Dak Prescott

The Cowboys capitalised on a series of penalties to lead from start to finish and improve to a 12-4 record, behind the 13-2 Philadelphia Eagles in their division. Dallas need to win their final game against the Washington Commanders and hope the Eagles lose both of their remaining two to top the NFC East.

Prescott threw both TD passes for Dalton Schultz, although he also extended his run to six games with an interception, giving up two in the second quarter as the Titans rallied to 10-6 at half-time with two Randy Bullock field goals.

Ezekiel Elliott, who ran 37 yards on 19 carries, rushed in the game's opening touchdown in the first quarter, extending his run of TDs to nine straight games. CeeDee Lamb brought up 100 yards across 11 receptions.

The Titans slump to their sixth straight loss but remain in playoffs contention at 7-9, with victory next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars to determine the winner of the AFC South.

Titans QB Joshua Dobbs, making his first career start, made 20 of 39 passes for 232 yards with one touchdown, for Robert Woods, and one interception. Prescott completed 29 of 41 attempts for 282 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, tying Troy Aikman with 165 passing TDs for second most in franchise history.

Prescott found Schultz to make it 17-6 in the third quarter after a penalty on third-and-19 against Tre Avery for pass interference on Michael Gallup led to a 51-yard gain, with the Cowboys scoring on the next play. Monty Rice was penalised for roughing the passer on a second-and-10, leading to Schultz's second TD.

Prescott suffered a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' season-opening 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month.

Cooper Rush has deputised ably since then, leading the team on a four-game winning streak, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently said he was unlikely to keep the starting spot when Prescott returns to fitness.

Prescott was set to throw for the first time since suffering his injury following Wednesday's practice, but McCarthy is planning to start Rush against the NFL's only unbeaten team on Sunday.

"We are preparing for Cooper to start against the Eagles," McCarthy told reporters.

"I think we're still in the medical rehab phase. So once he [Prescott] clears this phase and he's fully activated, then I think that's when we have our conversation.

"You've got to trust the medical process. This is a 17-game season. That was my immediate response. I know Dak didn't want to hear it, but you've got to make sure that he's right for the long haul, too.

"So I'm not saying we're being conservative because that doesn't line up with him, with the way he approaches preparing to play. But, yeah, this really is following the medical timeline."

McCarthy also stated his belief the team's form had not been significantly altered by their change of quarterback after Week 1.

"He [Prescott] is doing all the things you can possibly do and more to get ready," McCarthy added. "But I don't think it would've changed, from my view."

The Eagles sit atop the NFC East ahead of the Cowboys, with a 10-4 record, with the Minnesota Vikings (11-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) among the only other contenders for the NFC top seed with three games to play. Dallas must beat Philadelphia to remain in contention to usurp them.

The Cowboys, who are assured of a playoffs spot, allowed a season-high 40 points in their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 and Prescott was eager to see a response against a fellow contender.

"If anything, it's about making a statement to ourselves," Prescott told reporters.

"It's about, as you look at the season, we've had some games where we played really well and some games where we bit ourselves in the foot and had some games where we didn't and we lost.

"This is about putting our best foot forward, putting our best effort out there and proving it to ourselves in all three phases that we're a hell of a team and we can go get it done against one of the best teams in the league whether they're in our division or not."

The Eagles beat the Cowboys 26-17 in October at Lincoln Financial Field when Prescott did not play due to a thumb injury. Dallas have gone 6-2 since Prescott's return.

"I think everybody in this locker room is looking forward to this rematch in that sense," Prescott said.

"When you play a team that's a division rival, understanding the long history that comes with these two teams, understanding that they're playing their asses off. They're having a hell of a season.

"For them to be in our division and that they control the destiny in winning the division right now, yeah, you just want to get in and get another shot and make sure you put your best foot forward in doing so."

The Eagles may be without QB Jalen Hurts after he hurt his throwing shoulder late in the third quarter of their 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears.

Cowboys star Dak Prescott sat out on Sunday due to a calf sprain, paving the way for unheralded quarterback Rush to start under centre for the first time in his career.

Rush did not disappoint under the Minnesota lights, the 27-year-old throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to star team-mate Amari Cooper with less than a minute remaining to seal a sixth consecutive win for the Cowboys (6-1).

Dallas' Rush – who finished 24-of-40 passing for 325 yards, two TDs and an interception – became the first quarterback to throw 300-plus passing yards and win in his first NFL start in a primetime road game since 1984.

The Vikings (3-4) led 10-3 at half-time thanks to Kirk Cousins' 20-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen and Greg Joseph's field goal.

Dallas hit back on the road as Rush and Cedrick Wilson connected on a 73-yard pass early in the third quarter to level the contest, with Joseph and Greg Zuerlein trading field goals.

