Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East by beating the Commanders 38-10
Dak Prescott threw two of his four touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East and secured the No. 2 seed in the conference by closing the regular season with a 38-10 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Bland, Prescott help Cowboys to 13th straight home win with 45-10 victory over Commanders
DaRon Bland set an NFL record with his fifth interception return for a touchdown this season, Dak Prescott threw four TD passes and the Dallas Cowboys pulled away for a 45-10 Thanksgiving victory over the Washington Commanders.
Prescott throws 2 TDs, Bland ties NFL record with 4th pick-6 in Cowboys' 33-10 rout of Panthers
Dak Prescott threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns, DaRon Bland tied an NFL record with his fourth pick-6 of the season and the Dallas Cowboys trounced the Carolina Panthers 33-10 Sunday for their fourth win in five games.
Prescott throws 2 TDs, Bland ties NFL record with 4th pick-6 in Cowboysโ 33-10 rout of Panthers
Dak Prescott threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns, DaRon Bland tied an NFL record with his fourth pick-6 of the season and the Dallas Cowboys trounced the Carolina Panthers 33-10 Sunday for their fourth win in five games.
Jalen Hurts shakes off knee injury and leads Eagles past Cowboys 28-23 for NFL best 8-1 mark
Jalen Hurts braved a direct hit on his injured left knee to throw for 207 yards and two touchdowns and he ran for another tush push score to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 28-23 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
With Dak down, Cooper Rush passes Cowboys past Vikings 20-16
Cooper Rush subbed for the injured Dak Prescott and passed for 325 yards and two second-half touchdowns, the last a 5-yarder to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left in the Dallas Cowboysโ 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.
McCarthy defends key decisions as loss eliminates Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy watches play against the Cleveland Browns in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)Mike McCarthy will take lingering questions about game management into the offseason rather than the momentum of a four-game winning streak to finish a difficult first season as coach of the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy didn't challenge a catch that set up a 50-yard field goal by New York's Graham Gano when it appeared the ground aided Dante Pettis' 10-yard grab in the Giants' 23-19 victory Sunday. A reversal would have forced New York to punt, and the Cowboys could have gone ahead with a field goal in the final two minutes. As it turned out, a finishing four-game winning streak wouldn't have been enough to get Dallas in the playoffs.
Cowboys, Giants need a win and Washington loss for playoffs
The Cowboys (6-9) will try to extend their winning streak to four games when they travel to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants (5-10) on Sunday. A Washington loss opens the door for Dallas and New York, which is on a three-game skid. A Dallas win and Washington loss gives the Cowboys and new coach Mike McCarthy the division. A Giants victory and a Washington loss gives New York the division crown based on head-to-head play among the three teams. The Giants have been without running back Saquon Barkley (ACL) since the second game of the season.
Gators rattled: No. 8 Oklahoma routs Florida in Cotton Bowl
8 Oklahoma beat 10th-ranked SEC runner-up Florida 55-20 on Wednesday night in the Cotton Bowl. Back in the same NFL stadium where 11 days earlier they won their sixth consecutive Big 12 title, the Sooners (9-2, No. The 55 points were their most ever in a bowl game, while piling up a Cotton Bowl-record 684 total yards. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game, and had averaged nearly 42 points a game. Oklahoma: With Rattler and Mims among the young standouts coming back, the Sooners could again be favored to win another Big 12 title.
No preseason, no problem: NFL rookies shine in strange year
Young and Jefferson made the Pro Bowl, and surely more rookies would have joined them as alternates at the leagueโs now-canceled all-star game. โItโs crazy unusual for a rookie, I think, to have the type of leadership that Chase has, genuine leadership,โ Washington quarterback Alex Smith said. โI think a lot of young guys, especially high picks, I think you feel pressure to do it some way or somehow. โTalk about a rookie coming in, starting every game and just being focused,โ Browns Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio said of Wills. โWeโre growing and weโre starting to get a hang of the game,โ said Dolphins right tackle Robert Hunt, a second-round pick and one of six Miami rookies starting on offense.
