Cowboys vs. Colts: Nine Plays That Defined Dallas' 27-23 Win | Broaddus's Scout's Eye

The Cowboys found a way to win in Indianapolis, and when you go back through the tape, there were several plays that tell the story of this game.

Some were outstanding individual efforts. Others were the result of good design, execution and players understanding what was happening around them. There were also a couple of situations where the Cowboys made things more difficult than they needed to be.

What stood out to me was the ability of Dak Prescott and his receivers to make plays when things weren't necessarily clean, along with a Dallas defense that created pressure and turnovers through some well-designed looks from Christian Parker.

Here are nine plays that caught my eye.

1. Jake Ferguson Bails Out Schottenheimer on Fourth-and-2

This was a heck of a play by Jake Ferguson, and frankly, he bailed out Brian Schottenheimer on this fourth-down decision.

The Cowboys faced fourth-and-2 at the Indianapolis 10-yard line. CeeDee Lamb motions from left to right, settling into the slot, with Ferguson aligned wide to the right.

Lamb runs a shake route, and it's pretty clear Prescott wants to get him the football for the first down.

The problem is that Charvarius Ward does an outstanding job staying with Lamb and taking away that option.

Prescott has to come off his primary read, and fortunately, he has just enough time to get the ball to Ferguson.

What makes this play special is Ferguson's ability to adjust to the throw with a defender right on him. There isn't much room to operate, but he finds a way to secure the football for the touchdown.

I don't believe this play unfolded the way Schottenheimer envisioned it. Ward took away the primary option, and Prescott had to find another answer.

Ferguson deserves tremendous credit for his adjustment and concentration. That's a big-time catch in a situation where failure would have meant turning the ball over on downs.

2. Prescott to Lamb on Third-and-1: Making Something Out of a Broken Play

This was one of those plays where the result was much better than the execution.

The Cowboys have some route confusion between Ferguson and Jonathan Mingo working across the middle. Normally, that's a recipe for disaster because you're bringing receivers and defenders into the same area.

But in this case, it actually works to Dallas' advantage.

Three Indianapolis defenders are trying to sort out the routes, and that creates an opportunity for Lamb to work across the field from left to right.

Prescott initially appears to want Ferguson, but with the traffic in front of him, he moves to his right and finds Lamb continuing across the formation.

Give Lamb credit for staying active and making himself available to his quarterback. Prescott also deserves credit for keeping his eyes downfield instead of immediately taking off.

The one thing I didn't like was Lamb's decision after the catch.

Instead of getting out of bounds and saving a timeout, he turns upfield looking for more yardage.

This is an example of Prescott and Lamb making a play despite some questionable route execution. You love the conversion, but you don't want to make a habit of relying on defensive confusion to bail out offensive mistakes.

And Lamb has to understand the game situation. Sometimes the smartest play is getting out of bounds.

3. Lamb's Touchdown Before Halftime: A Perfect Understanding of Space

I really liked the design and execution of this touchdown.

Lamb initially aligns in a tight slot to the right before motioning outside. Ward gives him inside access, which immediately puts Lamb in a favorable position.

But the important part of the play is what Brevyn Spann-Ford does with his route.

Spann-Ford occupies safety Hunter Wohler near the hash, keeping him from immediately driving into the throwing window.

That gives Lamb the space he needs to work inside.

Prescott recognizes the opening and delivers the football on time for the touchdown.

This is how you want your passing game to operate.

The motion helps establish the coverage, Spann-Ford's route influences the safety, and Lamb understands exactly where the opening is going to develop.

The timing between Prescott and Lamb is excellent.

When you get all those elements working together, it's difficult to defend.

4. Lamb's Catch and Fumble: Beating Cover Zero but Losing the Football

Indianapolis decides to bring the house with a Cover Zero blitz, and Dallas has the right answer.

The Cowboys use maximum protection to give Prescott enough time to deliver the ball downfield. Lamb and Ryan Flournoy exchange routes, forcing the Indianapolis secondary to sort out the coverage.

Prescott gets the ball away, and Lamb makes the reception.

The problem comes after the catch.

Lamb isn't touched down by Harris, so he correctly gets up and continues running. But as he attempts to gain additional yardage, Ajiake trips him, and Lamb loses the football while going to the ground.

What should have been a significant gain turns into a costly turnover.

The Cowboys did everything right initially. They recognized the pressure, protected it and created an opportunity downfield. Prescott delivered, and Lamb made the catch.

But you have to finish the play.

I don't have a problem with Lamb trying to gain additional yards because he wasn't touched down. The issue is protecting the football once defenders begin closing on him.

5. Prescott to Flournoy: 46 Yards of Outstanding Execution

This might have been Prescott's best throw of the game.

Dallas has Lamb aligned in the right slot with Flournoy outside of him. Lamb motions in and then back out, giving Prescott an opportunity to identify the coverage.

Flournoy is working against Sauce Gardner, and this is where the young receiver does a nice job of staying on his route.

Gardner never gets himself into position to locate the football.

Up front, the Cowboys protect with six blockers against four rushers, giving Prescott plenty of time to set his feet and deliver.

And what a throw it was.

Prescott drops the ball perfectly to Flournoy for a 46-yard gain.

This is what the Cowboys' passing game can look like when everything comes together.

The motion gives Prescott information, the protection holds up, and Flournoy gives his quarterback a target downfield.

Gardner is a talented corner, but he never finds the football.

Prescott takes full advantage with outstanding ball placement.

