Prescott TD pass lifts Cowboys to OT win over Patriots
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 a 35-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb in overtime to beat the New England 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 win 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 2 1/2 minutes.
New England (2-4) was clinging to a 21-20 lead when sensational 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 75-yard 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 today, finished 35 of 51 for 445 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Lamb had nine catches for 149 yards and two scores.
Jones finished 15 of 21 for 229 yards, two touchdowns and that critical interception, and Damien Harris rushed 18 times for 101 yards and a score.