Patriots hold Cowboys’ No. 1 offense without TD in 13-9 win

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Few teams have had success scoring touchdowns against the Patriots this season.

Add the NFL’s top-ranked offense to that list.

The Patriots held the Cowboys without a TD for the first time this season, Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass and New England beat Dallas 13-9 on Sunday.

It was New England’s 18th straight regular-season victory at home. The Patriots (10-1) have won 10 games in 17 consecutive seasons dating back to 2003 and surpassed the San Francisco 49ers (16 seasons from 1983-98) for the most consecutive years with at least 10 wins.

Dallas (6-5) had a chance to take the lead late. But facing fourth-and-11 on its own 25 with 1:50 left, Dak Prescott’s 20-yard completion to Amari Cooper was nullified after an official review.

The Patriots, who struggled offensively in their win over Philadelphia last week, played without two key receivers after Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett were ruled out with injuries. Brady made the most of what he had, tossing a first-quarter touchdown pass to rookie N’Keal Harry and completing a 32-yard pass to rookie Jakobi Meyers.

Brady finished 17 of 37 for 190 yards. Julian Edelman caught eight passes for 93 yards. Sony Michel rushed 20 times for 85 yards.

Brady has been critical of the offense’s output in recent weeks. Coming away with wins is enough for him right now.


“I think every team develops at different times,” Brady said. “I think we take the challenges as they come and try to do the best we can. … I’m happy we came away with more points than them.”

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the wet and windy conditions on the field, which included temperatures that dipped into the 30s, played a factor.

“Obviously no excuses. But the weather had an impact on both offenses,” he said. “A lot of balls on the ground, a lot of balls going off receivers’ hands. I thought our guys handled it better and better as the game went on.”


But not well enough.

Dallas struggled to move the ball for most of the game. Ezekiel Elliott rushed 21 times or 86 yards, but the Cowboys were just 2 of 13 on third down.

Prescott finished 19 of 33 for 212 yards and an interception. Cooper was held without a catch for the first time as a member of the Cowboys.

Dallas entered the game averaging 444.6 yards per game on offense and had the league’s best passing attack, averaging 312.7 yards.

But the Cowboys looked pedestrian for most of the first half opposite New England’s top-ranked defense, which came in allowing just 152.6 passing yards.

The Patriots focused on taking away two of Prescott’s favorite targets in Cooper and tight end Jason Witten. Prescott threw in their direction just twice in the opening half, while mostly checking down to short passes.

Elliott helped the Cowboys keep the ball moving, but his long gains were limited as New England stacked the box on first and second down.

“It was frustrating,” Elliott said. “Just gotta find a way to score.”

Dallas finally found some traction trailing 13-6 in the fourth quarter when Prescott connected with Randall Cobb for a 59-yard gain to get the Cowboys to the New England 25.

The drive stalled on the Patriots 11 and the Cowboys settled for a 29-yard field goal by Brett Maher.


New England got help from a special teams play to set up Harry’s TD.

Matt Slater blocked Chris Jones’ punt on the Dallas 30, and Nate Ebner recovered on the 12. Two plays later, Brady hit Harry in the front of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown — the first of Harry’s NFL career.

“I’m definitely not satisfied yet,” Harry said. “Anybody who knows me knows I’m about to turn it up a notch. To set the bar higher. I’m ready to get back to work.”

Prescott was intercepted by Stephon Gilmore on Dallas’ ensuring drive. The Patriots took over on the Dallas 29, but quickly went three-and-out. They settled for a 44-yard field goal by Nick Folk that made it 10-0.

RECORD WATCH

Harry became the 75th player to catch a touchdown pass from Brady, extending an NFL record. Vinny Testaverde was second, with 70 different TD targets.

A first-round draft choice from Arizona State, Harry made his debut last week after spending time on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

It was the 15th touchdown pass of the season for Brady. That’s a record for a player after his 42nd birthday.

JONES VENTS

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was frustrated the team didn’t perform better on a day it had a chance to gain some distance in the NFC East.


