Dak Prescott Archives - IdealCapper

Cowboys’ Prescott signs $31M tag, still time for longer deal

Associated Press — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Dak Prescott plans to be at training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, if and when it starts, on the richest one-year contract in franchise history.

There is also still time to work out a long-term deal for the star quarterback.

Prescott signed his $31.4 million tender under the franchise tag Monday. That comes just over three weeks before the July 15 deadline to agree on a long-term deal.

By signing the offer under the franchise tag, Prescott is obligated to report for all team activities or risk being fined. He didn’t participate in the club’s virtual offseason program while unsigned.

Prescott played the final year of his rookie contract on just a $2 million salary. He was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the Cowboys to the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs and won his first postseason game two years later.

There has never been a question of whether Prescott is the franchise quarterback in Dallas. Owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly made that clear as the sides have spent more than a year trying to agree on a long-term contract.

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has the highest per-year average in Dallas history at $21 million. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a $105 million, five-year deal last year.

Prescott has started every game of his career after replacing the injured Tony Romo during the 2016 preseason. He led a franchise-record 11-game winning streak during the regular season before Dallas lost to Green Bay in the divisional round.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs in Prescott’s second year when fellow rookie sensation Ezekiel Elliott was suspended six games. With his running back in the fold for a full season in 2018, Prescott led Dallas to another NFC East title and a wild-card win over Seattle before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

The two-time Pro Bowler started his rookie season third on the depth chart after getting drafted in the fourth round out of Mississippi State. He moved up a spot when Kellen Moore was injured in training camp, and took over as the starter after Romo injured his back in a preseason game. Romo never got his job back.

Despite missing the playoffs again last season, Prescott had career bests with 4,902 yards passing and 30 touchdowns.

The Cowboys didn’t renew coach Jason Garrett’s contract after a season that fell far of expectations and hired Mike McCarthy. The former Green Bay coach won a Super Bowl with Aaron Rogers a decade ago.

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Broncos’ 42-17 crushing of Cowboys shows they’re back

Associated Press — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000

DENVER (AP) Where so many others saw a Super Bowl favorite in Dallas’ swaggering offense with its all-star linemen and pair of backfield superstars, Denver’s defense envisioned a chance to show everybody that the Broncos are back.

They did just that in a 42-17 crushing of the Cowboys .

They held Ezekiel Elliott to a career-worst 8 yards on nine carries – 43 yards fewer than his previous low – and forced Dak Prescott to throw a career-high 50 times while also putting a dozen hits on Dallas’ second-year QB, a beating that left Jerry Jones complimenting the Broncos (2-0) for being everything he thought his Cowboys (1-1) were.

It included Aqib Talib’s 103-yard interception return for a touchdown , an interception by Chris Harris Jr., two sacks plus five more QB hits by Von Miller, two TD catches by Emmanuel Sanders , 154 scrimmage yards and two TDs from C.J. Anderson and a career high-tying four touchdown throws by Trevor Siemian.

Elliott’s less-than-a-yard average was the exclamation point.

”He had nine carries for 8 yards? Wow. Damn, that’s crazy,” linebacker Brandon Marshall said. ”We are the best defense in the NFL. I don’t know how many times we have to say it. I saw the picks on the NFL Network, everyone picked the Cowboys. Everyone thinks Dak is this and Zeke is that. They are good players, don’t get me wrong.

”But I take it as the same thing as when we played in the Super Bowl” two years ago, added Marshall, whose block of Prescott guided Talib into the zone on his pick-6. ”Everyone picked the Panthers because of their offense. But neither team had ever faced a defense like this. There is no defense in the NFL like this.”

He has no argument from the Cowboys.

”I want to emphasize today, this is not what we’re about in my view,” Jones said. ”I feel strongly about that. On the other hand, this is what Denver is about.”

There are several other topics fans are buzzing about after Dallas lost its sixth straight to Denver and failed to become the first NFC team with 100 wins against the AFC:

VAUNTED VON: Miller ended his career-worst five-game sackless streak in a big way with a pair of sacks, five quarterback hits (not counting the two times he was flagged for jumping offside), two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.

”Sacks are good. You just can’t be worried about that type of stuff,” Miller said. ”You can’t really put all your focus on that. My focus has always been on being a dominant football player and being a dominant defensive player.”

