The early window of Week 9 of the NFL season is complete, and even though it was a weaker slate of games, many ended in dramatic fashion. One of those matchups was between the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts.

Only one win separated these teams entering the game, and both coaches faced significant pressure, so it could have ended either way. Ultimately, the Cowboys squeaked by to win.

Former Super Bowl Champion Makes Sure To Keep Dallas Cowboys Fans’ Hope in Check

This season, the Cowboys have had an extremely underwhelming defense, ranking last in PFN’s Defensive Impact Metric, while the offense has also made costly mistakes.

The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard in an effort to turn the season around, and head coach Shane Steichen has faced significant pressure since that move. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has also faced scrutiny amid Dallas’ disappointing season, which raised the stakes for both franchises entering Sunday.

It definitely wasn’t a pretty game from either side. Both teams were basically throwing the game away at times, but the Cowboys did end up getting the win and improved to 4-5. They are now one win behind the New York Giants, who are in first place in the NFC East at 5-2-1.

After the game, while fans were celebrating, two-time Super Bowl champion and former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel took to X to criticize Dallas.

“Cowboys are here for entertainment purposes only,” Samuel wrote on X. “Don’t take them seriously.”

This may have been some rivalry talk from the former Eagle, but he does bring up a point that must be discussed further. Maybe the Cowboys did improve their defense in this performance, but one game does not erase everything we have seen from the unit this season.

Being ranked last in PFN’s Defensive Impact Metric is not something that is easily fixed, and we will see if the Cowboys can force turnovers again next week against the San Francisco 49ers. It’s going to be a must-win game for Dallas, even against a 49ers team that entered Week 9 at 6-1.

The offense is clearly the star of the team in Dallas, and against the Colts, Dak Prescott finished with 335 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.

CeeDee Lamb also had an incredible game with 195 receiving yards and one touchdown. If the Cowboys want to win the division title, they may have to continue relying heavily on the offense.