Cowboys vs. Colts final score, results: Fourth-quarter outburst keys Dallas' blowout win over Indianapolis

Sam Jarden

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Cowboys vs. Colts final score, results: Fourth-quarter outburst keys Dallas' blowout win over Indianapolis image

The Colts must be wondering what just happened. 

They entered the fourth quarter of their "Sunday Night Football" game trailing the Cowboys by two points and with a real chance of pulling off an upset on the road. Fifteen minutes of football later, they left the field in shock. The scoreboard read Dallas 54, Indianapolis 19.

The astonishing final quarter by the Cowboys — in which they outscored the Colts 33-0 — tied for the second-most points scored by one team in a fourth quarter (the Lions hold the record with 34 against the Bears in 2007). It was also the most lopsided fourth-quarter score in an American professional football game since 1925. 

The Cowboys' offense ended up having an outrageous night. Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns, Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 197 total yards three touchdowns, Michael Gallup caught two touchdowns and CeeDee Lamb finished with 71 receiving yards and a TD of his own.

Dallas' defense was superb as well. It forced five turnovers, including two interceptions by DaRon Bland and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Malik Hooker. 

MORE: NFL standings: Updated playoff picture for Week 13

The emphatic win keeps the Cowboys (9-3) two games behind the first-place Eagles (11-1) in the NFC East. The Colts (4-8-1) now head into their bye week on the back of three straight losses, none more demoralizing than this one. 

MORE: Updated 2023 NFL Draft order

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Cowboys vs. Colts on "Sunday Night Football." Here are all the key moments you might have missed from the Week 13 matchup.

 MORE: Watch NFL games live with fuboTV (free trial)

Cowboys vs. Colts score

   1   2   3   4   F 
Cowboys 7 14 0 33 54
Colts 10 3 6 0 19

Cowboys vs. Colts live updates, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'

(All times Eastern)

11:33 p.m. FINAL — Well, that'll do it. A close game entering the final quarter turned into an absolute blowout after an offensive explosion by Dallas. An embarrassing loss for Jeff Saturday and the Colts. 

11:29 p.m. — Here are some crazy stats from this quarter: It is the most lopsided fourth quarter score (33-0) since 1925. Dallas also tied the second-most points ever scored by a team in a fourth quarter (33), just a single point behind the mark set by the Lions in 2007.

11:25 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — This has officially entered beatdown territory. Malik Davis breaks free and goes 23 yards for his first NFL touchdown. The Cowboys are outscoring the Colts 33-0 this QUARTER. Unreal. 

11:23 p.m. FUMBLE — No mercy from these Cowboys. They just forced their 5th turnover of the game after a strip sack on Ryan. 

11:16 p.m. — If you haven't been watching this game, you may not believe me when I say this, but this was a 2 point game at the start of the 4th quarter. Now, with about 5 minutes left, Dallas holds a whopping 28 point lead. 

11:15 p.m. — How about this celebration?

Cowboys 47, Colts 19

11:13 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — The crowd is shouting for Zeke, and he gives them what they want by powering his way in for a touchdown! 

11:11 p.m. — A questionable defensive pass interference call goes against Indianapolis and moves Dallas into the red zone. A nice run by Elliott sets up 1st and goal. 

11:08 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Doesn't look like any miracle is coming. DaRon Bland gets ANOTHER pick! How about the half he's had?

11:07 p.m. — There are still about 10 minutes left on the clock, but this game is effectively over. The Colts get a big play on a 27 yard catch by Jelani Woods to move across midfield, but they need nothing short of a miracle now.

Cowboys 40, Colts 19

11:01 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Pollard is unreal! He takes a pitch to the left side, gets a few blocks and turns on the jets to most likely put this game out of reach!

10:57 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Ryan makes a big mistake, throwing a dangerous pass into tight coverage. He pays the price after DaRon Bland comes up with the pick!

10:56 p.m. — Facing 4th and 1 from deep in their own territory, Jeff Saturday is forced to roll the dice and go for it. He gets it thanks to a catch by Pittman for a gain of 5. 

10:51 p.m. — The Colts hung tough for three quarters, but the fourth could not have started worse for them. They now face a daunting task trying to get back into this game. 

10:50 p.m. — Dallas went for two to try and make it a three possession game, but a trick play didn't pan out and it was unsuccessful.

Cowboys 34, Colts 19

10:48 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Oh man, that is a killer mistake by Indianapolis. On the first play of the drive, Mo Alie-Cox makes the catch but fumbles the football. It's scooped up by Malik Hooker, who runs it all the way to the house for another Dallas touchdown! What a night he's having!

Cowboys 28, Colts 19

10:43 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — It's Gallup again! He goes up and snags the back corner fade for his second end zone trip of the night! Dallas extends the lead to two possessions.

10:42 p.m. — On 3rd and 10, Lamb makes the catch and scurries right for a gain of 17 to move the sticks. First and goal, Dallas.  

