Williams Scores With 1:08 Left as the Cowboys Escape Indianapolis 27-23 and Refuse a Second Straight Collapse

INDIANAPOLIS - One week after the Dallas Cowboys blew a 14-point lead and lost in overtime at home, they spent Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis building the same collapse - and then, in 29 seconds, refused it. Trailing 23-20 with 1:37 remaining, Dak Prescott hit Ryan Flournoy for 46 yards on the first play of the drive; three plays and two Indianapolis penalties later, Javonte Williams walked in from 1 yard out with 1:08 left, and Caleb Downs intercepted Daniel Jones with 35 seconds to play to seal a 27-23 Cowboys win, the Associated Press reports.

The strangest part is how completely Dallas dominated the game it nearly lost. The Cowboys (4-5) outgained the Colts 508 yards to 271. Prescott finished 21 of 34 for 335 yards and two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb caught 10 passes for 195 yards, the second-highest total of his career, including a 44-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first half, and Williams ran for 101 yards, his second 100-yard game. 'We got it done,' Prescott said. 'It wasn't the prettiest, it wasn't the best second half from the whole team, but we got it done.'

The miscues were just as voluminous. Dallas was flagged 14 times for 153 yards, its highest penalty total since 2021. Prescott lost a fumble at his own 19 that set up Indianapolis's first touchdown. Lamb cost Dallas another score when he got up untouched after a catch, ran inside the Colts 15, and fumbled the ball away. Indianapolis (2-6, losers of five straight) cashed in late: Ashton Dulin's 55-yard touchdown late in the third cut it to 20-17, and Spencer Shrader tied the game with a career-long 59-yard field goal with 5:56 left, then put the Colts ahead 23-20 from 50 yards with 1:37 to go. The ending carried one open secret: Colts coach Shane Steichen said his defense let Williams score to get the ball back - 'Yeah, we let them score' - and Jones's last drive ended in Downs's hands anyway. Jones finished 20 of 34 for 180 yards and a touchdown; Jonathan Taylor was held to 46 yards on 13 carries and lost a fumble.

The cost sheet is real - tight end Jake Ferguson left in the third quarter with a left knee injury and did not return, and three starters including receiver George Pickens were inactive - but so is the result: Dallas's second win in five games, its first this season when scoring fewer than 30 points, and a little pace kept in the NFC East race. A three-game homestand opens next Sunday against San Francisco.