FLAILING FOWLER: Bennie Fowler nearly had his third touchdown catch of the season but when he tumbled out of bounds just shy of the pylon he landed on his neck and head. Then, when he got up and tried to run back to the bench, he stumbled twice and couldn’t gain his bearings. He was diagnosed with a concussion and didn’t return.

GARETT BOLLES: The Broncos first-round draft pick will go for an MRI on Monday after X-rays were negative on his injured left leg. He walked out of the stadium on crutches and with his left foot in a boot.

Bolles was carted off midway through the third quarter when he got stepped on near the goal line toward the end of Denver’s 15-play, 75-yard drive that ate up more than seven minutes to start the second half. Veteran Allen Barbre finished up at left tackle for Denver.

”Hopefully it’s not too serious,” said guard Ron Leary, who returned to the lineup just six days after sustained a concussion in the Broncos’ opener.

SPECTACULAR SIEMIAN: In addition to throwing for six scores with two fluke interceptions (last week the ball ricocheted off a defender and this week his intended receiver tripped), Siemian has shown better mobility in his second year as a starter, running 11 times for 33 yards.

”I thought Trevor played excellent, once again. Very, very, very efficient with the football. He put us in good plays all night,” his coach Vance Joseph said. ”Again, outside of the one interception, which was more of a unit issue than a Trevor issue, he played well. If he plays that solid for us, we’ll be hard to beat down the stretch.”

GREASED LIGHTNING: The teams retreated to their locker rooms for 45 minutes when a lightning delay that lasted 62 minutes struck with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

”The first thing we did was turn the AC off. We wanted the guys to stay warm,” Joseph said. ”We turned the football games on. The guys relaxed and kind of hung out.”

Miller joked they ”turned on the music for a dance contest.”

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Rookies toss fun into Cowboys’ serious pursuit of Super Bowl

Associated Press — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

FRISCO, Texas (AP) Ezekiel Elliott pelted fellow rookie Dak Prescott with straw wrappers and a spitball , and the Dallas quarterback tried to get his teammate to move along with an offer of candy.

Not that Prescott is innocent in such exchanges when reporters surround the lockers of these road-trip roommates. He’s been known to toss candy at Elliott when the new star running back of the Cowboys is answering questions.

Sure, Elliott’s the one who jumped into a jumbo Salvation Army red kettle during a game, drawing a penalty. But Prescott isn’t afraid to have a little fun with these first-year sensations trying to lead a famed franchise to its first Super Bowl in 21 years.

They’re rubbing off on 14th-year tight end Jason Witten, too.

”Just energy,” said Prescott, whose playoff debut with the NFC-leading Cowboys (13-3) will be Jan. 15 at home. ”If he’s got it, I’m going to have it. If I’ve I got it, he’s going to pick it up from me. Kind of just giving each other energy, giving this team energy. And having fun, being able to separate fun and business.”

Elliott is clearly the ringleader, thus the kettle stunt and his voracious consumption of cereal in a team-produced video, an exaggeration of the ”feed me” gesture that Elliott flashes every time he gets a first down.

When Prescott scores a touchdown, he doesn’t do much beyond pointing skyward in honor of his late mother, who died of cancer when he was at Mississippi State. And when Elliott told his quarterback before the game against Tampa Bay that he was pondering the kettle jump, Prescott steered clear of giving him a yay or a nay.

Does Prescott have a class clown on his hands? He won’t go that far.

”He’s fun,” Prescott said. ”But when it’s time to lock in, get in that film room, get out on the field, he definitely does that better than anyone.”

Enter the serious-minded Witten, by far the leading voice in the locker room after Prescott’s record-setting season relegated Tony Romo, the 10-year starter and Witten’s best friend, to the backup role.

Not only did Witten easily accept the changing roles at quarterback, fans might just see him joining a pre-game dance with his young teammates. Ever so briefly.

”Just the way it’s gone and to be able to have this opportunity to impact young players in such a positive way and the way they’re playing is remarkable,” Witten said. ”It’s fun to watch and be a part of it.

”You understand that every moment is really precious in that how all-in you are to it. That’s something I’ve been thinking about and they have put a smile on my face and they energize you in a lot of ways.”