Joseph's third field goal of the game had the Vikings 16-13 ahead and on track for victory heading into the final minute before Cooper and Rush teamed up.

The Cooper Rush-Amari Cooper touchdown became the first in NFL history where the passer's first name and receiver's last name were an exact match.

Warning signs were there early that it may not be the Vikings' day as Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons came roaring around the edge for a strip-sack, forcing a turnover from Minnesota's third play of the game.

In his return from injury, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott scored the game's first touchdown, and his backfield partner Tony Pollard made it 14-3 in the second quarter when he took a short pass down the sideline for his own touchdown.

Pollard would strike again to begin the second half, this time getting on the end of a deep pass from Dak Prescott for a 68-yard touchdown, and it was 37-3 late in the third quarter after Elliott also forced his way in from the one-yard line for his second score.

Prescott completed a terrific 22 of his 25 passes to set a new season-high completion percentage (88 per cent), tallying 276 yards, and it was the first game this campaign he did not take a single sack.

Pollard and Elliott finished with 15 carries each, while Pollard also collected 109 receiving yards from six catches.

In his past three games, Pollard has had 326 rushing yards, 138 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Adams delivers walk-off winner for Las Vegas

In a low-scoring, grinding contest, the Las Vegas Raiders needed some brilliance in overtime from Davante Adams to defeat the Denver Broncos 22-16.

There were no touchdowns in the second half as both sides continued to fight for field goals, and the Raiders came back to tie it at 16-16 after mounting a crucial drive with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

In overtime, the Raiders won the toss and opted to receive the ball first, and it paid off. After a deep completion down the middle to Foster Moreau, Adams completely shook his coverage and got himself wide open for the game-winning score.

Adams finished with seven catches for 141 yards and both of the Raiders' touchdowns.

Prescott is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $160million contract he penned in 2021, and talks over a new deal have been ongoing for several weeks.

The ninth-year quarterback is set to hit free agency in 2025, though he has repeatedly expressed confidence his agent Todd France will reach a deal with the team.

The Cowboys begin the new campaign with a potentially tricky visit to Cleveland, but Prescott says his approach to the season will not change if his new contract is not signed before then. 

"I'd say they're working. I don't know if that's necessarily the timeline," Prescott told reporters when asked if a new deal could be announced before the game.

"I can't say, 'I'll put a timeline to Todd and [Dallas executive] Stephen [Jones] if we don't get this done, this or that'. I know they're working.

"I'm going to still be working. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Prescott's 410 completions and passer rating of 105.9 in 2023 were career-best figures, while he also played all 17 regular-season games for the first time since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016.

However, the Cowboys collapsed to a stunning 48-32 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the NFL Playoffs, ensuring their wait for a record-equalling sixth Super Bowl crown will reach at least 20 years.

Roger Staubach (in 1971 and 1977) and Troy Aikman (1992, 1993 and 1995) remain the only quarterbacks to lead Dallas to Super Bowl glory, and Prescott maintains that winning it all with the Cowboys would mean more than doing so elsewhere.

"I don't think winning it any other place would be the same as winning it here," Prescott said. "That is a number one reason in wanting to be here, to be honest with you."

Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb held out on the Cowboys' training camp to force through his own new contract during the offseason, but Prescott's team-mate expects him to show nothing but full commitment while he waits on an agreement. 

"Obviously, Dak is doing a great job of not really bringing it into the workspace, but I know personally that it can take a toll on you," Lamb said. 

"He's doing a great job of leading us in the right direction. He knows that we're rooting for him. Me, the most, for sure. 

"We need to hurry up and get this done, so we can just put this all behind us and go win more ballgames."

Prescott completed 28 of 39 passes for 330 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, as the Cowboys reached 50 points for the first time since Super Bowl XXVII in 1993.

The Dallas QB recorded his fourth career game with 300 yards, four passing touchdowns and no interceptions, which is the most by any player in franchise history, going past Tony Romo (three). Prescott remarkably passed for 320 yards by half-time.

The Cowboys also became the first team this season to score in all three facets of the game as they dismantled Washington.

Ezekiel Elliott scored two touchdowns in the first half as the Cowboys opened up a 42-7 half-time lead. Elliott had nine carries for 37 yards and one rushing TD, along with one receiving touchdown.

Dallas had good contributions from receivers Amari Cooper (seven receptions for 85 yards and one TD), Dalton Schultz (eight receptions for 82 yards and one TD) and Malik Turner (three receptions for 82 yards and one TD).

Demarcus Lawrence also scored a TD after intercepting Washington QB's Taylor Heinicke's first-quarter pass with Chauncey Golston cleaning up in the end zone for a touchdown after Corey Clement blocked a punt.

