The Cowboys withstand Colts' charge as Peyton Manning's fourth interception, the second pick of the game from rookie linebacker Sean Lee (above), set Dallas up for the game-winning field goal in overtime. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)In back-to-back weeks now, the Dallas Cowboys (4-8) have a pushed team that played in the Super Bowl just a season ago to the limit in a back and forth contest.
This time, however, the Cowboys were able to come through in the clutch, taking down the Indianapolis Colts (6-6) on the road in impressive fashion.
Dallas used a two-headed rushing attack on offense and the Cowboys defense picked-off Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning four times, scoring 20 points off those turnovers to spur the win.
"You get challenged in the NFL every week and really get challenged every play," Garrett said. "Certainly when you come to this place, against that team and that quarterback and those (pass) rushers, it's going to be an all-day sucker for us. It didn't surprise me that their team battled back and overcame some adversities, and we had to do the same to win this game."
Dallas took a 17-0 lead to start the game and withstood two Manning comebacks to get their fourth win of the season. Indianapolis outscored the Cowboys 21-8 in the fourth quarter, but it was too-little, too-late as two issues that have burned the Colts all season long - stopping the run and taking care of the football - plagued last year's AFC Champions Sunday afternoon, and Dallas took advantage.
Spearheading a ball-hawking defense was Cowboys' rookie linebacker Sean Lee, used mostly on the nickel defense in passing situations throughout the year, who had the best game of his young career. Lee snatched the first interception of his career in the third quarter, reading Manning's eyes playing center field in the defense before breaking on the ball and taking it back 31 yards for his first career touchdown.
That in itself would be a great game for a rookie LB like Lee, but he wasn't finished yet. Cowboys' cornerback Mike Jenkins set Lee up (another situation where Manning stared down a receiver) by coming off his man to tip a pass intended for Colts' tight end Jacob Tamme in overtime. Lee immediately found the ball and came down with it for his second interception of the game.
Five plays later, Cowboys' kicker David Buehler split the uprights on a 38-yard field goal to win the game.
"He's probably the best quarterback to ever play the game and to have four interceptions on him is unbelievable for us," Lee said. "It just shows the type of work we've been putting in in practice."
Offensively, Dallas had their way with Indianapolis on the ground. The Colts, who have now lost three straight games, could not stop the Dallas ground attack throughout the contest. The Cowboys finished with 217 yards rushing, led by Tashard Choice (19 carries, 100 yards and a touchdown) and Felix Jones (22 carries, 86 yards). The Cowboys averaged nearly five yards per carry on the ground and accumulated their highest rushing total of the season.
Choice, seeing his first significant action this season, plowed through the Colts' defense for the highest rushing total of his career and the second 100-yard game for Dallas all season long. In the doghouse for most of this season, Choice proved in this game that he deserves a look for more carries as the season goes on - with or without a healthy Marion Barber in the lineup.
As the wins keep piling up late in the season for the Cowboys, one can't help but wonder what this season might have been like if this team didn't quit four games into the season.
What's Next
Dallas has a tough game coming up next Sunday night against the NFC East division-leading Philadelphia Eagles. This is the first meeting between the two teams and will take place at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
The Eagles are 8-4 this season, led by the resurgent play of quarterback Michael Vick. With 2,243 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions in nine games this season, Vick is in the midst of the best season of his career.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. central time, and can be seen nationally on NBC.
News and Notes:
- Dez Bryant fractured his right ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return. His status for next week's game against Philadelphia is uncertain.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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