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan believes Prescott and Elliott would have the same rapport even if circumstances hadn’t thrust Prescott into a starring role alongside his running back, who carried the expectations of a No. 4 overall pick.

Prescott was a fourth-round choice expected to be the No. 3 quarterback all year. Only after injuries to backup Kellen Moore and Romo did the Cowboys consider starting him, and that was after he had shown some promise in the preseason.

”They’ve both got real unique, really great personalities,” Linehan said. ”I would think if they were teammates in college or just passing friends, they would be pretty good buddies I think. I feel that our whole rookie class has been good that way. I’ve noticed them doing a lot of things together. So that’s a good sign.”

Now they have their weekly interviews with reporters on the same day about a dozen lockers apart, one usually waiting for the other so all the cameras can get both.

”I think everyone on this team is loose,” said Elliott, the NFL rushing champion with 1,631 yards. ”We’re going to have fun. In a season that’s so long, it can get a little hectic. But just the fact that we can keep each other loose and have fun with what we’re doing just makes it better to go day by day.”

Success, of course, has to be a big part of the formula. Otherwise, who would notice? And it’s hard not to notice the first quarterback-running back tandem in NFL history with 20 touchdown passes (Prescott with 23) and 15 touchdowns rushing (Elliott’s 15).

That’s after they were the first rookie QB-RB combo to start the season opener for Dallas since Roger Staubach and Calvin Hill in 1969.

”I don’t really look at them as rookies anymore,” Witten said. ”The lights have been bright for quite some time for them and they just continue to answer the bell. They understand these are the bright lights and the thing I respect about them the most is they come to work.”

But they find time to play.

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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Can 2 rookies lead Dallas back to the top?

Associated Press — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Dak Prescott was quite the revelation and consolation for Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was outmaneuvered for first-rounder Paxton Lynch and third-rounder Connor Cook in the NFL draft last April.

Jones chose Prescott with the 135th pick of the fourth round, and Tony Romo’s training camp injury microwaved plans to ease the rookie from Mississippi State into the rotation.

Now Prescott is aiming to become the first starting QB to win a Super Bowl as a rookie , and he has the supporting cast to make it happen, including fellow rookie Zeke Elliott and perhaps the best offensive line in the league.

The rest of the NFC field features teams with experienced quarterbacks who could squelch those plans, however, including Matt Ryan of the high-flying Falcons , who also earned a first-round bye.

The showcase of wild-card weekend comes Sunday when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers host Eli Manning and the Giants. On Saturday, Matthew Stafford and the Lions visit Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.

The biggest strength and weakness of each of the six NFC playoff teams:

1. DALLAS (13-3), last Lombardi: Super Bowl 30, 27-17 over Pittsburgh on Jan. 28, 1996.

Hope: Prescott and Elliott keep rolling right along and don’t allow the pressure of the playoffs to get to them. Coach Jason Garrett used the season finale against Philadelphia to allow Romo to shake off the rust , just in case. While many playoff teams have QB issues, Dallas has depth at the position.

Nope: The rookies could run out of magic in the playoffs, especially if a defense short on headlining playmakers gives one of the NFC’s elite passers plenty of time to work over a secondary that hasn’t produced many interceptions over the last two seasons.

The Dope: ”We’re as healthy as we’ve been all year. We’ve got players we didn’t dream we would have when we started training camp. Let’s let it all empty the bucket in our three games. Whatever we can do, think of, let’s do it over those three games.” – Jones, seeking his fourth ring but first 21 years.

2. ATLANTA (11-5), no Lombardi Trophies: lost Super Bowl 33 to Denver 33-19 on Jan. 31, 1999.

Hope: Exceptionally deep and balanced offense. Ryan threw a team record 38 TD passes and to an NFL record 13 targets. Taylor Gabriel, Justin Hardy and Aldrick Robinson provide big-play potential behind top WRs Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. OC Kyle Shanahan is THE hot head-coaching candidate.

Nope: Despite a league-high 540 points, the defense isn’t all that. Even though youngsters Keanu Neal, Deion Jones and Vic Beasley have transformed Atlanta’s defense, the unit needs help. The Falcons allowed 19 fourth-quarter points in Sunday’s 38-32 win over New Orleans. How will it fair against Green Bay or Dallas?

