Dallas
Cowboys
2-6
8
FINAL
23
Indianapolis
Colts
7-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive victory, the Indianapolis Colts topped the Dallas Cowboys 23-8 in Week 9 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications on the line, the Colts solidified their standing while the Cowboys struggled to find their rhythm throughout the contest.
Drew Bledsoe led the Cowboys with 179 passing yards and one touchdown, but it was LaDainian Tomlinson who stole the show for the Colts, rushing for an impressive 121 yards. Marvin Harrison contributed significantly with 71 receiving yards, providing the Colts’ offense with crucial plays that kept the chains moving and the scoreboard ticking.
Defensively, the Colts showcased a relentless performance, highlighted by Tyjuan Hagler’s sack and Marlin Jackson’s interception, which shifted momentum in their favor. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Jackson's pick halted a potential scoring drive for the Cowboys, allowing the Colts to extend their lead and ultimately secure the victory. DeMarcus Ware led the Dallas defense with six tackles, but it wasn't enough to contain the Colts' balanced attack.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Bledsoe | QB | 37 | 18 | 49% | 179 | 1 | 2 | 49.2 |
| Peyton Manning | QB | 24 | 17 | 71% | 153 | 0 | 1 | 70.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 16 | 121 | 7.6 | 52 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Dominic Rhodes | HB | 19 | 80 | 4.2 | 31 | 2 | 25 | 1 |
| Julius Jones | HB | 12 | 72 | 6.0 | 15 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Drew Bledsoe | QB | 7 | 25 | 3.6 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Marion Barber | HB | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Peyton Manning | QB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Dallas Clark | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Harrison | WR | 6 | 71 | 11.8 | 13 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Terry Glenn | WR | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 11 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Terrell Owens | WR | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| Jason Witten | TE | 7 | 42 | 6.0 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Dallas Clark | TE | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Reggie Wayne | WR | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Patrick Crayton | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Marion Barber | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Dominic Rhodes | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jerome Collins | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| De De Dorsey | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrall Rushing | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Marlin Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMarcus Ware | SAM | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Parrish | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gary Brackett | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyjuan Hagler | MIKE | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Bethea | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Ferguson | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Watkins | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dwight Freeney | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Ellis | SAM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terence Newman | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony McFarland | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Carpenter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roy Williams | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dan Klecko | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cato June | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason David | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bob Sanders | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Spears | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradie James | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony Henry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Glenn Moore | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrell Reid | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Freddy Keiaho | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelvin Hayden | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christopher Canty | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Akin Ayodele | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Vinatieri | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 39 |
| Martin Gramatica | K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