“Make no mistake: This was a bigger game for us than it is for the Patriots,” he told reporters in a lengthy session in an equipment closet off the visitors’ locker room. “We had a chance to establish something. I’m just frustrated. I thought we could put together a better effort.”

Jones said he got what he expected out of the defense and seemed willing to give the offense a bit of a pass because of the foul weather. But the special teams came under scrutiny for allowing a blocked punt, missing a field goal and blowing 20 yards of field position with a penalty on another punt.

“Special teams is 100 percent coaching,” he said.

INJURIES

Dallas: S Jeff Heath was checked out on the sideline after delivering a hit on Meyers in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Host the Bills on Thanksgiving.

Patriots: Visit the Texans next Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Cowboys Run over Eagles, Take 1st in Nfc East with 37-10 Win

Ezekiel Elliott powered into the Philadelphia secondary and simply ran over safety Malcolm Jenkins.

The apparent 14-yard touchdown run by the star Dallas running back was overturned on review because his knee was down at the 1 but the message had been sent early in a game with the division lead on the line.

The Cowboys (4-3) are back in control of the NFC East after ending a three-game losing streak that clouded the high expectations for the defending division champions following a 3-0 start.

Elliott got his touchdown the play after overpowering Jenkins on his way to 111 yards, Dak Prescott threw an easy scoring pass on a great fake to his backfield mate before a late TD run and the Cowboys rolled to a 37-10 victory over the Eagles on Sunday night.

“That’s how I play every week,” Elliott said.
“I like to think of the defense as a shield.
In the first quarter, you hit them a couple of times, you dent the shield a little bit.
You keep on hitting it.”

Prescott’s 8-yard scoring run for the final points broke Roger Staubach’s club record of 20 rushing TDs by a quarterback and sent the Cowboys into their open week feeling good after a week of talk that coach Jason Garrett’s job might be on the line.

Next time out, they’ll be going for a season sweep of the New York Giants and possibly a firmer hold on first in the NFC East.

“No doubt in my mind about how we were going to come out and perform tonight,” Prescott said.
“We didn’t panic.
We didn’t have to say everything hit the fan, let’s start over.
We doubled down on who we are and just got better.”

Carson Wentz threw an interception and had two of Philadelphia’s three lost fumbles.
The Eagles (3-4) dropped their second straight game after a two-game winning streak that looked like it might get their season going.

“A little embarrassed,” Wentz said.
“We didn’t show up.”

Brett Maher finished the highest-scoring half against Doug Pederson since he became coach of the Eagles in 2016, kicking a 63-yarder on the final play before halftime for a 27-7 lead.

Maher is the first kicker in NFL history with three field goals of at least 60 yards and all three have been at least 62.
He kicked a 62-yarder last week against the New York Jets.
Maher’s other from 62 was against the Eagles last season, his first in the league.

Pederson had to clarify during the week that he wasn’t guaranteeing a win after saying on his radio show that his team would go down to Dallas, win the game and fly home in the first place.

And the coach tried to reverse Philadelphia’s trend of slow starts by taking the ball after winning the coin flip, just the second time in 33 winning flips that Pederson hasn’t deferred in order to start the second half on offense.

It backfired when the Eagles fumbled on their first two possessions, leading to a pair of touchdowns after the Cowboys got the ball on the opponent’s side of the 50 for the first two times this season.

Before that, Dallas was the only team in the NFL that hadn’t started a drive on the favorable side of midfield.

“I feel like he got a statement today, and so we’re going to let him go sleep on it,” said defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, whose sack of Wentz created the second turnover.

Dallas Goedert fumbled on a hit from Jaylon Smith at the end of an 8-yard catch on the opening possession, and Maliek Collins recovered at the Philadelphia 45.
Five plays later, receiver Tavon Austin took an option pitch 20 yards for the score.

