NFL Week 17 Game Recap: Dallas Cowboys 27, Tennessee Titans 13

Even though the Dallas Cowboys did their best to keep the Tennessee Titans in the game with three turnovers, they were able to come away with a 27-13 victory at Nissan Stadium on Thursday evening.

Even with most of their stars missing in action, the Titans made a valiant effort against one of the NFL's best teams. Now, the 7-9 Titans' focus shifts to its monumental Week 18 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which will ultimately decide which team will win the AFC South and earn a playoff bid.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, move to 12-4 and keep the pressure on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East ahead of a Week 18 showdown against the Washington Commanders.

Offensive spotlight: Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has already proven to be a valuable addition to the Cowboys offense. After picking up a crucial third-and-30 conversion in the victory against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, the former Indianapolis Colt continued to be a reliable weapon in big moments, finishing with four catches for 50 yards — converting three third downs into first downs. Hilton also forced a missed tackle to round a performance that earned a 75.0-plus grade on first review.

Defensive spotlight: Even though he's often overshadowed by Micah Parsons, Cowboys edge defender DeMarcus Lawrence put together another excellent performance on Thursday night. Not only did the veteran force a fumble, but he also picked up two pressures, two pass-rush wins that didn't generate a pressure, a 20.0% pass-rush win percentage, two batted passes and a run stop en route to an elite 90.0-plus grade on first review.

Titans safety Kevin Byard proved why he's a two-time All-Pro against the Cowboys, recording two interceptions and two run stops on his way to an 88.0-plus grade on first review. Byard's interceptions were the biggest reason why the Titans were able to keep the game competitive despite being vastly overmatched on paper.

Rookie spotlight: Cowboys rookie offensive tackle Tyler Smith stacked another promising performance on top of his dominant outing last week, as he was an impactful run blocker in addition to just three pressures across 44 pass-blocking snaps on Thursday night. Additionally, Smith showed the versatility to play multiple positions, as the starting left tackle slid over the left guard once Connor McGovern had to move to center to take over for an injured Tyler Biadasz at the end of the third quarter.

Offensive line spotlight: The Cowboys offensive line did a great job keeping Dak Prescott clean against the Titans' diminished front, as it allowed only a sack across 44 pass-blocking snaps while achieving an 85.0-plus pass-blocking efficiency rating on first review. Right guard Zack Martin and right tackle Tyron Smith were particularly dominant in pass protection, as neither allowed a pressure on the evening.

Box Score

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