The Cowboys, who have clinched the NFC East division earlier in the day after the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 17-13, improve to 11-4 while Washington are 6-9.

Burrow blows against Lamar-less Ravens

Joe Burrow was in record-breaking form with the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history to lead the Cincinnati Bengals won 41-21 over the Baltimore Ravens, who were without Lamar Jackson.

Burrow completed 37 of 46 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, which was a new franchise record for passing yards as the Bengals claimed a major AFC North win to improve to 9-6 ahead of the 8-7 Ravens on a four-game skid.

The Bengals quarterback also becomes the fourth player in NFL history to have 500 pass yards, four pass touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game, joining Derek Carr, Ben Roethlisberger and Y.A. Tittle.

Wide receivers Tee Higgins (12 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns) and Ja'Marr Chase (seven receptions for 125 yards) were excellent against the Ravens whose stand-in QB Josh Johnson had two TD passes.

Chiefs clinch AFC West yet again

The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team to ever clinch the AFC West title for six straight seasons after a 36-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw 23 of 30 passes for 258 yards with three TD passes, while Steelers veteran QB Ben Roethlisberger struggled with 23 of 35 passes for 159 yards with one TD and one interception.

Wide receiver Byron Pringle had six receptions for 75 yards with two touchdowns as the Chiefs improved to an unassailable 11-4 record in the AFC West, ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) who lost 41-29 to the Houston Texans earlier on Sunday.

That was the message conveyed by head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday as he said the team would maintain a cautious approach with their quarterback as he returns from a shoulder strain. 

Prescott returned to full team drills Monday for the first time since injuring his shoulder in practice on July 28, but it does not sound like he will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Houston Texans. 

“We’ll see how the week goes, but there’s no urgency from my perspective to see Dak play against Houston," McCarthy told reporters. "This is more about we don’t want to create a setback possibly.

"His volume of throwing leading up to that point, I mean, he was probably in midseason form from the amount of work he put in over the summer, coming out of the OTAs....

“I think we’d all like [to see him in a game] that but that’s not the priority. I think his volume throwing, getting the capacity back to where he was is the number one thing."

McCarthy added that if Prescott does not play Saturday, he also will not feature in the August 29 preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars because the focus in that game will be on players competing to win roster spots.

Prescott's 2020 season ended in Week 5 with a fracture-dislocation of his right ankle, so it will be quite a gap between facing game-speed defenders if he does not play until the September 9 opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Despite the layoff, McCarthy said keeping Prescott in controlled practice conditions is more valuable to the team than having him face an opponent when the games do not count. 

"We just really don’t want to put him in a position where he can reinjure it," McCarthy said. "We’ll continue to work on that plane."

Prescott is entering his sixth season as the Cowboys' quarterback. In 2019, his last full campaign, his career-best 4,902 passing yards were second in the NFL to Jameis Winston (5,109), and his 30 touchdown passes ranked fourth in the league. 

In his absence, the Cowboys have managed just one touchdown in two preseason games, both losses. 

The former Atlanta Falcons head coach is now defensive coordinator at the Cowboys, but was asked to fill in for head coach Mike McCarthy after he was forced to stay at home due to COVID-19.

The victory at the Caesers Superdome follows a Week 11 defeat at the Kansas City Chiefs and an overtime loss against the Las Vegas Raiders last time out. 

The Cowboys now move to 8-4, comfortably ahead of the Washington Football Team (5-6) at the top of the NFC East.

"Make no mistake, we were not pleased with our last performance [against the Raiders]," Quinn told reporters after the game. "So we needed to make sure we came back and played like we were capable of and it was cool to see the guys fight and battle for it.

"We knew going in tonight was going to be a fight, and this was going to be a battle, and it certainly was.

"We were coming in ready to make sure we were ready to get it on with physicality and aggression, if it took all night or longer into overtime, we were ready to go however long it took."

Quinn praised the leadership within the team, making particular mention of quarterback Dak Prescott, who completed 26 of 40 attempts for 237 yards, including a touchdown pass to Malcolm Gallup in the opening quarter.

"We've got some excellent leaders. If you guys could hear the way Dak talks before the game to the team, it's one of the most impressive things that I've been a part of. The commitment, the leadership, these guys battling for one another, you can tell they've got a unique brotherhood that ties them together."

McCarthy watched from home, but told ESPN via phone following the win: "It was rough, I'm not going to lie. I'm proud of the guys and how it all turned out, but I don't ever want to do this again.

"Adversity win, ugly win, however, you want to define it, you have to have these wins, especially when you get to later in the year when you're playing teams that are trying to get in the playoffs or make a run.