The Dope: ”It’s obviously nice to be mentioned, for sure. That’s special. But at the end of the day, we’ve got bigger things in front of us.” – Ryan on MVP chatter.

3. SEATTLE (10-5-1), last Lombardi: Super Bowl 48, 43-8 over Denver, Feb. 2, 2014.

Hope: The Seahawks are an experienced team that has won at least one playoff game in each of the last seasons. Wilson remains an uncanny playmaker who can make something out of nothing and Seattle’s defense still elite. The Seahawks’ signature win in New England in November shows they can win anytime, anywhere.

Nope: Seattle enters the playoffs on a whimper . The run game has been AWOL for almost a month and the defense hasn’t been the same since star safety Earl Thomas broke his left leg in December. The loss of Tyler Lockett also eliminated one of Seattle’s key playmakers on offense and special teams.

The Dope: ”Everything that’s already happened doesn’t matter at all. Everyone wants to project how it’s going to go based on the finish. You can’t tell. It’s how you deal with it, how you go about your business, and then when it comes to game time, how you execute, then how you handle the wins.” coach Pete Carroll.

4. GREEN BAY (10-6), last Lombardi: Super Bowl 45, 31-25 over Pittsburgh, Feb. 6, 2011.

Hope: Rodgers is on a roll. And when he gets going, the Packers look unstoppable, capable of building big leads and coming back from any deficit. After a 1-2 start in 2014, Rodgers famously admonished fans to R-E-L-A-X. This time, after a 4-6 start, he came up with “run the table” that led to another NFC North title.

Nope: The defense is depleted at cornerback. The offense has been on a remarkable run of mistake-free football during its winning streak, but doesn’t have a real running threat. The Packers could be hard-pressed to keep up in high-scoring games like they were during a midseason four-game skid.

The Dope: ”We dug ourselves a hole at 4-6. We’re out of it now. And now the real challenge is starting. It’s playoff football and it’s a one-game season.” – coach Mike McCarthy.

5. NEW YORK GIANTS (11-5), last Lombardi: Super Bowl 46, 21-17 over New England, Feb. 5, 2012.

Hope: The Giants allowed an NFC-low 17.75 points a game , second in the league to the Patriots (14.06). Steve Spagnuolo’s unit has allowed 10 points or fewer in three of the last four games. Over the final 11 games opponents averaged just 16 points.

Nope: The Giants need that stingy defense because of their ineffective offense. They’re ranked 25th in the league. Only the Texans (29th) are ranked lower among playoff teams. New York didn’t score 30 points in any game during the season and hasn’t even reached 20 points since Nov. 27 against the hapless Browns.

The Dope: ”Are the guys going to be prepared, are the guys going to be ready, are the guys going to be ready for the speed? There’s no question in my mind about it.” – Linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who has won Super Bowls with the Saints and Patriots.

6. DETROIT (9-7), No Super Bowl appearances.

Hope: Stafford is clutch in crunch time . The No. 1 overall pick from the 2009 draft is the first QB to lead eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime since the 1970 merger. However, he did struggle with a finger injury down the stretch.

Nope: Like many teams in this age of spread offenses in college failing to produce NFL-ready linemen, the Lions have O-line woes and a banged-up backfield. They rank 30th in the league in the rushing. Stafford’s been sacked an NFL-most 37 times and Zach Zenner is their top RB with Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah hurt.

The Dope: ”If you’re in, you’ve got a chance. Obviously we’ll have a chance to get better, the things we need to still work on we can improve upon.” – coach Jim Caldwell.

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AP Sports Writers Schuyler Dixon, Charles Odum, Tim Booth, Genaro Armas, Tom Canavan and Larry Lage contributed.

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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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Rookie Report: Dallas’ Elliott, Prescott command headlines

Associated Press — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian says a draft class can’t be fully measured until after their fourth season. As this year’s rookies prepare to hit the home stretch of their first regular season, one early assessment is crystal clear: Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have been something special.

While Los Angeles’ Jared Goff and Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz went 1-2 last April and have had their share of struggles as starters, it has been Dallas’ dynamic duo that has dominated the headlines.

