Prescott delivers three TD passes in win over Giants
Dak Prescott shook off an interception on his first pass of the game and threw three touchdown passes, leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 37-18 victory over the New York Giants in a Monday night game briefly delayed by an elusive black cat.
Prescott hit Blake Jarwin for a much-needed 42yard touchdown late in the second quarter. He added a 15-yarder to Michael Gallup and a 45-yarder to Amari Cooper in the fourth as Dallas (5-3) beat New York (2-7) for the sixth straight time.
Brett Maher kicked three field goals, including a 52-yarder in the waning seconds of the first half that gave Dallas the lead for good after falling behind 12-3 in the second quarter. Jourdan Lewis scored on a 63-yard fumble return in the final seconds.
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 139 yards for Dallas, which outscored the Giants 34-9 after the cat appeared late in the second quarter, forcing referee Clay Martin to delay the game for a couple of minutes until the feline was herded up a stadium tunnel.
BELL THE LATEST INJURED JET >> The New York Jets are in an all-too familiar position: keeping their fingers crossed while waiting on MRI results.
Running back Le’Veon Bell is the latest player causing some concern after he had one of his knees tested Monday. It was not immediately certain if it could force him to miss some time. Coach Adam Gase thought the Jets would know more Monday night or this morning.
“I don’t want to get too alarmed with Le’Veon without any information,” Gase said. “It could be nothing and he just felt like something didn’t feel right. It could be something else. It’s hard for me to go anywhere with it mentally just because I feel like it’s just so gray.”
Gase was unsure when Bell was injured during New York’s 26-18 loss at Miami on Sunday. Gase learned of it Monday morning when Bell had to miss team meetings to undergo the tests.
“He never said anything to me during the game or said anything to me after the game,” the coach said. “I’m not really sure the extent of this.”
FALCONS FIND ANOTHER PUNTER >> The Atlanta Falcons are turning to their fourth punter of the season.
The team announced it has signed former New England punter Ryan Allen, who averaged 45.3 yards over six seasons with the Patriots. He was released by the reigning Super Bowl champions in August.
Longtime Falcons punter Matt Bosher is on injured reserve with a groin ailment. The team went with Matt Wile for two games before turning to Kasey Redfern, who was let go during the bye week after averaging 41.2 yards in three games. TOO MANY TWEETS >> Jermaine Whitehead’s disturbing social media rant cost him his job.
The Browns cut the safety Monday, hours after the team reprimanded Whitehead for “totally unacceptable and highly inappropriate” posts following a 24-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Whitehead made several threatening and expletive-laden posts on Twitter while still in uniform following Cleveland’s fourth straight loss. One of Whitehead’s tweets was directed at Dustin Fox, a former NFL player who works for the team’s radio network. Fox had sent an earlier tweet criticizing Whitehead’s tackling.
Twitter suspended Whitehead’s account and the team released a statement after it became aware of his postings. EX-PLAYER WINSLOW PLEADS GUILTY >> Former NFL player Kellen Winslow Jr. pleaded guilty to raping an unconscious teen in 2003 and to sexual battery involving a 54-year-old hitchhiker in a deal that spared him the possibility of life in prison.
Winslow initially hesitated and seemed to agonize over his decision.
“I’m sorry. I’m just not thinking very clearly,” Winslow told the judge at one point.
He asked the judge for more time before he finally entered the guilty pleas moments before he was about to be retried on six felonies including kidnapping, sodomy, forced oral copulation and two charges of forcible rape in San Diego County Superior Court that could have sent him to prison for life if he was convicted.
In exchange for his plea, the court agreed to sentence him to between 12 and 18 years in prison for the two charges and dismiss the others. SHORT YARDAGE >> Miami Dolphins running back Mark Walton has been suspended without pay for the next four games for violating NFL conduct and substance abuse policies.
Walton was arrested three times last offseason in his hometown of Miami, which prompted the suspension. It begins immediately, and Walton will be eligible to return to the active roster Dec. 2 following the Week 13 game against the Eagles.
• Preston Williams’ breakout season with the Miami Dolphins is over.
The undrafted rookie receiver will miss the final eight games with a knee injury suffered in the Dolphins’ first win of the year against the New York Jets, coach Brian Flores said.
“I was devastated for the kid,” Flores said. “He has done an incredible job.”
Flores said it’s not yet known whether Williams will be ready for training camp next year.
• Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett has a sprained left knee but has not been ruled out of Sunday’s game against Miami.