passed.

Deuce wasn't wild: RB Deuce Vaughn was inactive on a game day for the first time this season as coaches decided to go long at the linebacker position to fill a void on special teams. The decision is an example of the domino effect of defensive injuries. Chauncey Golston and Marshawn Kneeland started as DEs in place of Micah Parsons (ankle, inactive) and DeMarcus Lawrence (foot, injured reserve). Both Golston and Kneeland are important specialist players. However, due to their larger role on defense, they would not be used as frequently on special teams. Backup LB Buddy Johnson not only played in this game, he also served as the special teams game captain. And LB Nick Vigil was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Saturday. Johnson and Vigil caught up, but it cost Vaughn a chance to play. There were six LBs active instead of five.

Rookie WR Ryan Flournoy made his NFL debut after being inactive for one game day in the first four weeks. Flournoy was the fifth receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and KaVontae Turpin. With Brandin Cooks (knee) placed on injured reserve on Saturday, Flournoy could see more snaps while Cooks is on the mend.

The Three Amigos: The knee injury that Kneeland sustained on the Cowboys defense's fourth play meant that only three healthy/active DEs were available for the final 49 minutes of play. Golston was a starter. His replacement, Carl Lawson, already expected to get plenty of snaps as part of the rotation. Lawson was called up from the practice squad for the third consecutive year.

But it was Tyrus Wheat who really had to step in in Kneeland's absence. Wheat played just 13 total defensive snaps through the first four weeks, so Sunday's game was by far the biggest workload of his two-year NFL career. He called a roughing passer penalty on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, but overall Wheat was a key contributor on a defense that allowed just 226 total yards and limited the Steelers to 3 of 12 on third-down conversions (25). . % conversion rate).

Wheat finished the game with the following statistics: 0.5 sack, 1 tackle-for-loss, 3 tackles and 1 QB hit. Golston and Lawson also finished with 0.5 sacks, as did DT Osa Odighizuwa. Wheat's 3 tackles were as many as he collected in 12 games as a rookie.

Injury virus bites newbies: Kneeland (right knee) needed a cart to take him from the blue medical tent on the sideline to the locker room. After the game, he left the locker room on crutches.

Starting LT Tyler Guyton injured his knee in the second quarter. He was able to walk to the locker room under his own power. He returned to the sideline in full uniform in the second half. In fact, at the start of the third quarter, Guyton warmed up on the sideline, got into a pass protection stance and tested whether he could shoot from that stance. For a moment I thought he might get back into the game, but he didn't. He watched the second half from the sidelines.

With both Kneeland and Guyton suffering injuries, the Cowboys were forced to forgo their first and second round picks from the last draft.

Tyler Smith changes position: Rather, credit goes to backup OT Asim Richards, who took over for Guyton, LG Tyler Smith moved to left tackle, and backup defensive lineman TJ Bass came into the game at left guard. Smith, of course, played at LT in his rookie year when Tyron Smith suffered a serious hamstring injury a week before the regular season opener, but it was the first time Tyler was forced into action at LT this year.

Photos: Cowboys rally for comeback win in rainy Pittsburgh

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Untimely punishment: Backup G Brock Hoffman is a hard-nosed player, the type who plays through the echo of the whistle. He's a lively guy and that serves him well…usually. It cost the team in the fourth quarter when he called an unnecessary roughness penalty.

Hoffman had entered the game just three games earlier when Zack Martin suffered from leg cramps and went to the locker room to get an IV to treat his dehydration. Martin returned for the next offensive series.

Both Martin and Tyler Smith were treated on the sideline for leg cramps early in the fourth quarter. Athletic trainers used heat balm and/or wireless handheld massagers on linemen's calves. It felt damp at field level because the air was heavy after all the rain.

McCarthy's homecoming: The weekend was a homecoming for McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native. There were over 30 family/friends in attendance at the game, including a visit to the sidelines before the game.

On Saturday night, McCarthy went to his parents' house in Pittsburgh's Greenfield neighborhood, a short 15-minute drive from the stadium. He was spending time with parents Joe and Ellen and other family members when he got a surprise: QBs Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush and assistant coaches Scott Tolzien and Ryan Feder showed up to the family reunion.

After the meeting, the QB squad headed out to eat at the local pub. It's no longer called Joe McCarthy's Bar because Mike's father sold it many years ago. Although the name has changed a few times now, the place is still a pub and the QBs ate dinner at the place where Mike grew up helping his father serve the locals.

Hand sanitizer, please: As we waited outside the cheering postgame locker room to gain entry to the player interviews, a Steelers field representative asked me if I could bring something for Zeke Elliott before he headed to the team bus. I said yes, not realizing it would be a dirty, game-worn jersey that, in retrospect, was probably full of lice. The jersey was worn by RB Najee Harris and was therefore soaked with grass stains, sweat stains and rain. Yes, it was pretty disgusting. But it was also really cool because Najee Zeke had written a message on the digits: “Good luck Broth… Always Been a Fan… #Legend.”

Kristi Scales is the sideline reporter for the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network. She writes this column for The Dallas Morning News after every Cowboys game.

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