Cowboys vs. Titans score: Dak Prescott rebounds from sluggish first half to down gritty Tennessee

The Dallas Cowboys moved to 12-4 in Week 17, defeating the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, 27-13. With the Titans missing so many starters on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, fans from both sides were expecting a blowout. However, the gritty Titans kept it close until the fourth quarter — even with a quarterback that was making his first career start. 

Former University of Tennessee star quarterback Joshua Dobbs got the nod from Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, and he was decent in his first extensive NFL action. The former fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers completed 20 of 39 passes for 232 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rookie wideout Treylon Burks had an impressive outing, as he caught four passes for 66 yards. The MVP for the Titans on Thursday night, however, was star safety Kevin Byard, who recorded back-to-back interceptions in the first half. 

Dak Prescott played the entire game, and completed 29 of 41 passes for 282 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ezekiel Elliott scored a touchdown for the ninth consecutive game, but managed just 37 rushing yards on 19 carries. CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz were Prescott’s go-to weapons, as the wideout caught 11 passes for exactly 100 yards, while the tight end caught seven passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns. 

Dallas utilized a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to put this game to bed. With this win, the Cowboys keep their slim hopes for an NFC East title alive, while the Titans now shift their focus to a week 18 matchup against the Jaguars that will decide their postseason fate. So, what went down in Nashville on Thursday night? Let’s take a look. 

Why the Cowboys won

The Cowboys were the more talented team on Thursday night, but we knew that coming into this matchup. It took awhile for that talent to show, as Prescott’s three first-half turnovers kept Tennessee in the game, and Dobbs orchestrated a few drives that resulted in points. Then, the fourth quarter happened.

Prescott led a 10-play, 75-yard drive which resulted in a touchdown on the first drive of the fourth quarter, and then a seven-play, 53-yard drive on the next possession that resulted in a Brett Maher field goal. That 10-0 fourth-quarter run was too much for Tennessee to overcome.

Thursday night didn’t show all that the Cowboys are capable of, but it says something about this team that they can rebound from early mistakes and finish games. That’s what contenders do. 

Why the Titans lost

The Titans had a tough task Thursday night, but there were some moral victories to take away in the loss — even if they are worthless. Dobbs reenergized Tennessee’s passing attack and the defense played gritty ball and recorded three turnovers. While the Cowboys were the better team, the Titans certainly beat themselves at the same time. 

Tennessee racked up 10 penalties for a whopping 124 yards. It’s hard to win with those numbers — even if the full roster was healthy. More specifically, Tennessee’s young cornerbacks struggled without Kristian Fulton on the field, as they were penalized four times for 79 yards, including a 51-yard pass interference penalty committed by Tre Avery that set the Cowboys up for their second touchdown of the game. If the Titans recorded three penalties for 35 yards like the Cowboys did, who knows what would have happened? At the very least, the game would have been closer.

Turning point

Up just four points entering the fourth quarter, the Cowboys flipped a switch. Prescott led a 10-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by Schultz’s second touchdown of the game. With the Titans down 11 points with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game, everyone understood it was going to be an uphill battle from there. 

Plays of the game

The Titans were down starters at all three levels on defense, but one player that did play on Thursday night was Byard. The star safety is one of the most important leaders on this team, and there was no way he was going to sit out this prime-time matchup. In the first half, he recorded back-to-back interceptions.

The first pick was more on Cowboys tight end Peyton Hendershot, but “right place, right time” takes skill sometimes too. 

The second of Prescott’s back-to-back interceptions, however, was definitely on him. Byard was a huge reason why the Titans kept this game so close until the final stanza. 

Titans QB situation

We don’t know what the Titans’ strategy was with their quarterbacks heading into Thursday night, but we have a good idea of what it is now. Entering the do-or-die showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18, Dobbs will likely start again over Malik Willis. When asked who would get the call next week Vrabel kept things close to the vest, saying: “We’ll make a decision going forward.” Dobbs isn’t as fluent in Todd Downing’s offense, but he can do more as a passer, and that showed on Thursday night. He crossed 100 yards passing in the first half against the Cowboys. Willis hasn’t surpassed 100 yards passing in any of his three starts. 

What’s next

The Cowboys close out the regular season on the road, as they will pay a visit to the Washington Commanders next Sunday. As for the Titans, they travel to Jacksonville to face the rival Jaguars. That game will decide the winner of the AFC South.