DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Dallas Cowboys nearly pulled of one of the biggest upsets of the 2020 NFL season on Sunday afternoon, but came up just short, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 at AT&T Stadium.
It was an admirable effort from the Cowboys, who pushed the now 8-0 Steelers to the brink of defeat. Unfortunately or Dallas, the same issues surfaced yet again, and they could not get out of their own way, making multiple self-inflicted mistakes in the second half which sealed their fate, and ended their chance at the upset.
One of the most those prominent offenders for Dallas was linebacker Jaylon Smith, who committed two critical penalties down the stretch that extended Pittsburgh drives, including a roughing the passer penalty on the Steelers' go ahead drive.
Smith was far from the only offender on defense, however, with the Cowboys committing seven penalties for 70 yards throughout the game, the vast majority of which came in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
It was those penalties, as well as a questionable interception on the other side of the ball that would ultimately cost Dallas the game, in what has become a trend throughout the 2020 season.
There were some bright spots for the Cowboys, however, most notably in the play of their fourth starting quarterback of the season, Garrett Gilbert, who made a great argument to remain as the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, even when Andy Dalton is able to return.
Gilbert ended the afternoon completing 21-43 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown, and the aforementioned interception, in which Amari Cooper looked to be held during his route in the end zone.
Another bright spot for Dallas was the play of defensive end Randy Gregory, who looked as disruptive as ever, and seemed to be in the Pittsburgh backfield on a regular basis. Though Gregory did not finish with a sack, it was an encouraging sign for a player who is just in his second game back, after absence of more than a year and a half from football.
Never the less, in a season that was already all but over for Dallas, there were a few positives to take away from Sunday's game that could have an impact on future decisions as the end of the season moves closer.
And at this point in the season for the Cowboys, that's really all you can ask for.