Besides leading the Cowboys to an 11-1 record and a playoff berth, Elliott and Prescott could achieve something very rare: teammates finishing in the top two in Offensive Rookie of the Year balloting.

THE BIG D DUO

Elliott, who leads the league with 1,285 rushing yards and is second with 12 rushing TDs, is a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But Polian thinks Elliott should be in line for another honor.

”If I had a vote he would get it for MVP,” said Polian, an ESPN and Sirius NFL Radio analyst who built Buffalo and Indianapolis into Super Bowl contenders. ”He is an incredible talent. He makes a difference on every level.”

Elliott, the fourth overall pick, set a league rookie record with four straight games of 130-plus yards, and has 20 or more carries in all but two games.

Prescott, who has 2,974 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes, has been on quite a roll the past five games with 10 TDs, no interceptions and a 123.2 passer rating. Whether the fourth-round pick can become the first rookie quarterback to start a Super Bowl remains an intriguing question.

”Dak is doing well. He is getting looks that he normally wouldn’t see because the defense is concerned with trying to stop Zeke on so many levels. It helps set everything up,” Polian said.

WENTZ AND GOFF

Even though Goff has yet to win and Wentz is struggling after a great opening stretch, Polian has liked the development of both quarterbacks and thinks they continue to be on schedule.

Goff, who got his first start in Week 11, has four touchdowns and three interceptions. His biggest highlight so far: three first-half TD passes in his first road start Week 12 against New Orleans.

Wentz is the second quarterback since the merger to start the season 3-0. He didn’t throw an interception in his first 134 attempts, but has 11 in 318 attempts since.

HILL MAKING LATE RUN

Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill is someone to keep an eye on as he makes a late bid for top offensive rookie honors. The wide receiver, a fifth-round pick, is the first player in the Super Bowl era to have receiving, rushing, kick and punt return touchdowns.

In a Week 12 overtime win at Denver, he became the first rookie since Gale Sayers in 1965 to score with a run, catch and return.

The dynamic speedster has five touchdowns over his past three games, including two in Thursday night’s win over Oakland as the Chiefs took the lead in the AFC West. He said after the game, ”I guess it’s falling into place. Dante Hall told me to dream big and that is what I started to do.”

For what Hill has accomplished on the field – he has nine touchdowns this season – some have not forgotten he is less than two years removed from pleading guilty to a domestic violence charge while at Oklahoma State. The NFL took plenty of criticism over having Hill as part of the header on its Twitter account two weeks ago.

BEST TURNAROUND FROM DRAFT DAY

Laremy Tunsil made news for all the wrong reasons on draft day. There was the video posted on his Twitter account that showed him wearing a gas mask and smoking something from a bong, plummeting his status.

But the offensive lineman has played well for the Dolphins, allowing only half a sack in 10 starts.

Tunsil has started at both left guard and left tackle, becoming the first rookie in team history to start at least one game at both guard and tackle.

”I told him with great power comes great responsibility. He’s starting to learn that and did a good job fighting through his injury,” left tackle Brandon Albert said. ”It’s something he’s learning. That shows what he has in him.”

OTHER LINEMEN MAKING IMPACT

Tennessee right tackle Jake Conklin has allowed only half a sack, but his true strength is run blocking. The Titans are third in the league in rushing and DeMarco Murray is second to Elliott.

”With how coach (Mike) Mularkey and (general manager) Jon Robinson talked about what they wanted to create here, it’s panning out with what I was hoping to see,” Conklin said. ”With a run team and pound people and create that M.O. where we’re going to be physical throughout the whole game. I’ve really liked what I’ve been able to be a part of.”

Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley, the first lineman taken at sixth overall, has started eight games at left tackle after missing four early in the season due to a foot injury. Detroit’s Taylor Decker has also started every game at left tackle, while third-round pick Graham Glasgow has become the starting left guard.

DEFENSE STILL A RACE

Despite missing the first five games due to a holdout and then injury, San Diego defensive lineman Joey Bosa has 5 1-2 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits in eight games. But Bosa had a stretch of only half a sack in four games.

Atlanta safety Keanu Neal, a first-round pick, leads rookies in tackles (79) despite missing the first two games due to injury. Neal also has four forced fumbles and two tackles for loss.

