3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 9 Loss

A fourth-quarter collapse prevented the Dallas Cowboys from pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the 2020 NFL season.

With their fourth different starting quarterback of the season under center, the Cowboys nearly handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their first loss of the year. Instead, Pittsburgh improved to 8-0 and remained the lone undefeated team in the league, while Dallas fell 24-19 and suffered another tough loss in a disappointing season.

The Cowboys took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Steelers outscored them 15-0 over the final 14 minutes, 51 seconds, as Ben Roethlisberger threw a go-ahead eight-yard touchdown pass to Eric Ebron with 2:14 remaining to give them a five-point advantage. Dallas had the ball at Pittsburgh's 23-yard line with five seconds to go, but Garrett Gilbert's final pass attempt fell incomplete to end the game.

Here are three takeaways from the Cowboys' loss.

Garrett Gilbert Is Dallas' Best Current QB Option

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He's not Dak Prescott, but he also played better than Andy Dalton and rookie Ben DiNucci. And at this point, Gilbert appears to be the best option the Cowboys have at quarterback, given their unlucky situation following Prescott's season-ending ankle surgery in Week 5.

Gilbert entered Sunday with limited NFL experience, having thrown only three passes each of the past two seasons for the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns, respectively. He was best known for having success in the short-lived Alliance of American Football with the Orlando Apollos.

After being signed by the Cowboys off the Browns' practice squad last month following Prescott's surgery, Gilbert got the opportunity to make his first NFL start on Sunday. Dalton was out due to a positive COVID-19 test, while DiNucci wasn't an option to start after struggling against Philadelphia last week.

Although Gilbert couldn't lead a game-winning drive late, he passed for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His 20-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb gave Dallas a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter, and he helped give the Cowboys a chance to win against a tough opponent.

"I thought Garrett kept us in good plays," Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said, per Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. "There was a lot going on at the line of scrimmage. He was prepared. You could see it during the course of the week he was getting more and more comfortable as he had the opportunity to exercise the game plan."

And Gilbert also proved he should get another opportunity in Week 11 when the Cowboys return from their bye to face the Minnesota Vikings on the road.

The Defense Showed Signs of Improvement

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

After a tough first half of the season, there were some wondering if the Cowboys should get rid of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Dallas had struggled mightily, allowing the majority of opposing offenses to put up big yardage and point totals.

That didn't happen, though, and Nolan remains on the Cowboys' staff. However, his defense showed some signs of improvement against the Steelers, even if it wasn't quite enough for Dallas to earn the victory.

Through three quarters, Pittsburgh had only nine points. And although it came from behind for the win, it was still limited to 355 total yards, including just 46 on the ground. The Steelers' rushing attack averaged only 2.6 yards per attempt, an impressive feat for the Cowboys' run defense.

There still was a lack of impact plays by Dallas on the defensive side of the ball. It forced no turnovers, and it has only seven takeaways this season, for last in the NFL in turnover differential (minus-13). They also recorded no sacks and were called for some late penalties that kept the momentum up for Pittsburgh.

Still, this was a much better showing than we've seen from Dallas' defense for most of the season. So, it's possible things will continue to get better down the stretch.

4th-Quarter Opportunities Were Squandered

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Even after the Steelers cut the Cowboys' lead to 19-15 on the first play of the fourth quarter, Dallas had opportunities to put the game away. But it failed to capitalize, squandering multiple prime chances to do so.

The Cowboys' first possession of the fourth quarter started in Steelers territory after Rico Dowdle had a 64-yard kickoff return. But that drive ended with Gilbert throwing an interception on 3rd-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 5-yard line.

After the Steelers made it a one-point game, the Cowboys punted on their next drive, which gave the ball back to Pittsburgh for its go-ahead scoring drive. Then, once Dallas trailed for the first time all game, it turned the ball over on downs with 1:45 to go, leading to it not getting the ball back until there were only 38 seconds remaining and not enough time for a game-winning drive.

"We deserved a chance to win that game," Gilbert said, per Dixon. "Obviously, we gave ourselves that chance. It's just tough when all of us together put everything into that thing and then come up short."

For three quarters, the Cowboys showed progress. But it appears they still need to figure out how to put together a complete game.