After Wentz fumbled on the sack by Lawrence, and Antwaun Woods recovered, Elliott ran over Jenkins on the next play, then scored from the 1 after this initial TD was overturned.

“It starts with me,” Pederson said.
“This is one of those games that I take personal from that standpoint.
I’ve got to get that fixed.”

The Cowboys answered the only touchdown from Eagles Wentz’s 28-yard pass to Goedert when Prescott faked a handoff to Elliott from the 1 and threw to a wide-open Blake Jarwin in the end zone for a 21-7 lead.

Prescott was 21 of 27 for 239 yards with a touchdown and an interception and had another 30 yards rushing.
Amari Cooper caught five passes for 106 yards after missing most of a loss to the previously winless Jets with a thigh injury.

Wentz was 16 of 26 for 191 yards and the Cowboys held the Eagles to 283 yards after letting second-year Jets quarterback Sam Darnold have one of his best games as a pro last week.

GROUND CONTROL

Dallas finished with 189 yards rushing, 116 more than the average that the league’s No. 2 run defense was allowing.

Elliott, the last back to get 100 yards against the Eagles, did it again on 22 carries.
The two-time NFL rushing champion is averaging 115 yards in five games against his division rival.
It was his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

NFL INJURIES

Dallas linebacker Leighton Vander Esch didn’t return after injuring his neck in the first half.
He walked off the field after staying down for a few minutes.
Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn had a sack in the first half before leaving with a rib injury.


UP NEXT

Eagles: At Buffalo next Sunday.

Cowboys: At the Giants on Monday, Nov. 4.

source: usa.inquirer.net

Dak Prescott Turns Down Contract Offer After Losing to the 49’s

Dak Prescott refused contract after the Dallas Cowboys set off to a bad start in a brief cameo in the exhibition opener. San Francisco’s rookie receivers took over after that to lead the 49ers to the victory.

Prescott completed all four of his pass attempts, caught one and led Dallas to a field goal on his only drive before the 49ers rallied behind two touchdown catches from Jalen Hurd to beat the Cowboys 17-9 on Saturday night.

“It was a good first drive,” Prescott said. “We came out pretty clean, in and out of the huddle. We set the tempo we wanted to. Obviously, we wanted to get in the end zone.”

The drive stalled when his third-down pass in the red zone was batted at the line by Sheldon Day right back to Prescott, who lost a yard on the play, setting up Brett Maher’s first of three field goals.

“I just wanted to show I could catch too,” Prescott said. “At that point, I figured it was time to get down.”

Dallas didn’t have its entire first-team offense on the field as star running back Ezekiel Elliott remains a holdout in search of a new contract. Rookie Tony Pollard got the nod and ran four times for 16 yards on his only drive.

“He looks confident out there,” owner Jerry Jones said. “We’ve seen him do it. We know he’s capable if he really needs to, to carry the whole load.”

The Cowboys also played most of their starters on defense for the first two drives, while the Niners kept about 30 players out either with injuries or out of caution. Only a handful of projected starters played for San Francisco, with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo waiting until next week to make his return from knee surgery.

Despite that approach, San Francisco had three players go down with injuries in the first quarter with swing tackle Shon Coleman (right ankle), running back Raheem Mostert (concussion) and defensive tackle D.J. Jones (knee) all getting hurt.

Nick Mullens got the starting nod at quarterback and threw for 105 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the first half in his attempt to win the backup job. C.J. Beathard threw for 141 yards, one TD and one interception in the second half before leaving with what appeared to be an injured hand.

Hurd, a third-round pick, caught the two TD passes, bowling over a defender on the first and leaping over one on the second. He finished with three catches for 31 yards.

“I can do different things,” Hurd said. “We’ll just see what they do with me. I’m just trying to seize the opportunity to make a play.”

Second-round receiver Deebo Samuel had two catches for 61 yards, one runs for 14 yards and also drew a 25-yard pass interference call.

TARGETING

Niners safety Adrian Colbert was ejected in the third quarter for an illegal hit on defenseless receiver Cedrick Wilson. This is the first season that replay officials in New York can eject players for illegal hits. The 49ers were penalized 18 times for 216 yards for the game.

