Dak-to-Zeke pass sets up winning FG
ARLINGTON, Texas — Quarterback Dak Prescott saw single coverage by a linebacker on running back Ezekiel Elliott with the Cowboys trying to get into position for a winning field goal Sunday against the Lions.
So did Elliott.
‘‘I lined up in the slot; I was excited,’’ said Elliott, who was face-to-face with Lions leading tackler Jarrad Davis. ‘‘I got them one-on-one with me. [Prescott] made a perfect throw. One pass, we won the game.’’
Prescott’s 34-yard completion to Elliott set up a 38-yard field goal by Brett Maher as time expired that lifted the Cowboys (2-2) to a 26-24 victory.
Maher’s fourth field goal came after Elliott got a step or so behind Davis and made an overthe-shoulder catch on his way to a career-high 240 all-purpose yards. Elliott had 152 yards rushing and 88 receiving, including a 38-yard touchdown on a screen pass in the second quarter.
“Anywhere you got him the ball, anywhere he had the ball in his hands, he was dominating the game and setting the tone — from the screens to the check-downs to that last play right there,’’ said Prescott, who completed 17 of 27 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. ‘‘It was just a dominating performance for him.’’
Prescott saved the Cowboys’ game-winning drive by recovering the ball after fumbling when he was hit on the arm. After the recovery, he scrambled out of the pocket before throwing the ball out of bounds.
The decisive pass from Prescott to Elliott came after Matthew Stafford had put the Lions (1-3) in front on a 38-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate with 2:17 left. Stafford, who grew up in the Dallas area, was 24-for-30 for 307 yards and two touchdowns to Tate, who caught eight passes for 132 yards.
‘‘I would much rather be the guy with the ball last,’’ Stafford said. ‘‘But I think all of our players on defense are probably sitting out there going, ‘I want to be out there to make the stop.’ That’s just what we do.’’