Chicago linebacker Leonard Floyd, who went ninth overall, leads rookies with seven sacks, also has returned a fumble for a touchdown and managed a safety last week against San Francisco.

FOUR OTHER ROOKIE STANDOUTS

Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans: The former Ohio State standout and first-round pick leads rookie receivers in receptions (69), yards (831) and touchdowns (seven). He’s having the best rookie season of any Saints WR since Marques Colston in 2006.

Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago: The fifth-round pick has been overshadowed by Elliott, but he is 117 yards away from 1,000 and is only the third Chicago rookie to have five 100-yard games.

Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs: The second-round pick has developed into an effective pass rusher; Pro Football Focus has him with 31 pressures. He would be getting more attention for defensive honors if he had more than two sacks.

Deion Jones, LB, Falcons: The second-round pick is second on the team in tackles with 74 and has quickly become one of the leaders of the defense with signal-calling responsibilities.

UNDRAFTED GEMS

Robert Kelley, RB, Washington: Kelley has started the past five games and is third among rookies in rushing yards (524).

Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DB, Cleveland: He is the only rookie this season with a sack and interception. He also has two picks, including a pick-6 in his debut Week 3 at Miami.

DISAPPOINTING STARTS

Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Arizona: Two weeks ago, coach Bruce Arians called out Nkemdiche for lack of work ethic and immaturity. It is the second straight year the Cardinals have gotten minimal production from their first-round pick (D.J. Humphries).

Laquon Treadwell, WR, Minnesota: The first-round pick has only one reception for 15 yards and has been inactive for three games.

Roberto Aguayo, K, Tampa Bay: The second-round pick is 15 of 22 on field goals, the worst percentage of any kicker in the league this season.

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AP Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker and Sport Writer Steven Wine contributed.

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Follow Joe Reedy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/joereedy

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Prescott strong arm even running as Cowboys win 10th in row

Associated Press — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Dak Prescott showed off his strong arm even when effectively using his feet in yet another victory.

While the rookie’s season-low passing total of 195 yards was less than half of what Washington’s Kirk Cousins had on Thanksgiving Day, the Dallas rookie used a stiff-arm to get extra yards on one play and later tied the single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a 31-26 victory.

”You see him run by a secondary player and then when he puts that stiff arm on there, you quit worrying about him a little bit,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said about his young quarterback running the ball.

The NFL-leading Cowboys (10-1), with their rookie combo of Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, stretched their team-record winning streak to 10 games. They have their 10th win by Thanksgiving for only the second time since 1995 – the last of their five Super Bowl championship seasons.

Prescott’s stiff-arm on Washington safety Donte Whitner for extra yards on an 18-yard run immediately before he threw a touchdown late in the first half.

”Guys are tired, guys are beat us. But that’s no excuse,” Whitner said. ”We didn’t make enough plays.”

The Redskins (6-4-1) were within 17-12 after Cousins threw a 5-yard TD pass to Jordan Reed on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Elliott started the ensuing drive with a 21-yard run.

Prescott completed all three passes on that drive, including a short throw to Elliott for a 19-yard gain before rolling to his right and sneaking into the front corner of the end zone. The 6-yard score was Prescott’s fifth rushing TD and matched Don Meredith’s total in 1966.

”I just let the game come to me. I never go into a game thinking I have to rush for so many yards or have so many carries,” said Prescott, who had eight carries for 39 yards. ”They were matching some routes and doing a good job of that. But they didn’t have anyone to contain me or assigned to me. I was just using my feet.”

After Washington scored again, Prescott scrambled for 7 yards to converted third-and-7 – and Dallas got an extra 15 yards when Whitner was penalized for unnecessary roughness after his hit on the sliding quarterback. Prescott then almost took off running again before he saw Dez Bryant in 1-on-1 coverage and delivered a strike for a 26-yard gain to the 1.

”Over and over again at critical times, he came up with big plays,” coach Jason Garrett said. ”He made a lot of plays with his feet out in space. He made plays with his arm. … He handled different situations really, really well.”

Here are a few things learned after the latest Redskins-Cowboys holiday matchup:

NO LOVE LOST

After professing their respect for each other before first their first meeting in Week 2, Bryant and high-priced Washington CB Josh Norman were facemask-to-facemask after Round 2. ”Tell Washington to get their money back,” Bryant yelled at reporters on his way into the locker room. During the game, Bryant was most upset when Norman grabbed his leg after a tackle on a catch in the second half. They had to be separated after the game .