COMEBACK KID

The game had special meaning for Dallas four-time Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick, who missed all last season battling a nerve disorder. He played the opening drive in his return.

“It was a good feeling to be out there, playing with the guys and being a part of the game,” he said. “I am trying to treat everything just like a normal preseason and a normal training camp.”

JUST FOR KICKS

Maher, who missed six field goals from inside 50 yards last season for Dallas, got plenty of chances in this game as he tries to show the consistency Dallas wants from that position.

He made kicks from 25, 40 and 31 yards in the first half, while also missing another field goal wide right from 35 yards.

INJURIES

The bad news on injuries for the 49ers wasn’t limited to the game. The team announced that the projected starting slot receiver Trent Taylor had surgery on a broken bone in his foot Friday and was expected to miss four to six weeks.


The most serious injury from the game appeared to be Coleman, who had an air cast placed on his lower right leg and was taken off the field on a cart after getting hurt on San Francisco’s opening drive.

The Cowboys lost LB Luke Gifford with what Jones described as a “significant” ankle injury in the first half. Gifford had an interception before getting hurt.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Play the Los Angeles Rams in Honolulu on Aug. 17.

49ers: Visit Denver on Aug. 19.

source: usa.inquirer.net

Only four players in 100 years have won six NFL titles

Tom Brady will soon slip on his sixth Super Bowl ring, and Herb Adderley is the only other player on the planet who can relate to that level of success in the National Football League, which celebrates its 100th season this year.

“It’s going to be a long time, another 100 years, before somebody wins himself six titles,” suggested Adderley, the Hall of Fame cornerback for Vince Lombardi’s great Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s.

“Because of all the free agency and guys jumping around from team to team, you’re not going to be on one team long enough and you’re not going to be lucky enough to be with a team every year that’s going to win a championship.”

Adderley, who turns 80 next month, won five championships in Green Bay, including the first two Super Bowls, plus another with Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys in 1971, as did Hall of Fame lineman Forrest Gregg, who died last month at age 85.

Their Green Bay teammate, offensive lineman Fuzzy Thurston, who died in 2014, won all six of his titles with Lombardi and the Packers just as Brady has won each of his half dozen rings in New England with coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick reminds Adderley a lot of Lombardi.

“The teams are fundamentally sound and they play with discipline,” Adderley said. “And if you get a team that can do that week after week after week and you have good players, you’re going to win.”

Adderley, who just celebrated his 22-year-old cousin Nasir Adderley’s selection in the NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers, won his six rings in a 12-year span.

“You look at all the great players that never played on a championship team that went to the Hall of Fame like Gale Sayers and Deacon Jones, one of my classmates when in 1980 when I went in,” Adderley said. “There are just so many guys that deserved just one Super Bowl title and then I end up with six, which was half of my career.

“I played 12 years and six times to be an NFL champion, I mean, that’s mind blowing.”

Thurston won his six titles over a 10-year span, Gregg over a 15-year career and Brady has won his six rings over a 19-year career. He’ll be 42 this summer as he enters his 20th season. Gregg retired at 38, Thurston at 34 and Adderley at 33.


Gregg was the first man to play and coach in the Super Bowl. He took the Cincinnati Bengals to their first Super Bowl during the 1981 season when they lost 26-21 to Joe Montana and the 49ers.

Gregg died last month after a long fight with Parkinson’s, a disease his neurologist and family believe might have been triggered by countless concussions he sustained while playing football in the 1950s at SMU and in the NFL from 1956-71 during a Hall of Fame career that led Lombardi to call him “the finest football player I ever coached.”

“Aw man, I was with him for nine years in Green Bay and then we were teammates in Dallas,” Adderley said. “For 10 years we were teammates and we were the best of friends, I’m telling you. They had a grading system where offensive linemen would be graded on pass blocking and run blocking and every week Forrest Gregg was the only one that ended up with a 100 on both run and pass, and if he didn’t, it would be 95.

