Dak Prescott gave the Dallas Cowboys a way out against Indianapolis. His postgame message offered a reason not to confuse the escape with a finished product: Dallas is still making too much work for itself.

The Cowboys survived 27-23 Sunday, reaching 4-5 after a four-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that took just 29 seconds. Prescott welcomed the chance to decide the game, but acknowledged that mistakes had helped create the urgency.

“When you’re not as clean as you want to be, you make it tougher on yourself,” Prescott said.

A Winning Finish, An Expensive Route

The numbers explain why the relief comes with reservations. Dallas gained 508 yards to Indianapolis’ 271 and held the ball for 35:43. Yet 14 penalties cost the Cowboys 153 yards, and two lost fumbles gave away possessions.

That’s a large gap between moving the ball and controlling the outcome. The Cowboys produced enough offense to build an advantage, then needed one final answer to avoid wasting it.

Prescott completed 21 of 34 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb supplied 10 catches for 195 yards and a score, carrying a receiving group that played without George Pickens.

The late answer also required someone beyond Lamb. Ryan Flournoy beat coverage from Sauce Gardner for a 46-yard catch, immediately putting Dallas in position to threaten after Indianapolis took a three-point lead.

Javonte Williams finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. For a full account of the changing leads and decisive plays, see our Cowboys-Colts game recap.

What Dallas Carries Into Next Week

The win provides an example Dallas can build on: its offense delivered under severe time pressure, then its defense protected the result. Caleb Downs’ interception completed the job.

But the repeatable lesson can’t simply be to trust another rescue. Cleaner possessions would preserve more of the advantage created by the passing game and reduce the number of late situations that demand perfection.

San Francisco visits next Sunday. Prescott’s response to Sunday’s narrow win leaves Dallas with a clear task for that preparation week: retain the confidence from finishing, while addressing the errors that made finishing so difficult.

Featured image: Archival Dak Prescott photo from the approved library; not Sunday’s game in Indianapolis.