Prescott throws TD pass to Tolbert with 20 seconds left to lift Cowboys past Steelers, 20-17

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dak Prescott drifted to his left, then drifted some more. On a seemingly endless night, what was another couple of seconds going to hurt?

With a flick of the wrist as T.J. Watt and the rest of the Pittsburgh defense closed in, the NFL's highest-paid player delivered a money throw to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds to go that lifted the Dallas Cowboys to a 20-17 victory early Monday.

Prescott had spent the previous three-plus hours mixing brilliant plays and baffling ones in equal measure, throwing a pair of picks and fumbling once to almost single-handedly keep the sluggish Steelers in the game.

Yet when Dallas (3-2) got the ball back down four with 4:56 remaining, Prescott calmly led the Cowboys 70 yards in 15 plays, even alertly pouncing on a fumble by teammate Rico Dowdle when the ball came squirting free as Dowdle tried to leap into the end zone. The heads-up play gave Dallas two more shots, and after an incompletion, Prescott finished off his 352-yard performance by lifting the injury-ravaged Cowboys to a second straight victory.

“We talk about it, staying neutral, being resilient, understanding there’s going to be ups and downs, ebbs and flows,” Prescott said. “We just know who we are. (If) we just stay with it, we can come out with a win. This was a great example.”

Pittsburgh (3-2) dropped its second consecutive game following a 3-0 start, this one a lethargic performance — particularly on offense — on a night the opening kickoff was delayed nearly 90 minutes due to severe weather.

The sky eventually cleared. The Steelers spent much of the night in a fog, particularly on offense, managing just 226 yards against a defense missing injured stars Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.

“I think the reoccurring thing is just shooting ourselves in the foot,” Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said. "Penalties, false starts, it’s just coming down to execution.”

Pittsburgh got the ball back after Tolbert's go-ahead score, but a lateral-fest went nowhere and the Cowboys poured onto the field in victory in a game that finished a minute shy of 1 a.m.

Dowdle provided the league's worst rushing attack with a boost by running for 87 yards. He also added a sliding 22-yard touchdown reception on the third play of the fourth quarter to cap a 16-play, 90-yard drive that put Dallas 13-10.

It looked like that might be enough until Prescott heaved a deep ball into double coverage looking for the knockout blow with about 10 minutes to play. Instead, it ended up in the arms of Pittsburgh's Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers slogged their way 63 yards in 12 plays, the last a 6-yard shovel pass from Fields to tight end Pat Freiermuth that gave the Steelers the lead.

Fields threw for 131 yards two scores and added 27 yards rushing but struggled with his accuracy, completing just 15 of 27 passes. With the calf that's sidelined veteran Russell Wilson for five weeks finally healing, Fields' uneven performance gave head coach Mike Tomlin some wiggle room to consider putting Wilson — who won the starting job during training camp — back into the lineup next week in Las Vegas.

“We just missed shots and shot ourselves in the foot again,” Fields said.

The Cowboys let multiple chances to create some early breathing room slip away thanks to miscues by Prescott, who fumbled while getting sacked by T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig to end one drive deep in Pittsburgh territory in the first quarter. The half-sack boosted Watt's career total to 100, making the All-Pro the second-fastest player to reach that plateau in NFL history (109 games).

Prescott flubbed another opportunity in the second quarter when he threw late to Cee Dee Lamb in the end zone, giving Pittsburgh cornerback Donte Jackson time to step in front of the pass for an interception and keep the Steelers within striking distance.

It went that way much of the night, with Dallas' miscues — the Cowboys were also penalized 11 times for 87 yards — letting Pittsburgh hang around.

Yet just as he did in his first trip to Pittsburgh as a rookie eight years ago, Prescott engineered another late winning drive to give the Cowboys some momentum after consecutive losses to New Orleans and Baltimore left them shaken.

Behind a battered offensive line on a night Dallas' defense more than held its own without its two cornerstones, Prescott provided a reminder of why he's such an important part of the team's foundation, buying enough time to nudge his team's season in the right direction.

“We have a play call that we love, we’re very confident in, regardless of the defense,” Prescott said. “Offensive line did a great job, Tolbert came open to the left, just had to make the throw.”

INJURIES

Cowboys: DE Marshawn Kneeland, starting in place of DeMarcus Lawrence, left in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

Steelers: Herbig hobbled off the field in the third quarter with a right hamstring injury that appeared serious. ... OLB DeMarvin Leal went down in the fourth quarter with a stinger, leaving Jeremiah Moon as the only other outside linebacker.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Host Detroit on Sunday.

