INDIANAPOLIS — And just like that, the Dallas Cowboys were without George Pickens in their matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The All-Pro receiver was ruled out just ahead of kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium due to a hamstring injury, and that meant someone would need to step up at receiver to help All-Pro CeeDee Lamb carry the load.
That person turned out to be the usual suspect: Ryan Flournoy. His targets weren't abundant, only three throughout the contest, but his two catches were critical to the outcome.
In the fourth quarter, when Dak Prescott needed a big play on the final offensive play of the game, looking to put the Colts away with a touchdown, he dropped back and tossed a go ball to Flournoy who brought it down with First-Team All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner draped over him like a wet blanket — a 46-yard bomb to start a drive that ended with the much-needed touchdown.
"Before every single drive, I step up and I pray to God," Flournoy said following the 27-23 victory over the Colts. "In that particular prayer, after I was finished, I said, 'I'm made for this.' I told myself, 'I'm made for this, I'm made for this.'
"In the huddle, that call and play, I'm talking to myself, 'I'm made for this.' Not even knowing a play. It could have been a run play. I was gonna go out and block, you know I was made to block, but the call was a pass play, and I ran my route and saw the ball in the air. I just knew I was made for that moment to catch it."
That catch put the uneven Cowboys offense in the red zone with one swing, and the rest is history — Dallas scored a touchdown to make it a four-point game before Caleb Downs punctuated a really good defensive showing with a game-sealing interception.
One week prior, Prescott and the offense were unable to put points on the board when it mattered most, but that was a lesson learned from the loss to the Cardinals.
"It came down to us. We wanted to put the game away," Flournoy said. "We talked to each other on the sidelines. We trust each other. Even when they went up three points, we knew each other, we knew that we trusted each other, so we were gonna go out and execute."
Granted, there are still things the Cowboys offense needs to clean up if they're to return to prominence, but their inability to close out a game in 2026 has become one of their Achilles heels, so it's also true that seeing them do so in Indy means they took a step forward in that area.
As for Flournoy, he continues to be the dependable and, at times, explosive receiving option that steps up when the Cowboys need him most; and that's not by accident. It's because of the amount of work he puts in in-between games — so much so that even Lamb admits he's had to tell Flournoy to "save some of it for the game".
"Really, it's just my belief in myself," said Flournoy. "I've been through a lot of adversity. I overcame a lot of adversity and, for me, in that moment, I just knew I was made to be in that moment, and that it was my time to shine. … That's the story of my life.
"I've always been the next man. With GP out, he's a tremendous football player who can impact the game in so many ways. I just knew I had to step up to that and I knew I could impact the game in so many ways as well, whether it's catching a ball, blocking, or whatever it is they need me to do. I know I could do it."
And did.
