Prescott’s TD toss decisive for Cowboys
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Dak Prescott wasn’t going to let anything prevent him from enjoying the moment.
While his team celebrated around him after he threw 35-yard touchdown pass to Ceedee Lamb in overtime to beat the New Patriots 35-29 Sunday, the Cowboys quarterback felt pain in his right calf.
It wasn’t the perfect ending, but he was willing to accept it after he helped Dallas survive a wild finish and earn its first victory over Bill Belichick’s Patriots.
“Just came down funny. Didn’t like what I felt,” said Prescott, who wore a walking boot to his postgame news conference. “Life keeps throwing punches, and I’m gonna keep throwing them back. … But I’ll be fine. I’ll promise you that.”
Dallas hadn’t won at New England since 1987 and was 0-5 against Belichick. The Cowboys (5-1) have won five straight, their longest winning streak since 2016.
The Cowboys led 17-14 entering the fourth quarter, and that’s when the fun began. The teams traded five scores in the period, three in the final 2½ minutes.
New England (2-4) was clinging to a 21-20 lead when Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs intercepted rookie Mac Jones and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown — his seventh pick and second pick six of the season — to put Dallas ahead 26-20.
On the next play from scrimmage, Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for a 75yard score. Jones then hooked up with Jakobi Meyers for the 2-point conversion.
But Prescott led the Cowboys on a 40-yard drive and Greg Zuerlein’s 49-yard field goal sent the game to overtime. Dallas ended it after New England punted on its first possession in OT as the Patriots dropped to 0-4 at home for the first time in Belichick’s 22 years as coach.
“We went toe-to-toe with them for 60 minutes,” Belichick said. “They just made a few more plays than we did.”
Prescott, whose calf injury will be evaluated further on Monday, finished 35-for-51 passing for 445 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Lamb had nine catches for 149 yards and two scores.
Jones finished 15-for-21 for 229 yards, two touchdowns and that critical interception, and Damien Harris rushed 18 times for 101 yards and a score.
The Patriots, who came in allowing foes an average of 19.2 points, did a decent job keeping Dallas’ second-ranked offense at bay until Prescott broke through in the second half. He hit Lamb for a 1-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone to make it 17-14 in the third quarter.
Dallas extended its lead on Zuerlein’s 45-yard field goal early in the fourth.