End of third quarter: Cowboys 21, Colts 19

10:37 p.m. — Prescott nearly gets picked off on a bad throw over the middle, but the officials rule the ball hit the ground before Isaiah Rodgers could catch it cleanly. That was a really tight call, if that was ruled an interception on the field I think it might have stood. To make matters worse for Indy, Zaire Franklin got called for a personal foul at the end of the play to give Dallas 15 free yards.

10:35 p.m. — The Cowboys have moved into Colts territory now thanks to a catch by Lamb and a short run by Elliott. 

10:33 p.m. — Pollard continues to gash this Colts defense with his speed. He breaks loose down the right sideline for a gain of 22. 

10:31 p.m. — Cowboys corner Anthony Brown is being carted to the locker room. He's been ruled out for the rest of the night with an ankle injury. Big loss for the Dallas D. 

10:29 p.m. — The two-point conversion is no good. Parris Campbell couldn't quite hold onto the pass from Ryan, and he probably would've been just short anyway. 

Cowboys 21, Colts 19

10:27 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — What a play by Pierce! Ryan threw it up to his back shoulder, and he managed to get turned around just in time to make the tough touchdown catch! Heck of a play by the rookie. The Colts will go for two now to try and tie this game. 

10:25 p.m. — Taylor gets dropped for no gain on 3rd and 1 to set up a crucial 4th and short situation for the Colts. Ryan keeps it and sneaks up the middle to just barely pick up a first down. 

10:24 p.m. — Taylor strikes again, this time picking up about 20 yards on a screen pass to move the Colts to the edge of the red zone. He looks back to his dominant best tonight. 

10:19 p.m. — Taylor provides the first big play of the second half, ripping off a 19 yard run to pick up a first down. A few plays later, Ryan completes it to Pierce on 3rd down to pick up 14 more yards. 

10:15 p.m. — The Cowboys can't do much better. A holding penalty on first down puts them behind schedule, and after an incompletion on 3rd and 13 they'll have to punt it right back. 

10:09 p.m. — Their first drive goes absolutely nowhere, ending in a very quick three-and-out. Rough possession for Indy. 

10:08 p.m. START OF SECOND HALF — The Colts receive the kickoff to start the half. They still trail by just one possession despite that tough swing at the end of the first half. 

End of first half: Cowboys 21, Colts 13

9:52 p.m. — The Colts kneel it out, and Dallas goes into the locker room leading by 8.

Cowboys 21, Colts 13

9:49 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Prescott rolls right to escape pressure, then zips it to Gallup for a touchdown! Big momentum swing right before halftime!

9:44 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Ryan's pass for Pierce is tipped and intercepted by Malik Hooker, the former Colt! Now it's Dallas' turn to try and add to the lead before the half!

9:43 p.m. — On 3rd and 10, Ryan tosses right to Parris Campbell for a 1st down gain of 13 yards. With a little over a minute left on the clock, the Colts have it at their own 40. 

9:38 p.m. — Dallas gets the ball back, and on 2nd down Prescott takes a deep shot down the left sideline to Gallup, but it falls incomplete. On 3rd and 5, Kwity Paye comes up with a sack to force the punt. The Colts will get one more chance to take a halftime lead here. 

Cowboys 14, Colts 13

9:34 p.m. FIELD GOAL — McLaughlin's kick was really, really ugly, but somehow it snuck through. Not sure if that got tipped at the line, but it was a real wounded duck. 

9:33 p.m. — On 3rd and 7, Ryan can't connect with Granson in the end zone and the Colts will have to settle for a field goal try. 

9:32 p.m. TWO-MINUTE WARNING — A short run by Taylor takes us into the two-minute warning with Indianapolis on the Dallas 16-yard line. 

9:27 p.m. INTERCEPTION — On 3rd and 10, Prescott throws a pass intended for Michael Gallup, but Stephon Gilmore gets in the way and picks it off! The Colts now have a great chance to take the lead with the clock winding towards halftime.

9:24 p.m. — Dallas runs identical jet sweeps to CeeDee Lamb on back-to-back plays, and both of them are quite successful. They pick up a combined 23 yards to get the Cowboys moving. 

9:20 p.m. — Taylor strings together a few more decent runs to move the ball into Dallas territory. But a few plays later, Anthony Barr sacks Ryan on 3rd and 5 to put an end to the drive. Jeff Saturday is forced to send on the punting unit once again. 

9:15 p.m. — Michael Pittman makes his first catch of the night for a gain of 11 to set up 3rd and 3. The Cowboys bring pressure, but Ryan does a nice job of reading it and quickly throwing to Granson for a first down. 

Cowboys 14, Colts 10

9:11 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Pollard punches it in from 2 yards out to retake the lead for the Cowboys!

9:09 p.m. — Lamb makes a catch to the left sideline, and scurries all the way down to the Indianapolis 9-yard line for a gain of 22! First and goal, Dallas. 