SOME NUMBERS

While Cousins threw for 449 yards and three touchdowns, all of the scores coming in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys are the only NFL team this season that still hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher. … Dallas was held to 353 total yards, ending their streak of eight consecutive 400-yard games. That matches the NFL record with the 2007 New England Patriots and 2013 Denver Broncos.

TOUGH REED

When Redskins TE Jordan Reed fell hard on his shoulder in the first half, it wasn’t clear if he would return. ”I was a little surprised,” Cousins said. ”He can’t watch, he wants to play.” Reed finished with 10 catches, including seven for two TDs in the fourth quarter.

TONY’S THANKSGIVING

Tony Romo hasn’t played a regular-season game for the Cowboys since their Thanksgiving Day game last season, when he broke his collarbone for the second time in a matter of months. He has now been active as Prescott’s backup the past two games after a back injury in the preseason.

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No. 13 LSU pleased by pass rush, prepares for No. 18 Auburn

Associated Press — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 23:15:24 +0000

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) LSU’s hard-charging pass rushers are eager to see what they can do against a first-year starting quarterback.

If the 13th-ranked Tigers’ performance against Mississippi State star Dak Prescott last weekend is any indication, Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson could see his composure tested substantially more than it was in a pair close victories over Louisville and Jacksonville State.

”We were pretty happy with the pass rush,” said junior LSU defensive lineman Lewis Neal, who in his first career start recorded one of LSU’s three sacks of Prescott on Saturday night. ”But we missed a lot of sacks. We could have had seven or eight. There were more opportunities for us. We’ll come out ten times better in the second game.”

While Prescott ultimately amassed 335 yards passing in Mississippi State’s 21-19 loss to LSU, he needed 52 attempts to reach that figure in a performance that relatively one-dimensional for the usually dynamic quarterback.

Prescott, who was limited to nine yards on seven running plays, struggled to move the offense with anything other than short passes.

His performance this season stood in sharp contrast to the tear he was on in Tiger Stadium a year ago, when the Bulldogs beat LSU 34-29. In that game, Prescott touched the ball 46 times and gained 373 yards – 268 passing and 105 rushing. This time, Prescott had 16 more touches (62) and 57 fewer yards (316).

LSU head coach Les Miles was quick to boast that his new defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, held Prescott to a career-low rushing total.

”He completed some passes, but our guys in the secondary kept everybody in front of them,” Miles said.

Prescott had virtually no time to look deep down field. He had just one completion of more than 20 yards, which was a good sign for the Tigers’ defensive front four.

A year ago, Tigers defensive linemen had 10 sacks and 20 quarterback-hurries in 13 games. In addition to their three sacks last Saturday along, they were credited with hurrying Prescott into incompletions six times.

Freshman defensive end Arden Key and sophomore defensive tackle Davon Godchaux each joined Neal in recording a sack apiece. Neal and Key both were credited with two quarterback-hurries. End Tashawn Bower and tackle Christian LaCouture each recorded one quarterback-hurry.

The expectations for the LSU defensive line have been elevated since the hiring of new assistant coach Ed Orgeron, whose reputation was built on his ability to develop college defensive linemen. One game into his time at LSU, the Tigers pass rush is on track to get better results.

”Coach `O’ gives us more freedom,” said Bower, who also made his first career start last Saturday. ”During the week, we have a real good tempo. He is a great teacher. He teaches (each player) differently because he knows people learn differently.”

Key used his speed to sack Prescott from behind on just the second play of his college career.

”Arden is my little brother,” Neal said. ”I just love the way he plays. He listens all the time to what everybody says. Arden will continue to make the big play.”

Now comes LSU’s first home game against Auburn, which whipped LSU 41-7 last season with then-quarterback Nick Marshall passing for more than 200 yards and running for more than 100 yards.

Johnson is more of a pocket passer, and has struggled in his first two games with five interceptions.

”Coach `O’ expects us to get a pass rush all the time,” said LaCouture, the most experienced of LSU’s defensive linemen. ”We may not get there every time, but we must rattle the quarterback. We have to close the pocket and make the quarterback uncomfortable.”

