Surging Cowboys top Redskins
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Redskins 31-23 on Thanksgiving to tie Washington atop the NFC East.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Ezekiel Elliott made the $21 donation after his touchdown. Amari Cooper took the freebie following the first of his two scores.
The bonus for the Dallas Cowboys: They're all the way back in the NFC East race.
Cooper celebrated his first touchdown with a mock free throw before a 90-yard score that sent him to a Dallas Thanksgiving- record 180 yards receiving, and the Cowboys pulled even with Washington atop the division with a 31-23 win over the Redskins on Thursday.
Elliott ran for 121 yards with his TD and cash celebration as the Cowboys (6-5) won their third straight game since their first home loss, to Tennessee in Cooper's debut with the Cowboys.
Dallas notched its eighth win in nine Thanksgiving games against Washington, and second in three years, to earn a season split.
The Redskins (6-5) lost for the third time in four games in Colt McCoy's first start in four years coming off Alex Smith's season-ending leg injury.
The former Texas Longhorns star threw three interceptions to offset two touchdown passes. McCoy won his two previous starts at the home of the Cowboys, one for the 2009 Big 12 championship and the other his most recent NFL victory with the Redskins in 2014.
Cooper had 105 yards after the catch on his two touchdowns.
First, Cooper ran away from Quinton Dunbar after the Washington cornerback slipped on a short pass, turning it into a 40-yard TD for a 17-13 lead. Cooper celebrated by mimicking a free throw, shooting the football through the goal post.
On the 90-yarder, Cooper made the catch just outside the Dallas 30, spun out of the arms of Fabian Moreau and won the race to the pylon against former Alabama teammate Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who tried to shove him out of bounds around the 5.
Saints 31, Falcons 17
Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes to inexperienced receivers and the Saints won their 10th straight game Thursday night with a 31-17 victory over the Falcons in New Orleans that eliminated Atlanta from contention in the NFC South.
Tommylee Lewis and Austin Carr each caught their second career touchdown pass, and rookie tight end Dan Arnold grabbed his first, as did rookie receiver Keith Kirkwood. All four entered the NFL as undrafted free agents within the past three years and had combined for zero touchdowns this season before Carr caught the first of his career last Sunday.
Bears 23, Lions 16
Chase Daniel made the most of his chance to fill in for Mitchell Trubisky, having the best day of his journeyman career.
Daniel set career highs with 230 yards passing and two touchdowns to keep Chicago rolling with a win over the Lions on Thursday in Detroit.
The NFC North-leading Bears (8-3) sealed their fifth straight victory with Kyle Fuller's interception in the end zone with a little more than a minute left.
Detroit (4-7) has lost four of five, plummeting to last place in the division.