9:08 p.m. — There goes Pollard again! He breaks free for a 17 yard run to kickstart Dallas' drive. The Cowboys now have quite the two-headed monster at running back with Pollard's recent success. 

9:02 p.m. — The Colts get it back, and after a decent run by Taylor it's 3rd and 5. Ryan drops back to throw, but he's immediately swarmed by Cowboys defenders and sacked for a big loss. Dallas comes up with an important stop to retake some momentum. 

End of first quarter: Colts 10, Cowboys 7

8:59 p.m. — A 1st down screen play to tight end Jake Ferguson gets blown up for a loss of 5, then an incompletion sets up 3rd and 15. Elliott makes the catch and picks up about 12, but he's still a few yards short and this will be a Cowboys punt when the second quarter begins.

8:55 p.m. — The Cowboys face a quick 3rd and 1 on the ensuing possession, but Prescott manages to complete it to Noah Brown for a gain of 9 to move the chains. 

Colts 10, Cowboys 7

8:52 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — That is a HECK of a response by Indy! Trevon Diggs got burned by Ashton Dulin, and the receiver was absolutely wide open to reel in the touchdown grab!

8:49 p.m. — The Colts kickstart their drive with a nice 14-yard run by Taylor, who has looked solid already tonight. Then, on the very next play, Ryan throws one up for Alec Pierce deep downfield and his receiver hauls it in! That's a gain of 45!

8:45 p.m. — Here's another look at that play by Lamb to stay on his feet.

Cowboys 7, Colts 3

8:41 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — WOW! On 3rd and 9, CeeDee Lamb made the grab, but it appeared he was spun down by Colts safety Rodney McLeod Jr. However, he was never ruled down, so he got up and beelined for the end zone. After review, the officials confirmed he was never down and the touchdown will stand! What a play!

8:39 p.m. — Elliott rumbles up the middle for a 6 yard gain to keep the drive alive. 

8:38 p.m. — Ezekiel Elliott gets his first touch of the night and turns it into a nice 10 yard run. He then gets three more handoffs in a row, but he's stopped just short on 3rd down to bring up 4th and inches. Looks like Mike McCarthy will go for this from the edge of the red zone. 

8:36 p.m. — Dalton Schultz makes a catch to move the chains once again. It looked like he may have fumbled towards the end of that play, but they snapped it quickly so there was no time for a coach's challenge or official review. Might have been a lucky break for Dallas. 

8:35 p.m. — Pollard gets more work to start the Cowboys' second drive, taking a handoff for a short gain then catching a pass out of the backfield for a gain of 10. 

Colts 3, Cowboys 0

8:32 p.m. FIELD GOAL — McLaughlin bangs it through from 52 yards out to give the Colts a surprising early lead. They were gifted great field position on that drive and took advantage. 

8:31 p.m. — The drive stalls out after Taylor gets stuffed at the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 4. Chase McLaughlin will come on for a long field goal attempt. 

8:29 p.m. — Taylor gets things going for the Colts with a decent run, then Ryan completes it to Kylen Granson for a gain of 9 and a first down. 

8:24 p.m. — Prescott takes the field for the first offensive possession. After Tony Pollard takes a handoff for no gain, a short completion to Noah Brown sets up 3rd and 4. Prescott drops back to throw again, but his pass gets deflected and that will be a three-and-out to begin the night for the Cowboys. A fair catch interference penalty on Dallas will give Indy 15 free yards. 

8:23 p.m. — Here we go. The Colts will kick it away to Dallas to get us going. 

8:14 p.m. — Kickoff is drawing close from Arlington. You may have noticed the Cowboys are wearing a red stripe on their helmets tonight, here's the reason why. 

8:08 p.m. — Here come Dak and Zeke.

7:57 p.m. — Two star cornerbacks, Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore, out exchanging pregame pleasantries. 

7:40 p.m. — Looks like a few Colts players dressed for the occasion tonight.

7:33 p.m. — Here's a great Twitter thread on the organizations Cowboys players are supporting as a part of "My Cause, My Cleats."

Cowboys vs. Colts start time

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 4
  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

Cowboys vs. Colts will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. local time) from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

What channel is Cowboys vs. Colts on today?

  • TV channel (national): NBC (U.S.) | TSN2, CTV2, RDS2 (Canada)
  • Live stream: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App, Peacock | fuboTV (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)

The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC in the U.S.. Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) will be on the call from the Lone Star State.

Cord-cutters can watch with Peacock or fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

Fans in Canada can watch the game on TSN2, CTV2 or RDS2. They also can stream the action with DAZN, which carries every NFL game.

Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden Photo

Sam Jarden joined Sporting News as an intern in 2020 and returned as a content producer in 2022. In between, he spent a year and a half at Turner Sports, managing the social media accounts for Bleacher Report, NBA on TNT, NBA TV and others. A proud UNC alumnus, he spends his free time following the Tar Heels, Buffalo Bills and Newcastle United FC, and has been known to occasionally hit the links.