1. Familiar issues popped up again on defense.
The Colts allowed over 500 yards for the third time and over six yards per play for the for the fifth time in 2026, with explosive plays a familiar culprit in those games. The Cowboys had six runs of 10 or more yards and eight passes of 15 or more yards, with those 14 plays totaling 333 yards – more than half their total yardage for the game (506 yards).
"We've got to eliminate the explosive plays," head coach Shane Steichen said. "... CeeDee (Lamb) had a huge day, and that comes down to communication and execution. And obviously, we've got to look at what we're doing there too as well. So, we're not giving up the explosive plays. That's got to get fixed. It's got to get fixed. It's been obviously a trend that needs to get better."
Offensively, the Colts totaled three explosive plays (one run, two passes). They've now allowed 21 more explosive plays (79) than they've generated on offense (58). For reference, in 2025, the Colts allowed 159 explosive plays while generating 151 of them on offense.
2. Adetomiwa Adebawore was, again a bright spot on defense.
Fresh off signing a contract extension, Adebawore had three quarterback hits on four pressures, giving him 23 total pressures this season. Those 23 pressures are tied for 17th among defensive tackles, but Adebawore could very well rise up those rankings now that he's a full-time starter: He's played over 80 percent of the Colts' defensive snaps the last two weeks after never cracking 50 percent over the first seven games of the season, while DeForest Buckner was on the roster.
3. Seth McGowan was a bright spot on offense, too.
McGowan scored his first career touchdown and churned out 45 yards on six carries (7.5 yards/attempt), bringing his rookie season total to 208 yards on 43 carries (4.8 yards/attempt). The seventh-round pick has played double-digit snaps in each of the Colts' last seven games, and has hovered between playing 20-33 percent of the Colts' offensive snaps over the last month.
He's getting that playing time because he's succeeding when given the opportunity, not because the Colts are diminishing running back Jonathan Taylor's workload amidst trade rumors. The Colts, it's worth nothing, haven't had Taylor's primary backup average more than four yards per attempt since Zack Moss in 2023, when Taylor missed seven games:
The point being: When the Colts had Moss and Nyheim Hines behind Taylor, they felt comfortable spelling him at times. With McGowan, they're back to feeling comfortable with their offense with Taylor, a three-time Pro Bowler, on the sideline for a few plays or series here and there.
4. The Colts' top three players in tackles were all, effectively, rookies.
File this under encouraging signs: None of three Colts players with double digit tackles played for them in 2025 between Hunter Wohler (16), Bryce Boettcher (11) and CJ Allen (10). Boettcher and Allen both are rookies, while Wohler missed his rookie season last year due to a foot injury.
Allen also notched a tackle for a loss and had a pass breakup on a near-interception.
5. Let's talk about Shane Steichen calling a pass late in the fourth quarter.
With 1:45 remaining in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 20, Steichen had a decision to make on a third-and-eight from the Cowboys' 32-yard line. Dallas had just called its final timeout of the game. Converting the play into a first down would've meant the Colts could've ended regulation – and hopefully the game – with a Spencer Shrader field goal.
Steichen called a pass. The play seemingly worked as designed, with wide receiver Laquon Treadwell drawing two defenders away from middle of the field, opening up space for wide receiver Josh Downs short of the sticks, but hopefully with space to accelerate for a first down. Jones threw to Downs, who was covered by his brother, Caleb, but Downs dropped the pass (and took accountability for it after the game).
The clock stopped, Shrader hit a go-ahead field goal with 1:41 left and the Cowboys then had enough time to drive 65 yards for a game-winning touchdown. Even if the pass was completed but not for a first down, there's a chance the Cowboys wouldn't have had time for a touchdown and at best settled for a field goal, which would've sent the game into overtime.
Steichen, in that moment, wanted to control the end of the game.
"We were trying to win the game in that situation," Steichen said. "It was a four-minute situation. ... Trying to be aggressive there to end the game, get a first down and bleed the clock out there and kick a game-winning field goal."
