Morning After Wk 5: Fourth-down Tolbert TD
It took all night and it wasn't pretty, but Cowboys' win in Pittsburgh made a memory.
There are moments when you owe it to yourself, as someone who loves this sport, to simply enjoy it. I submit that one of those rare moments occurred very close to midnight in the corner of an end zone in Pittsburgh, as Jalen Tolbert made a catch that would wake up sleeping humans back in Dallas.
It was a moment to scream at—a fourth-down moment of victory in Pittsburgh.
Yes, mistakes were made, and opportunities were wasted.
Yes, it could have, and probably should have, been way easier.
And yes, you sustained even more damage in the war of attrition that depletes your roster reserves more and more with each passing week.
But if you cannot enjoy a win like that, in a place like that, and in a manner like that, well, then I regret to inform you that you cannot enjoy anything about this wonderful sport.
The Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers squared off on Sunday night in a magnificent setting for professional football, in a wonderful matchup of proud franchises that have each made their share of history. They played a gritty and grimy game of football that left both sides battered and bruised. But there was only one victory available, and it would require making one last play when everything was on the line.
Dallas made it and has now won three consecutive road games to start 2024, proving they have—if very little else—some guts and strong will when it comes to grinding out results that could easily go the other way. If their spine were not a little stronger and their attitude a little less stubborn, this season might have gotten away from them in the last few weeks. But I believe it is a real credit to this team’s attitude to win in New York and in Pittsburgh in consecutive road games, with the world watching and anticipating a full and total collapse.
Instead, they went 2-0 and remain very much in the season, despite their obituaries being pre-written and ready to publish by those who have already fired the coach and mentally started the rebuild.
That says something I like to hear. It says they are a team that can scratch out results and win when things are ugly. It says they are fighting hard and realize that while things aren’t perfect, many opponents on the schedule are also dealing with struggles, and you can often still beat them while dealing with yours. That is what teams with a little character often do, and let me tell you, after what we saw against New Orleans and Baltimore a few weeks back, it is a very refreshing sight to see that this team has that in their makeup. Because we didn’t know.
Now, perhaps we do. After two straight games where it didn’t come easy, and they fought their way through adversity and kept playing for sixty minutes, they have managed to win both games and are back in the fight.
So, how did they get to that spot in the end zone just before midnight? Well, let me tell you, it was a very strange trip.