The Dallas Cowboys play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is noon Central (1 p.m. ET) on FOX.
Dallas is 3-5 after losing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to Arizona at home. Indianapolis is in worse shape.
The Colts are selling
Indianapolis is 2-6 and has lost four straight. Its last win was 30-13 at Washington on Oct. 4. Last Sunday the Colts lost 42-7 to Jacksonville, and their scoring has dropped every week: 22 points, then 20, then 10, then 7. Their turnover margin, minus-11, is last in the league.
The Colts have also started selling. They traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson, who was on an expiring contract, to Seattle for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth, and sent three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco for a 2027 fourth. Running back Jonathan Taylor and receiver Josh Downs are among the names other teams are asking about before Tuesday's deadline. Taylor ran for 23 yards on eight carries last week.
Daniel Jones, back from last season's torn Achilles, has started every game, and coach Shane Steichen said he will start Sunday. But Anthony Richardson replaced him in the second half against Jacksonville, so the hook could come fast.
The Downs brothers
Josh Downs scored the Colts' only touchdown last week. His younger brother, Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs, leads Dallas with 65 tackles, but he is in the concussion protocol and did not practice Wednesday. Whether the brothers meet on the field depends on whether Caleb is cleared.
What Dallas has to fix
The run defense. The Cowboys are last in the NFL, allowing 152.8 rushing yards a game, and Arizona's Tyler Allgeier ran for 147 on 11 carries last week. Dallas ran for 93 yards on 39 carries in that game.
The offense has the pieces. Dak Prescott has 2,046 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. CeeDee Lamb has 60 catches for 709 yards and six touchdowns, and Javonte Williams has 528 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Dallas hopes to get tight end Jake Ferguson (ankle) and returner KaVontae Turpin (ribs) back.
Dallas has not won two games in a row all season, and it is two games behind 5-3 Green Bay for the NFC's last playoff spot. The game is two days before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, so the result could shape what the front office does next.