Seeds of hope: Cowboys alive and kicking in woeful NFC East
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Dallas Cowboys won a game thanks to a watermelon kick and are now 2-0 after smashing said fruit as a motivational tactic the night before each victory. Now, the Cowboys could be two playoff wins from their first run that far in the postseason in 25 years โ with a little help, of course. After giving up 14 points in less than 10 minutes to start the game, the Cowboys held Philadelphia to three the rest of the way. But it was still enough to set a franchise record in points allowed with a game to go at 450. It was the most for a Dalton-led offense since the Bengals had 559 in a 31-17 win over Cleveland in 2016.
Cowboys beat Eagles 37-17, stay alive with Washington loss
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) catches a touchdown pass as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Michael Jacquet (38) defends in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 27. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas โ Andy Dalton threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, two to Michael Gallup, and the Dallas Cowboys stayed alive in the playoff race with a 37-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Dallas can overtake Washington (6-9) with a win at the New York Giants and a Washington loss to the Eagles on the final weekend of the regular season. The Giants (5-10) can get in by beating the Cowboys if Washington loses. Instead, Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts couldn't keep the offense rolling while giving up points on five consecutive Dallas possessions.
Cowboys beat Eagles 37-17, stay alive with Washington loss
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (19) celebrate a touchdown catch by Lamb in the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 27. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)ARLINGTON, Texas โ Andy Dalton threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, two to Michael Gallup, and the Dallas Cowboys stayed alive in the playoff race with a 37-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Dallas can overtake Washington (6-9) with a win at the New York Giants and a Washington loss to the Eagles on the final weekend of the regular season. The Giants (5-10) can get in by beating the Cowboys if Washington loses. UP NEXTPhiladelphia has Dallas' fate in its hands at home against Washington in the regular-season finale.
Pollard scores 2 with Elliott out, Cowboys beat 49ers 41-33
Pollard ran for two touchdowns with Elliott sidelined by a calf issue he's been battling for weeks, and the Cowboys kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 41-33 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Beathard handled the last two possessions and threw a 49-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Kendrick Bourne on the final play. The obvious reaction was that the rookie receiver should have gone to the ground to let Dallas run out the clock. ... WR Michael Gallup, who had a first-half touchdown catch, injured a hip in the second half and didn't return. UP NEXT49ers: At Arizona in an actual road game Saturday in the stadium that has become San Francisco's temporary home.
Dez Bryant and Ravens take on Cowboys in rare Tuesday night game
Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant has provided depth and experience at wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens following his return from a two-year hiatus. An outbreak of COVID-19 among the Ravens pushed the Pittsburgh game back six days and forced the NFL to move the Dallas-Baltimore game from last Thursday. โDez is an eternal light of positiveness for our game," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. Dallas came into Week 13 ranked last in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing an average of 156.4 yards per game. 88, the same number Bryant sported with Dallas.
Plenty of reasons for scoring's record-setting pace in NFL
The top mark in NFL history through nine weeks was 24 ppg in 2018. That has eliminated the need for silent counts for road teams, making life much easier for offenses. Road teams are 67-65-1 this season, marking the first time since 1983 (68-57-1) that they had a winning record through nine weeks. From 2010-19, home teams outscored road teams by 2.0 points per game. FLAG FOOTBALL: From the crackdown on hits against defenseless receivers to the protections in place for quarterbacks, NFL rules always seem to tilt toward the offense.
Cowboys will have 4th starting QB of season against Steelers
Dallas will have its fourth different starting quarterback of the season against the undefeated Steelers (7-0) on Sunday with Andy Dalton unavailable because of COVID-19 protocols. The Cowboys signed him off Cleveland's practice squad after Prescott's injury in Week 5. After Dalton was injured, the Cowboys added Rush to the practice squad. The Giants claimed Rush off waivers in May, but released him from their practice squad in December. Hunter Niswander was signed to the practice squad last week and will take Jones' spot.
