DALLAS — Richard Yoder’s Cowboys won the leverage battle early and kept the Colts chasing the game, rolling to a 37-13 preseason victory Saturday. The blueprint was plain in the numbers: Dallas rushed 43 times for 212 yards, while its defense limited Indianapolis to 28 rushing yards and a 2-for-14 mark on third down.

William Freeman supplied the scoring through the air. His five-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Sloan opened the scoring, and Gerald Seymour’s extra point made it 7-0. A Colts fumble recovered by John Greenlee gave Dallas another short field; Seymour converted it into a 31-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.

The biggest swing came on the next Colts punt. A fumble in the return sequence ended with John Stanley taking the ball 82 yards for a Dallas touchdown. Seymour’s extra point pushed the margin to 17-0 with 3:31 left in the first quarter. The early turnovers undercut Indianapolis’ ability to establish a balanced attack and put its offense into catch-up mode.

The Colts briefly answered to open the second quarter, when Robert John connected with Thomas Williams for a 28-yard touchdown. Dallas responded with defensive pressure of its own: John Anderson intercepted John at the Indianapolis 17, and Freeman hit Robert Goss for an eight-yard touchdown two plays later. Freeman then found tight end Joseph Kearns for a 39-yard score, stretching the lead to 31-7. After John Hardy’s interception gave the Cowboys another possession, Seymour added a 41-yard field goal for a 34-7 halftime advantage.

Freeman finished with 125 passing yards and three touchdowns, distributing scores to Sloan, Goss and Kearns. Kearns led Dallas receivers with 55 yards, while Justin Jackson’s 96 rushing yards helped anchor the ground game. The Cowboys’ 14 completions on 29 attempts were not a high-volume passing display; the more telling execution was turning key possessions into points and using the run to keep the offense on schedule.

Indianapolis had a brief second-half opening after Ray Mullins intercepted Donald Hendricks, but the Colts managed only field goals after halftime. Seymour’s 51-yarder in the fourth quarter made it 37-10, and James Cross supplied the final points with a 36-yard kick. Dallas also recorded three sacks and two interceptions, repeatedly forcing the Colts to work behind the sticks. For Yoder’s side, the preseason result offered a crisp demonstration of how field position, turnover pressure and a productive run game can control a game without requiring an aerial barrage.