Steelers: At Las Vegas on Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt talks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin talks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields talks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

A message is seen on a large screen during a weather delay prior to an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks, top, catches a pass while being hit by Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. (24) looks on. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward (83) celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Calvin Austin III (19) and tight end Darnell Washington, top, during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward (83) dives in for a touchdown after making a catch in front of Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker (28) and linebacker Marist Liufau (35) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) dives in for a touchdown on a pass from quarterback Justin Fields during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, top, reacts with center Zach Frazier after scoring on a touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) is tripped by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, left, talks with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields following an NFL football game, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., right, puts a stiff arm on Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson after making an interception during the second half of an NFL football game, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, front, is stopped short of the goal line by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick during the second half of an NFL football game, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) celebrates his touchdown catch with running back Rico Dowdle (23) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) makes a touchdown catch as Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott tries to stop him during the second half of an NFL football game, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys won 20-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — A week after its worst cyclone in nearly a century, France’s impoverished Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte is still grappling to count the dead, restore essential services and aid a beleaguered population. Already stretched thin, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering not only from cyclone-related injuries but dehydration, malnutrition and disease.

At Mayotte’s main hospital in the capital, Mamoudzou, doctors face a cascade of crises.

“We lost 40% of patient rooms, about 50 to 60 beds,” said Dr. Roger Serhal, chief of the obstetrics and gynecology department. “There are so many patients coming to the hospital, and we don’t have space to admit them.” As Cyclone Chido battered the archipelago last weekend and 220 kph (136 mph) winds howled around the hospital, Serhal and his team delivered three babies, including by cesarean section.

The hospital’s structural damage has forced staff to triage patients, prioritizing the most severe cases.

Thirty-five people have been confirmed dead as of Friday in Mayotte but French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq has warned that any estimates were likely major undercounts “compared to the scale of the disaster.”

The storm has devastated entire neighborhoods and many people had ignored warnings, thinking the storm wouldn’t be so extreme. Even worse, many migrants avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, authorities said, adding there could be hundreds or possibly thousands of fatalities.

Doctors fear that the lack of clean water and electricity — compounded by overcrowded living conditions — is setting the stage for a health crisis.

“Patients are coming because their illnesses are untreated, there’s no water, and no electricity. We’re concerned about epidemics, like the cholera outbreak we stopped just months ago,” said Dr. Vincent Gilles, the hospital’s emergency medical director.

The hospital staff continues to work tirelessly, but resources are running dangerously low. “If we have rain,” Serhal added, “it will be catastrophic.”

Among the patients struggling to recover was Saindou Mohamadi, 54, who fractured his arm and sprained his ankle during the storm that left his home completely destroyed. Speaking from his hospital bed, Mohamadi expressed despair for his family.

“My mother is sick, I’m sick, and my child is sick,” he said. “They need to eat, but I’m the one who takes care of the food, and now we have nothing.” With six children to support, Mohamadi is among countless residents left homeless and destitute.

“I’m not alone,” he said. “There are many of us who have lost everything — our houses, our food. I want the government to care about us, to give us food and a place to sleep.”

Mayotte is a densely populated archipelago between Madagascar and the African continent of more than 320,000 people, but authorities have estimated another 100,000 migrants live there from as far away as Somalia.

France’s poorest overseas territory long struggled with systemic neglect and underinvestment. Around 75% of its population lives in poverty, and the archipelago’s infrastructure was ill-equipped to withstand a disaster of this magnitude. Chido’s destruction has compounded these challenges, leaving many residents with little faith in the government’s ability to provide timely and adequate relief.

Efforts to deliver emergency aid, including airlifts of water and food, are underway but the scale of the need is staggering. Mayotte’s airport remains closed to civilian flights due to damage, further complicating logistics.

French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit on Friday, acknowledged the gravity of the situation and pledged to rebuild but faced criticism from residents frustrated by the slow pace of aid.

France's Interior Ministry estimated that 70% of the population has been gravely affected, with many left homeless and vulnerable.

Adamson reported from Paris.

French gendarmes patrol during curfew outside Mamoudzou, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

French gendarmes patrol during curfew outside Mamoudzou, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

French gendarmes patrol during curfew outside Mamoudzou, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

People walk by destroyed homes in the Barakani, Mayotte, informal settlement, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

Broken cars are seen in Barakani, Mayotte, France on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

This aerial view shows destroyed homes in the Barakani, Mayotte, informal settlement, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

People line up to collect water in Barakani, Mayotte, home Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

French Civil Security personnel unload water for distribution in Mamoudzou, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

A child's school notebook lays amidst debris in Barakani, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

Women wait in line at a water distribution point in Mamoudzou, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

Children stand in the half destroyed house of Zaharia Youssouf in Barakani, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

A drone view of the Barakani, Mayotte, informal settlement, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

Resident repair their broken homes in Barakani, Mayotte, home Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

People line up to collect water in Barakani, Mayotte, home Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

A man walks in the Barakani, Mayotte, informal settlement, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

A girl walks amidst destruction in Mbouyougou, Mayotte, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)