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DALLAS — Troy Aikman said Thursday the Dallas Cowboys beat an Indianapolis Colts team that he believes has given up on the season, and the Hall of Fame quarterback warned that Dallas “won’t be going anywhere either” if it keeps playing the way it did in a 27-23 win at Indianapolis on Nov. 8.
Aikman made the comments during his Thursday appearance on The Musers on SportsRadio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket. The Dallas Morning News published a lightly edited transcript of the interview.
Dallas produced 508 yards of offense but committed 14 penalties for 153 yards. Dak Prescott led a four-play, 65-yard touchdown drive in 29 seconds, with Javonte Williams scoring from 1 yard out to put the Cowboys ahead.
Troy Aikman On What Dak Prescott Can Say Publicly In 2026
Aikman agreed Dallas did not play its best in Indianapolis. He said Prescott is smart enough to handle the public side of a win like that one, and that he would answer some questions differently today than he did as a player.
“I think that probably more so now than back when I was playing, that you got to be real careful what you say publicly,” Aikman said, “because everybody then jumps on it for at least a week, at least until the next game and maybe even longer. So yeah, I think Dak’s smart enough to figure that out. I think I would probably answer things a little differently today than maybe I did back in the day. Just everything takes on a life of its own.”
“I mean, I’ve done interviews, for instance, and felt like I’ve come out of interviews and haven’t said anything,” Aikman said, “and then you see a headline on social media, and it’s totally misrepresented what it is that you said. I mean, it’s not even close. So, most people anymore, they don’t even read the articles; they just read whatever’s on social media, and then that’s the gospel. They conclude whatever they want to from that.”
Aikman then offered a hypothetical public answer for Prescott. He paired it with his own belief, not anything he attributed to Prescott, that the quarterback is frustrated privately with how the game went.
“So, I say all that,” Aikman said, “because if Dak says, ‘Hey, the goal is to win, and that’s exactly what we did, and we’ve got some things to clean up,’ I mean, that’s probably the right response here in 2026, and yet I’m certain that he’s frustrated that this was a game where you feel like you can maybe dominate an opponent or start kind of putting things together a little bit more convincingly, and being unable to do that.”
Aikman Says Cowboys Beat An Indianapolis Colts Team Going Nowhere
Aikman said everyone who covers the Cowboys and everyone inside the organization already understands the difference between that win and a win over San Francisco. In his opinion, the Colts have pretty much given up on the year.
“I’m sure everyone realizes that yeah we won,” Aikman said, “but we just beat a team that really has had a firesale with their players and have pretty much given up on the year and the Colts aren’t going anywhere now. This game, if you didn’t play your best football and you beat the 49ers, I mean that looks and feels entirely differently.”
“So that’s not news to anyone that covers the team, and it’s not news to anyone within the organization,” Aikman said. “I think everyone understands that. So, yeah, win’s a win, and it feels good. But with the understanding of you beat a team that’s going nowhere, and if you continue to play like that, you won’t be going anywhere either.”
Dallas hosts the 7-1 49ers at 3:25 p.m. CT Sunday on FOX. The Cowboys are 4-5, while Indianapolis fell to 2-7.
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