“Other guys on that line in the Hall of Fame, Jim Ringo and Jerry Kramer — and Fuzzy Thurston wasn’t a bad lineman, either — but those guys didn’t end up with the same grades as Forrest Gregg. That’s why Lombardi said he was the best that he’d ever coached.”

While he believes it might take another century for the four-man club to expand to five, Adderley concedes that Brady might very well become the first player to win seven NFL championships.

“Oh yes, indeed. He has a shot at it as long as he plays,” Adderley said. “As far as I’m concerned, because of the titles that he’s won, he’s the best quarterback to play. And Bill Belichick gets a lot of credit because of the system that he has. He brings in guys that fit in that system. It doesn’t matter who it is, Brady’s going to hit the open man.”

Adderley, who lives outside Philadelphia, said Lombardi’s teams may have won all their titles in a shorter span than Belichick has won his championships in New England but the similarities are striking: both dynasties are marked by sidestepping boneheaded plays and calls that their opponents just can’t avoid.

“There would be games and seasons that we wouldn’t make any mistakes to beat ourselves,” Adderley said. “Of course, everybody makes mistakes, even the scientists — they use pencils with erasers on the end because everybody’s going to make mistakes now and then. But we didn’t make enough to beat ourselves and other teams either we forced them to make mistakes or they just lacked discipline.

“So, that’s the key, if you are fundamentally sound and play with discipline, you’re going to be in the running to win. And I think that as long as Brady and Belichick are there, Brady’s going to have a chance to get No. 7,” Adderley said.

“And as long as he keeps going, our names will always be mentioned: Thurston, Gregg and myself.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Dak Prescott, Cowboys push past Seahawks for wild-card win

ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott saw an opening up the middle, then three defenders between him and the first down.

The Dallas quarterback found a way to get there, and get his first playoff victory two years after a sensational rookie season ended in disappointment.


Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 137 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, Prescott scored on a sneak after his dazzling head-over-heels run and the Cowboys hung on for a 24-22 wild-card win over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.

The win for the Cowboys (11-6) was the first for Elliott and Prescott after losing a divisional game in their playoff debut as first-year stars two years ago. Dallas will play at either New Orleans or the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round next weekend.

“It’s really just a chance to keep going on, simple as that,” Prescott said. “Me and this whole team, we want to win it all. You can’t do that without taking care of the first one. A lot of excitement, but my goal is bigger than just one playoff win.”

The loss ended a run of nine straight victories in playoff openers for the Seahawks (10-7). The Elias Sports Bureau says it was the longest streak in NFL history.

Leading 17-14, Prescott faced third-and-14 from the Seattle 17 with the 2-minute warning approaching. He took off up the middle on a QB draw, barged through a trio of defenders 6 yards short of the first and went down at the 1 when he was flipped head-first by Tedric Thompson.

Prescott, who also had an 11-yard scoring pass to Michael Gallup in the first half, scored on the next play in the eighth win in nine games for the Cowboys.

“He’s just a rare guy,” coach Jason Garrett said. “His leadership, his toughness, just his way, his spirit. It’s like none other. Somehow, some way, he’s going to figure this thing out for us.”

Dallas’ defense, ranked in the top 10 most of the season, stifled the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense and mostly kept quarterback Russell Wilson under control and handed him his first loss in four wild-card games.

The Seahawks had finished the regular season with six wins in seven games to secure Wilson’s sixth playoff trip in seven years despite a roster overhaul and 0-2 start.


“This has been a special, special year,” Wilson said. “Just the growth of our team, the men in the locker room, just the way that we’ve played together, just eliminating the doubters and the things that people thought that we could only do.”

Prescott, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 when the Cowboys lost to Green Bay at home as the top seed in the NFC, threw for 226 yards, and his sneak for what appeared to be a clinching score because Dallas burned more than five minutes while taking 24-14 lead.