Cowboys try many tricks with rookie QB, fall to Eagles 23-9
The Dallas Cowboys tried to fake their way through rookie quarterback Ben DiNucciโs first โ and theyโre thinking only โ start. The Cowboys (2-6) started a third quarterback in the same year for the first time since 2015. This was a much more unconventional look than when Dallas was trying to save a season wrecked by Tony Romo's collarbone injury. A reverse to rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb picked up 19 yards on the game's first possession, which ended with the first of Greg Zuerlein's three field goals and a 3-0 lead. 1 offense at the time, the Cowboys have one touchdown โ in garbage time of a 38-10 loss to Arizona.
Dalton hurt, Washington defense clamps down to beat Cowboys
Dalton was 9 of 19 for 75 yards before being injured and walking off under his own power to undergo concussion evaluation. Washington allowed 142 total yards to win a game by double digits for the first time since November 2018. As a team, Washington picked up 208 yards on the ground while allowing just 83. SOCIAL JUSTICEDallas defensive tackle Dontari Poe took a knee during the national anthem, while Collins and Washington offensive lineman Keith Ismael were among those who raised a fist in the air. UP NEXTThe Cowboys visit the 2-4-1 first-place Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday, while Washington next plays the New York Giants at home Nov. 8 after its bye week.
McCarthyโs 1st season in Dallas coming apart over turnovers
His first season as coach of the Dallas Cowboys is coming apart because of how badly his team is losing that battle. I need to figure something out.โThe Cardinals scored 24 points off those turnovers, and 13 of Dallas' NFL-leading 15 giveaways have led to points โ 11 of them touchdowns. For the season, Dallas is allowing 5.15 yards per carry. โIโm not in the feelgood mood frankly that we got manna from heaven being in the East,โ Jones said on his radio show Monday. NEXT STEPSThe visit to Washington is the first of two straight NFC East road games (Philadelphia is the second).
Cowboys try to stay course amid glaring defensive struggles
ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Dallas Cowboys have never given up as many points and yards through four games than they have under first-year coach Mike McCarthy and the new defensive scheme that came with him. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has experimented with standing at the line of scrimmage instead of getting in a three-point stance. While the offense has lost turnovers on consecutive plays each of the past two games, the defense has just two takeaways all season. It canโt be.โWHAT'S WORKINGDak Prescott is the first NFL player with three straight games of at least 450 yards passing. But Prescott has contributed to his own huge numbers with early turnovers in three straight games that led to the Cowboys playing from behind.
Cowboys defense giving up points, offense giving up the ball
ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Dallas Cowboys defense is giving up points at a rate unseen since the franchiseโs winless inaugural season six decades ago, and their offense keeps giving up the ball even while scoring in bunches. โWhat I donโt like, is I donโt like the pattern of the four games that weโve played. The points are outrageous, the time of possession is totally lopsided, and weโre minus-7 in the turnover ratio. The only time the Cowboys had ever done that was during their 0-11-1 debut in 1960. And not starting fast enough, thatโs whatโs been killing us over the past few games,โ Prescott said.
Gambler? McCarthy sees โaggressiveโ 1st impression in Dallas
The first of two fake punts from Dallas territory helped dig a 20-point hole in the first quarter in last week's 40-39 win over Atlanta. Case in point: a fake field goal on fourth-and-26 against Chicago in 2012. โEverything that happened in that game happened for a reason for us to win,โ Fassel said. The fake punts often are dictated by how the receiving team lines up. โItโs important for the players to feel the confidence from the head coach,โ McCarthy said.
Column: Another grim chapter for Atlanta's sports history
Dallas Cowboys cornerback C.J. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)ATLANTA โ As the ball spun slowly along the turf at Jerryโs World, the black-clad players backing away like it was a live grenade, Atlantaโs grim sports history flooded the consciousness. There was never any doubt a Dallas player would fall on the onside kick before the Falcons did. There was never any doubt the game-winning kick would almost perfectly split the uprights, handing a team from Atlanta an almost unfathomable defeat. The Falcons led 20-0 in the first quarter after Dallas fumbled the ball away three times.