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No. 1 Mississippi State knock off Kentucky

Tony Palazzo — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 04:07:32 +0000

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mississippi State’s recent slugfests with Kentucky have taught the Bulldogs that there’s no such thing as a safe lead against the Wildcats.

And thanks to timely touchdowns by Dak Prescott, Josh Robinson and Christian Holmes, the nation’s top-ranked team built a cushion culminating in another hard-earned victory over the Wildcats.

Prescott accounted for three touchdowns, Robinson rushed for two TDs and No. 1 Mississippi State (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) held on to beat Kentucky 45-31 on Saturday.

“I am very happy with the way our guys played today in a tough environment against Kentucky, which is a very good football team that gave us everything out there,” Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said after a win that wasn’t truly decided until Holmes’ 61-yard kickoff return for the clinching touchdown with 2:22 remaining.

“My first intent was to block, but I saw he didn’t kick it far enough,” Holmes said. “So instead of blocking, I just received the ball and took off. I couldn’t let the kicker catch me.”

Holmes’ score on the short kick was the exclamation point in a wild game that stubborn Kentucky (5-3, 2-3) tied early and got within a touchdown another four times — the last coming on Patrick Towles’ 4-yard TD run nine seconds earlier that made it 38-31.

Credit Heisman Trophy hopeful Prescott and Robinson, who answered with TDs on three occasions. Prescott ran for TDs of 2 and 11 yards and hit Brandon Hill for an 8-yard TD.

Prescott, considered to be a Heisman Trophy hopeful, had a walking boot on his left foot after the game, which he said was precautionary. Asked if he tweaked an ankle or foot, he said, “I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out.”

Robinson’s 73-yard touchdown run early in the fourth for a 38-24 lead proved critical when Towles scored later in the quarter. His 12-yard TD run capped Mississippi State’s 82-yard opening drive and set the stage for him to finish with 198 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Prescott chipped in 216 yards passing and 88 yards rushing on 18 carries. But he had to work to complete 18 of 33 passes as Kentucky sacked him three times and intercepted him once.

Robinson proved to be a beneficial option.

“It helps the offense so much,” Prescott said of his teammate. “It helps out the run game with myself and the passing game. They have to respect Josh on the run because I can potentially run as well.”

Mississippi State outgained Kentucky 542-504 and needed every yard.

Those big contributions helped Bulldogs win their 10th straight game dating back to last season. They also earned their sixth straight win over the Wildcats in tying the series at 21 wins each.

But typical of a competitive series where four of the past six games have been decided by a touchdown or less, Mississippi State couldn’t exhale until the final gun.

That’s because Kentucky used big plays to stay close as Towles hit Demarco Robinson for a game-tying 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter and Javess Blue for a 58-yard TD late in the third. Towles’ 48-yard run in that quarter set up his 10-yard run that brought the Wildcats within 24-17.

Towles finished with 390 yards on 24-of-43 passing and led Kentucky with 76 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Following the lead set early and often by Prescott, Towles and the Wildcats made the big plays they lacked in last week’s 41-3 throttling at LSU. And it kept them within reach of Mississippi State.

“I’m not sure the country knew that we could play with anybody in the country, but we fought like I knew we would,” Towles said of facing the Bulldogs. “We just didn’t make enough plays.”

Taking over after Kentucky punted on the opening drive, Prescott completed his first five passes for 56 yards to lead Mississippi State into Kentucky territory. But Prescott’s biggest play was recovering his own fumble at the Wildcats 13 after a 3-yard gain, extending the drive and setting up Josh Robinson’s walk-in touchdown on the next play.

Kentucky responded quickly with Towles’ TD pass to Demarco Robinson that got the homecoming crowd of 64,791 back in the game. If going up to snag the high pass wasn’t impressive enough, Robinson managed to keep his feet inbounds as he came down while shaking off the defender.

Mississippi State scored 10 straight points, converting Braylon Heard’s fumble into Evan Sobiesk’s 26-yard field goal and while Prescott added a 2-yard TD run. Prescott capped the Bulldogs’ opening drive of the second half with a bullish 11-yard TD run for a 24-10 lead that still wasn’t safe.

But it was one of several moments in which the Bulldogs managed to create distance.

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