But Tyler Lockett’s 53-yard catch set up a quick Seattle touchdown — Wilson’s 7-yard scoring pass to J.D. McKissic. The Seahawks got within two on their second 2-point conversion following an injury to Sebastian Janikowski.

The missing kicker left the Seahawks no good options on an onside kick with 1:18 remaining. Punter Michael Dickson’s drop kick was caught by Cole Beasley at the Dallas 31, sealing the first playoff win for the Cowboys since beating Detroit in the wild-card round in the 2014 season.

After Wilson ran for 4 yards for a touchdown and Mike Davis’ 2-point conversion run put Seattle up 14-10 late in the third quarter, Prescott led a 67-yard drive to put the Cowboys back in front for good.

A 34-yard pass to Amari Cooper , who had seven catches for 106 yards, led to Elliott’s 1-yard plunge after an apparent touchdown by the quarterback was overturned on replay.

Prescott then had a chance to give the Cowboys a 10-point lead, but K.J. Wright made a juggling interception in the end zone.

Dallas’ defense came through again, though, forcing a punt and giving Elliott a highlight play before Prescott added his. The NFL rushing leader stiff-armed Shaquill Griffin on a 17-yard run to get inside the 20.

Seattle got a double dose of bad news at halftime when Janikowski missed a 57-yard field goal on the final play and injured his left hamstring. He yelled as he grabbed the back of his leg and limped to the locker room, unable to return.

Still, the Seahawks took their first lead basically because the 40-year-old’s injury forced them to try.

Facing fourth-and-5 in Janikowski’s range from the Dallas 39, Doug Baldwin made a toe-dragging catch on the sideline for 22 yards. After Wilson’s TD run, the Seahawks pushed their lead to 14-10 on Mike Davis’ run.

But the Cowboys never did lose control of the Seattle running game after allowing Chris Carson’s first career 100-yard game in a Week 3 Seattle win that turned the season for the Seahawks, who finished the regular season with six wins in seven games.

Carson had just 20 yards on 13 carries. Wilson was 18 of 27 for 233 yards, with Lockett getting four catches for 120 yards. The Seahawks had 73 yards rushing after averaging 160 during the season. Dallas came in with the No. 5 rushing defense.

“Once we go up, we do a pretty good job of getting ourselves back down, knowing that we’ve got to start over next week and we’ve got to be able to do it again,” linebacker Leighton Vander Esch said. “It’s a full attack mode.”

INJURIES

Cowboys receiver Allen Hurns fractured his left ankle in a gruesome first-quarter injury. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said after the game that Hurns was “probably in surgery at this time.” Hurns was being dragged down by Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald at the end of a 14-yard catch for a first down when his lower left leg appeared to buckle. … Seahawks cornerback Neiko Thorpe left in the first half with a shoulder injury.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: New Orleans or the Los Angeles Rams on the road in the divisional round next weekend.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NFL: Eagles prevent Giants from clinching playoff spot

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia beat the contending New York Giants 24-19 on Thursday to hand Dallas the AFC East title and put the Giants’ playoff ambitions in jeopardy.

Malcolm Jenkins had the second two-interception game of his eight-year career, returning one for a touchdown, and the Eagles snapped a five-game slide.

It put the Giants (10-5) in a more difficult spot to end a four-season playoff drought. They still hold the top wild-card position heading into their last regular-season game at Washington.

New York can still clinch a playoff spot this weekend if Detroit, Green Bay, Tampa Bay or Atlanta loses.

New York quarterback Eli Manning was inconsistent with his throws all night. On Jenkins’ second interception, the throw was woefully short.

The Giants came up short because they fell behind early and didn’t catch up.

The return of Philadelphia (5-9) right tackle Lane Johnson from a 10-game suspension paid dividends immediately. Twice Johnson wiped out the left side of New York’s defensive line, with his block helping spring Darren Sproles for a 25-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

It was 14-0 1:28 later when Manning’s short pass to Will Tye was way too soft. Jenkins cut in front of the tight end to intercept and then romped down the right side for a 34-yard score.

