After winning five straight "must-win" games, the Dallas Cowboys (8-6) laid an egg in the first game they didn't have to win. The Cowboys were thoroughly dominated on the road, 23-0, by an Indianapolis Colts (8-6) team that needed a win to stay alive in the AFC wild-card race.
The Cowboys' offense didn't have trouble moving the ball at times against the Colts, but penalties and overall ineptitude in the red zone cost the team valuable scoring opportunities, especially in the first half. The Cowboys were limited by injuries to their interior offensive line, as Zack Martin missed the game and Xavier Su'a-Filo exited in the first half because of an eye injury, but poor execution was the real reason for Dallas' offensive struggles.