ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw three touchdowns, including a 74-yarder to CeeDee Lamb, and DaRon Bland returned an interception 68 yards for a score afterJayden Daniels left with a hamstring injuryThe Dallas Cowboys defeated the Washington Commanders 44-22 on Sunday.
Lamb had 110 yards on five catches after a sprained ankle kept him out of the previous three games, when George Pickens impressed without his new friend, and then had just as much impact sharing the spotlight again.
Pickens’ 44-yard catch created a 35-second run for a 27-15 lead in the final minute of the first half after Daniels scored on a one-yard run with 45 seconds left in the first half.
Javonte Williams ran for 116 yards and a touchdown for Dallas (3-3-1).
On Washington’s first possession of the second half (3-4), Daniels, who has already missed two games with a knee injury this season, strained his right hamstring while losing a fumble on a sack by Shemar James. The AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year player was grabbed behind the leg after James pulled him down as the ball came out.
Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels, and his first possession ended when he drove left and threw deep the other way to Jeremy McNichols. Bland was waiting for the throw untouched at the pick-6. Bland set an NFL record two years ago with five interceptions for a touchdown.
Prescott finished 21 of 30 for 264 yards with two TD passes to Jake Ferguson, who became the first tight end in NFL history with at least 50 catches and six receiving touchdowns in the first seven games of the season.
All of Ferguson’s goals came in a streak of four straight games which is second among Dallas tight ends to Jason Witten. The franchise leader in catches and receiving yards had a five-game TD streak in 2010.
Daniels was missing his three best receivers: Terry McLaurin (quadriceps), Deebo Samuel (heel), and Noah Brown (knee/groin), the former Dallas kicker. Daniels had 156 yards and a touchdown to go with a TD run before the injury.
Mariota led a drive to Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s short scoring streak, but his fourth-down pass to Luke McCaffrey was overthrown early in the fourth quarter, ending any fading hopes of a comeback.
Pickens, acquired in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh, had four catches for 82 yards, but his touchdown streak ended at five games. He’s already had six TD catches.
Injuries
Leaders: DE Dorance Armstrong, the team’s sacks leader with 5 1/2, injured his knee on the game’s opening series and did not return. … RG Sam Cosmi made his first appearance of the season. He tore a knee ligament in the playoffs last season.
Cowboys: DT Kenny Clark, the player acquired in the trade that sent star edge rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay a week before the season began, injured his elbow in the third quarter.
the next
Leaders: At Kansas City next Monday night.
Cowboys: At Denver next Sunday.