In this article
FRISCO, Texas — A day after rookie safety Caleb Downs sacked Daniel Jones and then intercepted him to seal a 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said Monday that more of those plays will come as the defense gets better. Jones spoke during his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan’s K&C Masterpiece.
Sunday was probably still the Cowboys’ best defensive effort of the season, Jones said earlier in the interview. Indianapolis finished with 271 total yards and converted 3 of 13 third downs.
“I think you’ll see more of that as our defense gets better. I think as we start to play better defense, which we are, then the quarterbacks have to start making some tighter throws and tighter windows, and we’re certainly getting better pressure. You felt that yesterday, and good things start to happen,” Jones said. “Certainly, the pick in the game was outstanding, and then of course, his big blitz and sack. I don’t think [Daniel] Jones ever saw him coming, and that could have easily been a sack fumble.”
Caleb Downs Had A Sack And His First NFL Interception
Downs sacked Daniel Jones for a 10-yard loss on third down in the second quarter, forcing a punt. On the final Indianapolis series, Daniel Jones threw deep on third-and-22 with defensive tackle Kenny Clark in his face, and Downs picked it off at the Indianapolis 37 with 35 seconds left.
Downs finished with 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 2 passes defensed. It was his second sack of the season and the first interception of his career. According to the Cowboys’ website, he is the first rookie with a sack and an interception in the same game since 1987.
The Colts went three-and-out on 5 of their 14 possessions. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer credited defensive coordinator Christian Parker and his staff for the plan after the game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“I talked about the two interior guys. They were incredible. Caleb gets a sack. Caleb gets the game-ending interception. Great play,” Schottenheimer said. “We were very comfortable putting our defense out there, knowing that they were gonna protect the lead, and kudos to Christian, his staff, for the plan they had, but also for the players. The execution I thought was outstanding.”
Stephen Jones Says The Cowboys Defense Is ‘Making The Steps’
The Cowboys are still a work in progress, Jones said. He thought Dallas ran the ball well Sunday and made some big plays, though the offense also had drives that did not end in points.
“Certainly on defense, it feels like we’re making the steps,” Jones explained.
Dallas traded up one spot to take Downs 11th overall out of Ohio State in April. He won the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott Trophy and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. He suffered a concussion in the Nov. 1 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals and cleared the protocol on Nov. 6.
Sunday was also the first time Downs had faced his older brother, Colts receiver Josh Downs, since their Georgia prep days. Josh caught 3 passes for 24 yards on 6 targets. Caleb said after the game that the defense has to play every snap like it is the last stand.
“I’ve been saying it all year, and I’m glad that we finally finished the game today. But at the end of the day, we got to play like it’s on us every play,” Downs said. “We got to play like our defense is the last stand. That there’s no offense. That it’s just us. We’re playing separate games, and that’s what we have to do. And people can say whatever they want, but when we play well, we’re a good football team.”
The Cowboys, now 4-5, host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 15, at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.
Join the conversation