Cowboys take down Rams with ease 44-21

ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys turned “much ado about nothing” over the coin toss into “win and they’re in” next weekend.

Prescott threw two touchdown passes after his confusing exchange with referee Walt Anderson made many think the Cowboys forced themselves to kick off to start both halves, and Ezekiel Elliott ran for two scores in a 44-21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

The Cowboys (7-7) ended their second three-game losing streak of the season, and the defending NFC East champions stayed even with Philadelphia atop the division with a showdown looming next Sunday.

After their first victory over a team with a winning record this season, the Cowboys can clinch their fourth division title in six seasons with a win at the Eagles.

“We know that the team’s been criticized for not having really substantive victories by sometime the record of the teams we’ve played,” owner Jerry Jones said. “That is the kind of win you want to have before you get ready to go play what is the biggest game we play this year.”

The defending NFC champion Rams (8-6), who already needed help to get into the playoffs, didn’t help themselves with another poor showing a week after their most impressive game of the season in a win over Seattle.

“We haven’t been consistent as a football team really throughout this season,” coach Sean McVay said. “That’s a big part of my responsibility is to figure out solutions and help us be more consistent.”

After rushing for a franchise playoff-record 273 yards in a 30-22 divisional win over the Cowboys last January, the Rams were held to just 22 while Dallas churned out a season-high 263. Todd Gurley had 11 carries for 20 yards.

Coming off two of his better games of the season, Rams quarterback Jared Goff had a rough outing that looked better at the end because of his fourth-quarter numbers with the outcome decided. He finished 33 of 51 for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

The Cowboys’ No. 1-ranked offense kept rolling with a season high in points to go with 475 yards, including scoring drives of 90 and 97 yards.