Two field goals by Giants kicker Robbie Gould trimmed the deficit but Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz found the seldom-used Nelson Agholor wide open for a 40-yard touchdown and a 21-6 edge.

Manning finally found his touch on the last drive of the first half, with a 29-yard connection to Victor Cruz keying an 84-yard mark. Shepard slipped past Jenkins’ bump at the line to score from 13 yards for a 21-13 deficit.

It was all field goals in the second half — and some more imprecise throws by Manning.

The Giants had a late chance to snatch victory when they got the ball back with 1:31 left but Terrence Brooks made an interception with 5 seconds to go to seal the result.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NFL: Cowboys notch 10th straight win, edge Redskins

ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas notched a franchise-record 10th straight win by edging Washington 31-26 in Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day action, with quarterback Dak Prescott accounting for two touchdowns and fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott running in another pair of scores.

It was even closer in Detroit, as Lions kicker Matt Prater slotted his kick as time expired to break a tie and give the Lions victory over Minnesota, while Pittsburgh used its strong defense to record a more comfortable victory against Indianapolis.

Prescott tied Don Meredith’s club record from 50 years ago with his fifth rushing TD of the season, and that helped the Cowboys snatch victory despite a strong performance by Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Dallas continued its strong record against Washington in Thanksgiving games, making it seven wins from eight, and opened a 3-1/2 game lead over the Redskins in the NFC East. Washington missed a chance to move above the New York Giants and into second place.

The Cowboys had an eight-game streak with at least 400 yards snapped, finishing with 353. But Dallas answered with touchdowns each time the Redskins got within a score.

The teams exchanged five successive touchdown drives in the second half, with the fourth of them being a run from Elliott, the NFL rushing leader, which established a winning 31-19 lead.

After Cousins’ second scoring toss to Jordan Reed with 1:53 remaining cut the margin to five points, Dustin Hopkins’ onside kick went out of bounds, and the Cowboys ran out the clock.

Prescott completed 17 of 24 pass attempts for 195 yards and one touchdown. Cousins went 41 of 53 for 449 yards, finishing 8 yards shy of his career high. It was enough for him to become the first Washington quarterback to have two 400-yard games in a season.

Detroit took sole possession of top spot in the NFC North by edging Minnesota 16-13 after the teams started the day with the same 6-4 records.

Darius Slay returned an interception 13 yards with 30 seconds left, setting up Prater’s 40-yard field goal to win it.

The Lions have won six of seven, including two against Minnesota this month, despite trailing in the fourth quarter of every game this season. They extended their NFL record of having their first 11 games decided by seven or fewer points.

The Vikings have lost five of six, plummeting out of first place after surging to the top of the division by winning their first five games.

Minnesota could have played for overtime on its last drive, but coach Mike Zimmer allowed Sam Bradford to throw and Slay made him regret it.

Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown hooked up for three touchdowns as the Steelers beat Indianapolis 28-7 to improve to 6-5 and boost their playoff chances.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rams hire Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator

The St. Louis Rams have hired former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to the same position, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Ryan was fired Jan. 8 after the Cowboys ranked 19th in total defense, but gave up the nine-most points in the NFL. His comments after being fired turned to be somewhat prescient.

"I inherited a team that was 31st in the league in defense and made them better," Ryan told ESPNDallas.com. "I (expletive) made them a hell of a lot better. I'll be out of work for like five minutes."

Ryan will inherit a defense that did not have a true defensive coordinator following Gregg Williams’ year-long suspension for his role as an assistant coach in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal. Williams will not be with the team in 2013.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher has history with the Ryan family. He played under Rob’s father, Buddy, as a defensive back in Chicago. Fisher also served as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator for three seasons under Ryan, and for two others as a defensive backs coach.

source:  http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-01-25/rob-ryan-new-rams-defensive-coordinator-hired-former-cowboys-jeff-fisher