Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Prescott, Cowboys ease past Dolphins
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are still on a high-scoring roll, and the Miami Dolphins now have the worst scoring differential through three games since at least 1950 despite trying a younger quarterback.
It just took a half for those trends to kick in.
Prescott threw two
touchdown passes to Amari Cooper before running for another score, and the Cowboys pulled out of a first-half funk as huge favorites in a 316 victory over the rebuilding Dolphins on Sunday.
“I mean, it’s pro football, you know what I’m saying?” said Cooper, who had team highs of six catches and 88 yards. “They came out here prepared to play us. I think we were resilient.”
One of Prescott’s TD tosses to Cooper came before halftime, but the Dolphins had a great chance to lead at the break as 22-point underdogs when Kenyan Drake fumbled on first down from the Dallas 7-yard line in the final minute of the second quarter. DeMarcus Lawrence recovered to preserve a 10-6 lead.
Josh Rosen was 18 of 29 for 200 yards without a touchdown or interception in his first start for Miami, which went with him over 36-yearold Ryan Fitzpatrick after the first two blowouts.
Acquired in a trade when Arizona took Kyler Murray No. 1 overall a year after drafting Rosen 10th in the first round, the 22-year-old Rosen hit some big throws while moving Miami before stalling after halftime.
The rebuilding Dolphins are 0-3 for the first time since losing their first seven in 2011. They have been outscored 133-16 — that 117-point difference topping Oakland’s 106 for the first three games in 1961.
“This very clearly is not a victory, but I think positives, yes,” said Rosen, who was tested for a concussion in the first half but returned. “As an organization, we are just trying to like sort of find our identity. I don’t think for one millisecond of the game did we give up.”
Prescott fueled the first Dallas team in 41 years to win its first two games while rolling up at least 400 yards and at least 30 points each time. And while the Cowboys did it again while reaching 3-0 for the first time since 2008, it took them awhile to find that offensive form.
The second touchdown to Cooper was a 19-yarder that capped a 75-yard drive to open the second half, and came after a 74-yard TD toss to Randall Cobb was nullified by offsetting penalties.
Prescott ran 8 yards to cap the second straight TD drive to open the second half, pulling him within one of Roger Staubach’s career club record of 20 rushing touchdowns in just his fourth season. Prescott was 19 of 32 for 246 yards with an interception on a poor decision.
The Dolphins outgained the Cowboys in the first half (216-204), but still have just one touchdown in three games after settling for two field goals from Jason Sanders in four trips inside the Dallas 30 before halftime.