Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys know they’ve some issues to scrub up. Beginning a two-game highway swing to wrap up the common season with a victory is all that issues.
Prescott threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz and the Cowboys beat the banged-up and resting Tennessee Titans 27-13 on Thursday evening for his or her sixth win in seven video games.
The Cowboys (12-4) posted their first back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas gained the final of its 5 Tremendous Bowl titles. Followers had been chanting “Let’s go Cowboys!” all through the sport.
“This was a recreation we would have liked to get, and we received it completed,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy mentioned. “Whether or not we get any fashion factors (or not), that’s OK. We’re nonetheless at 12 wins.”
The Cowboys nonetheless want to complete the common season by winning at Washington with Philadelphia (13-2) shedding out for an opportunity at a second straight NFC East title. In any other case, they are going to be locked into the No. 5 seed within the NFC.
Ezekiel Elliott had a a 1-yard landing run, his ninth straight recreation with a dashing TD. That made him the fifth participant with such a streak since 2000, becoming a member of Shaun Alexander (2005), Priest Holmes (11 in 2002), Jonathan Taylor in 2021 and LaDainian Tomlinson (18 between 2004-05).
The Titans (7-9) misplaced their sixth straight hours after putting quarterback Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve, ending his season except they attain the AFC championship. They’ve 22 gamers on injured reserve and lead the NFL utilizing at the least 83 completely different gamers.
This recreation was meaningless for Tennessee within the standings, with subsequent week’s regular-season finale at Jacksonville deciding the AFC South title. So the Titans scratched seven starters, not counting two others placed on IR with Tannehill. These watching included Derrick Henry, the NFL’s second-leading rusher.
“I’m certain that everyone anticipated us to only lay down,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel mentioned. “I do know that we didn’t try this.”
The Titans gave Joshua Dobbs, signed Dec. 21 off Detroit’s follow squad, his first NFL begin as an alternative of rookie Malik Willis, their third-round choose in April. The previous University of Tennessee star performed his final school recreation on this area, a 2016 Music Metropolis Bowl win over Nebraska for a really lengthy wait between begins.
“Oh man, it was a very long time, that’s for certain,” Dobbs mentioned. “It undoubtedly was a very long time. A whole lot of figuring out and also you’re like, ‘Dang, I don’t even know.’”
Dobbs had extra yards passing by halftime than Willis managed in any of his first three begins. Dobbs completed with 232 yards and the primary TD move of his profession, a 7-yarder to Robert Woods, that pulled the Titans inside 17-13 late within the third.
The Cowboys scored the ultimate 10 factors. Prescott capped a 75-yard drive along with his second TD move to Schultz for a 24-13 lead early within the fourth. Brett Maher added his second area aim for the ultimate margin.
Dallas led solely 10-6 at halftime thanks to a few turnovers, together with two interceptions off Prescott by two-time All-Professional security Kevin Byard that arrange area targets by Randy Bullock. That gave Prescott a career-high 14 picks, tying him with now-benched Raiders quarterback Derek Carr for many within the NFL.
That’s regardless of Prescott lacking 5 video games with a damaged thumb. The Dallas quarterback has been picked off in six consecutive video games for the primary time in his profession.
“Whether or not it’s off your man’s arms or whether or not I throw it behind the receiver and the cornerback makes the play, they’re all irritating and one way or the other or one other they’ve received to cease,” Prescott mentioned.
Prescott took benefit of the ailing Titans protection, discovering CeeDee Lamb for 11 catches for 100 yards. Lamb additionally grew to become solely the third Cowboys participant with 100 catches in a season, becoming a member of Michael Irvin (111 in 1995) and Jason Witten (110 in 2012).
When undrafted rookie cornerback Tre Avery was flagged for grabbing Michael Gallup on third-and-19, Prescott threw a 6-yard TD move to Schultz on the following play halfway by way of the third for a 17-6 lead.
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