6. Quinnen Williams Forces the Jonathan Taylor Fumble: Winning Inside

This was one of the best defensive plays of the game, and it started with outstanding work at the point of attack.

Williams is dealing with a combination block, but instead of allowing himself to get moved off the line of scrimmage, he holds his ground and splits the blockers.

That's not easy to do against an offensive line trying to create movement for Jonathan Taylor.

What impressed me was how quickly Williams got off the block and into the backfield.

Taylor barely has time to secure the football before Williams is on him. As Taylor attempts to make his cut, the ball comes loose, and Shemar James is right there to recover.

A huge play for the Dallas defense.

This is exactly the kind of play you need from your interior defensive linemen.

Williams wins with strength, balance and the ability to separate from blockers. He doesn't just occupy space. He defeats the block and creates disruption.

James deserves credit for being around the football, but Williams is the reason this turnover happens.

7. Caleb Downs' Sack: Christian Parker Wins Before the Snap

I really liked the pre-snap presentation from Christian Parker on this play.

The Cowboys initially show what looks like Cover 4, but they rotate into Cover 2 after the snap.

That change creates a different picture for Daniel Jones.

The surprising part is how Jones fails to account for Caleb Downs coming off the backside.

Downs isn't exactly hiding. He's aligned in a threatening position before the snap, and Jones should have some awareness of where he is.

What makes the design even more interesting is that Miller and Houston drop into coverage rather than rushing.

That changes the protection picture and allows Downs to come free.

This is a nice job by Parker of creating pressure through disguise rather than simply sending more defenders than the offense can block.

The coverage rotation and dropping rushers force Jones to process a different look after the snap.

But Jones has to recognize Downs. He's in a position to threaten the quarterback, and Indianapolis never accounts for him.

8. Rashan Gary's Sack: The Stunt Creates the Pressure

Another well-designed pressure from Parker, this time using movement along the defensive front.

Dallas runs an end-tackle stunt involving Clark and Houston. Indianapolis attempts to pass off the twist, but the blockers wind up working at different levels.

That's where the problems begin.

When offensive linemen aren't on the same level against a stunt, they create openings for defenders to work through.

Jones starts to feel Gary coming from the backside, but Clark has also worked himself free.

Clark gets just enough of Jones to prevent him from escaping, allowing Gary to finish the sack.

The key to this play is the movement up front.

The Cowboys don't allow Indianapolis to simply set its protection and block defenders one-on-one. They force the offensive line to communicate and exchange responsibilities.

Once those blockers get separated, the pocket begins to collapse.

Clark deserves a lot of credit for helping Gary finish the sack.

9. Caleb Downs' Interception: Coverage and Pass Rush Working Together

This was one of my favorite defensive snaps of the game because it shows how coverage and pressure can complement each other.

Parker presents a Cover 2 look at the snap.

Downs is aligned in the slot, initially carrying his brother before passing him off to Malik Hooker.

When Allen breaks inside, Downs sees the route developing and immediately reacts.

But the real key to this play might be what happens with Clark up front.

Clark gets an outstanding inside charge, splitting a double-team and forcing Jones to throw over the top of him.

That pressure prevents Jones from getting everything he wants on the football.

The pass doesn't have enough on it, and Downs is in perfect position to make the interception.

This is outstanding complementary defensive football.

Clark affects the quarterback without necessarily getting the sack, and Downs takes advantage of the opportunity.

What I like about Downs is his awareness. He understands his coverage responsibility, passes off the route and immediately recognizes what's developing in front of him.

That's a smart football player making a big play.

WHAT I TOOK AWAY

Prescott made some outstanding throws, but not everything was clean around him.

The fourth-down touchdown to Ferguson and the third-down conversion to Lamb are perfect examples. In both situations, Prescott had to work beyond what appeared to be his initial read.

He stayed composed, kept his eyes downfield and gave his receivers opportunities to make plays.

The 46-yard throw to Flournoy was a different story. That was excellent execution from start to finish. Good protection, good route execution and a perfect throw.

Lamb continues to show why he's so difficult to defend.

His ability to understand coverage and find space was evident on the touchdown before halftime. He knows how to use the routes around him to create opportunities.

But the fumble and the decision not to get out of bounds are reminders that even your best players have to be better with situational football.

Christian Parker deserves credit for the way he attacked Daniel Jones.

I liked the coverage disguises, the movement along the defensive front and the willingness to drop defenders into coverage while bringing pressure from unexpected locations.

The Cowboys weren't simply lining up and trying to beat Indianapolis with individual rushers. They were creating situations where the Colts had to communicate and adjust after the snap.

That's how you make life difficult for a quarterback.

The defensive front made a difference.

Williams splitting the combination block to create the Taylor fumble was a tremendous individual effort. Clark's pressure on the Downs interception was another example of how a defensive lineman can affect a play without necessarily recording the statistic.

Those are winning plays that don't always get the attention they deserve.

The Cowboys' 27–23 victory over Indianapolis wasn't necessarily a game where everything looked perfect. There were mistakes, missed opportunities and situations where individual players had to rescue plays that weren't developing as designed.

But there was also plenty to like.

Prescott delivered in critical moments. Ferguson and Lamb made difficult catches. Flournoy showed he can make a play against a talented corner. And defensively, Parker's unit created the kind of disruption that changes games.

The Cowboys found ways to win on both sides of the football. These nine plays show exactly how they did it.

— Bryan Broaddus