Cowboys' rally stuns Falcons 40-39 in McCarthy's home debut
Dallas Cowboys' Chris Jones (6) and others celebrate with kicker Greg Zuerlein (2) after Zuerlein kicked a field goal to help the Cowboys to a 40-39 win against the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Cowboys' rally stuns Falcons 40-39 in McCarthyโs home debut
Dallas Cowboys' Chris Jones (6) and others celebrate with kicker Greg Zuerlein (2) after Zuerlein kicked a field goal to help the Cowboys to a 40-39 win against the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas โ One gamble after another failed for coach Mike McCarthy in his home debut with the Dallas Cowboys. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired, and the Cowboys overcame four fumbles and a 20-point deficit in the first quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons 40-39 on Sunday. The Falcons pushed the lead to 39-24 on Younghoe Koo's fourth field goal with just under eight minutes left. Calvin Ridley was the leader for the Falcons this week with 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Cowboys host Falcons, with McCarthy moving past memory lane
After getting hired, McCarthy wanted to know how long the ride was from team headquarters to AT&T Stadium, so he made the trip. Before a glorified practice in Dallas' $1.2 billion home during training camp, McCarthy took himself back in time. โI've had the chance to do the walk down memory lane,โ McCarthy said. The Falcons fell to Seattle 38-25 despite 450 yards passing from Matt Ryan. The Falcons didn't allow fans in their opener, same with the Rams at palatial SoFi Stadium.
McCarthy loses 1st game with Cowboys, but might have won QB
Mike McCarthy lost his debut as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in part because of a curious fourth-down decision that didnโt work. Now the Cowboys (0-1) will see whether a short-term loss can turn into a long-term gain, starting Sunday in their home opener against Atlanta (0-1). WHAT NEEDS HELPThe Cowboys played from behind almost all of the first half because they couldn't defend the screen pass. Vander Esch's injury raises serious questions for the linebackers when the secondary was already the weakest link on the team. The scoreboard didn't show it, but Dallas appears capable of having an offense as productive as last season's top-ranked unit.
McCarthyโs call on 4th down scrutinized in Cowboys' debut
INGLEWOOD, Calif. โ Mike McCarthyโs first big decision in his debut as Dallas Cowboys coach is going to be second guessed for awhile. โI think it was a good play call. โWe ended up coming up short, and thatโs just one of those plays in the game where youโve got to convert. That cost us the game.โLamb finished with five receptions for 59 yards in his NFL debut. Dallas' defense allowed 422 yards, but linebacker Aldon Smith got a sack in his first game since November 2015.
Rams open SoFi Stadium in style with 20-17 win over Cowboys
Dak Prescott passed for 266 yards and a touchdown, but Dallas managed three points on its six drives in the second half. The opening of Rams owner Stan Kroenke's $5 billion stadium project was a historic night for the Los Angeles area, albeit one that should have been much more festive. Elliott tied it early in the second quarter with a 19-yard TD catch during which he ran through most of the Los Angeles defense. Van Jefferson's first career reception was a beautiful 31-yard grab in the second quarter, but it was the promising Rams rookie's only reception. Right tackle Cam Erving and tight end Blake Jarwin both didn't return from knee injuries in the second quarter.
Jones' Cowboys visit Kroenkeโs Rams to open SoFi Stadium
So it's only fitting that when Kroenke's Los Angeles Rams open their $5 billion West Coast NFL showpiece on Sunday night, their opponents will be Jones' Dallas Cowboys. โJerry has told us all about the stadium,โ Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. โI know heโs excited for the Rams organization and whatโs gone into this stadium. Itโs supposed to be an unbelievable venue.โMcCarthy's debut as the Cowboys' first new coach in a decade is the other milestone event at SoFi Stadium. They held two scrimmages at SoFi Stadium to familiarize their players with their new environs, but the awe still hasn't evaporated.