Dallas ‘feeds Zeke’ in big NFC East win
LANDOVER, Md. — After letting the ball slip out of his hands on his first carry, Ekeziel Elliott was determined not to let down his Dallas teammates again.
Elliott bounced back from his fumble to run for 150 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys took advantage of a blocked field goal and three turnovers to beat Washington 33-19 in a wet, sloppy game Sunday to move into sole possession of second place in the NFC East.
“We always talk about when you’ve got that ball in your hands, that’s the team, so you’ve got to protect it,” Elliott said. “I had to do something.”
Playing in a driving rainstorm that made it difficult to hold onto the ball, let alone throw it, Dak Prescott completed 14 of his 22 passes for 143 yards as Dallas (4-3) heeded the message on Elliott’s cleats to “Feed Zeke.” With another hearing on his NFL suspension coming Monday, Elliott carried the ball 33 times, scored twice for the second consecutive game and surpassed 100 yards for the third time in a row.
“He’s hard enough when you have holes filled, let alone when you’re giving him a clear running lane,” Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. “It is never going to be easy.”
Elliott said he didn’t think about his pending hearing, which could determine whether he’s suspended the next six games or will be available for the rest of the season. He didn’t have the chance to because he called conditions so treacherous that he struggled to hold onto the ball late because of the rain and cold.
What could be Elliott’s last game until mid-December turned in the second quarter when Dallas’ Tyrone Crawford blocked Nick Rose’s field-goal attempt and Orlando Scandrick returned it 86 yards to set up a 1-yard Elliott TD run two plays later. Instead of Washington (3-4) leading 16-7, the Cowboys went up 14-13 and were ahead to stay.
“That block was huge,” Prescott said. “That might’ve been the turning point and just the key play in the whole game.”
Washington QB Kirk Cousins lost one fumble and kick returner Chris Thompson lost another. Cousins was 26-for-39 for 263 yards and a 1-yard TD pass to Josh Doctson that cut it to 26-19, but Rose missed the extra-point try and Dallas sealed it with an interception return for a touchdown by Byron Jones with 21 seconds left.
Signed to replace injured kicker Dan Bailey, Mike Nugent was wide left from 49 yards on his first attempt for the Cowboys. Nugent, who worked out for Washington last week when it decided to sign Rose to replace the injured Dustin Hopkins, made field goals from 36, 48, 27 and 37 yards in the second half.