Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys know they have got some issues to wash up. Starting 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 night time for his or her 6th 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 in their 5 Super Bowl titles. Fans had been chanting “Let’s go Cowboys!” all over the sport.
“This was a game we needed to get, and we got it done,” Dallas trainer Mike McCarthy mentioned. “Whether we get any style points (or not), that’s OK. We’re still at 12 wins.”
The Cowboys still need to finish the regular season by winning at Washington with Philadelphia (13-2) losing out for a chance at a second straight NFC East title. Otherwise, they will be locked into the No. 5 seed in the NFC.
Ezekiel Elliott had a a one-yard touchdown run, his ninth straight game with a rushing TD. That made him the fifth player with such a streak since 2000, joining Shaun Alexander (2005), Priest Holmes (11 in 2002), Jonathan Taylor in 2021 and LaDainian Tomlinson (18 between 2004–05).
The Titans (7-9) lost their sixth straight hour after placing quarterback Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve, ending his season unless they reach the AFC championship. They have 22 players on injured reserve and lead the NFL using at least 83 different players.
This game was meaningless for Tennessee in the standings, with next week’s regular-season finale at Jacksonville deciding the AFC South title. So the Titans scratched seven starters, not counting two others put on IR with Tannehill. Those watching included Derrick Henry, the NFL’s second-leading rusher.
“I’m sure everybody expected us to just lay down,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. “I know we didn’t do that.”
The Titans gave Joshua Dobbs, signed on December 21 off Detroit’s practice squad, his first NFL start instead of rookie Malik Willis, their third-round pick in April. The former University of Tennessee star played his last college game on this field, a 2016 Music City Bowl win over Nebraska before a very long wait between starts.
“Oh man, it was a long time, that’s for sure,” Dobbs said. “It definitely was a long time. A lot of working out and you’re like, ‘Dang, I don’t even know.’”
Dobbs had extra yards passing through halftime than Willis controlled in any of his first 3 begins. Dobbs completed with 232 yards and the first TD pass of his careera seven-yarder to Robert Woods, that pulled the Titans inside of 17–13 past due within the 0.33.
The Cowboys scored the final 10 points. Prescott capped a 75-yard drive with his second TD pass to Schultz for a 24–13 lead early in the fourth. Brett Maher added his second field goal for the final margin.
Dallas led only 10-6 at halftime thanks to three turnovers, including two interceptions off Prescott by two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard that set up field goals by Randy Bullock. That gave Prescott a career-high 14 picks, tying him with now-benched Raiders quarterback Derek Carr for most in the NFL.
That’s despite Prescott missing five games with a broken thumb. The Dallas quarterback has been picked off in six consecutive games for the first time in his career.
“Whether it’s off your guy’s hands or whether I throw it behind the receiver and the cornerback makes the play, they’re all frustrating and somehow or another they’ve got to stop,” Prescott said.
Prescott took advantage of the ailing Titans defense, finding CeeDee Lamb for 11 catches for 100 yards. Lamb also became only the third Cowboys player with 100 catches in a season, joining Michael Irvin (111 in 1995) and Jason Witten (110 in 2012).
When undrafted rookie cornerback Tre Avery was once flagged for grabbing Michael Gallup on third-and-19, Prescott threw a six-yard TD pass to Schultz at the subsequent play midway thru 0.33 for a 17–6 lead.