"This is a great experience for us. Let's face it, this is today's NFL. You've got to be able to win with change."

Daniel Carson converted a 29-yard field goal to lift the Raiders (6-5) past the Cowboys (7-4) in Dallas in the first overtime game to occur on Thanksgiving since 2012.

There was an early advantage for Las Vegas on Thursday as Derek Carr (24-of-39 passing for 373 yards and a TD – most yards by a Raiders quarterback on Thanksgiving in team history) threw to DeSean Jackson, who ran in for a 56-yard touchdown. It was Jackson's 34th career touchdown of 50-plus yards, the second-most in NFL history, just two behind Jerry Rice.

The Cowboys – without stars CeeDee Lamb (concussion) and Amari Cooper (COVID-19) – responded immediately with a touchdown of their own as Dak Prescott (32-of-47 passing for 375 yards for two TDs) found Sean McKeon.

A 30-yard penalty for pass interference gave Josh Jacobs a simple one-yard TD to make it 14-6 in favour of Las Vegas heading into the second quarter.

Dallas looked to be getting desperate as Zuerlein attempted and missed a 59-yard field goal, but they were able to score their second TD just before half-time as an 86-yard drive ended with a one-yard TD for Ezekiel Elliott to close within 17-13 at the break.

The Raiders increased their lead halfway through the third quarter – Marcus Mariota running in a touchdown to complete a 75-yard drive, only for Tony Pollard to immediately run a 100-yard kick-off return to bring it back to 27-19, the third-longest TD in Thanksgiving history.

Dallas forced overtime thanks to Prescott's pass to Dalton Schultz and a pair of Zuerlein field goals in the fourth period, but the Cowboys were unable to complete the comeback in the additional period.

Prescott completed 21 of 27 passes for 295 yards, claiming the Cowboys' record for most single-season touchdown passes, going past Tony Romo's mark of 36.

The win improves means the Cowboys finish the regular season with a 12-5 record but will need to wait on Sunday's result to learn their NFC seeding which could be as high as second and as low as fourth.

Dallas head into the playoffs with a 5-1 run across their past six games after a two-game mid-season losing streak and go 6-0 in the NFC East.

Cedric Wilson (119 yards for five receptions) and Dalton Schultz both scored two TDs, while Corey Clement, Ito Smith and JaQuan Hardy also got on the scoresheet.

Upon Hardy's 22-yard rushing touchdown, the Cowboys broke the record for most players (22) to score a TD in a single season.

The Eagles, who rested numerous key players, are playoffs bound despite a 9-8 record. Eagles QB Gardner Minshew, who stepped in for Jalen Hurts due to an ankle injury, threw 19 of 33 passes for 186 yards and two TDs with one interception.

The Cowboys extended their losing run in Divisional Round games to 7-0 since 1997 as they were eliminated from the playoffs by the 49ers for the second straight season on Sunday.

In a game where both teams' defenses shone, Prescott completed 23 of 37 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown but two interceptions.

The two picks, from Fred Warner and Deommodore Lenoir, led to six points for the 49ers, which was telling given the final margin.

"Those are throws you can't have, not in the playoffs," Prescott said. "Not when you're playing a team like that [and] on the road. No excuses for it. Those are 100 per cent on me."

Prescott had a career-high 15 interceptions in the regular season, becoming the first QB to tie or lead the league while missing five or more games.

The Cowboys QB also finished the season with his sixth multi-interception game, tied for most in the NFL.

Prescott labelled his interceptions as "ridiculous" and vowed that that total would never be so high again.

"On the first one, I hitched one too many times with [Michael Gallup]," he said. "Understandably, hitching three times, thought I was gonna go on a scramble but the guy just came back to the ball and made a play.

"I've gotta throw that one away or use my feet and get out of the pocket. On the second one, the nickel [cornerback] squeezed, and I tried to throw it to CeeDee [Lamb], but the [defender] was able to make a play on it. He tipped it in the air and to the [middle linebacker]."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he felt "sick" after another playoffs exit, while head coach Mike McCarthy lamented their inability to convert on offense.

"We knew it was gonna be a slugfest," McCarthy said. "We just didn't get enough. You can go through the decisions, the statistics, but I think, defensively, we did a really good job, for the most part.

"Would we like to have a couple more snaps? Yes. Would we like to have a couple more third-down conversions on offense? Yes, we could've used those, too.

"Just extremely disappointed. This has been an incredible journey with this group of men, we just came up short tonight to a very good football team."

Prescott's status for Sunday's game, which the Cowboys went on to win 20-16 on the road, had been uncertain in the days leading up to the contest due to his calf injury.

He was ultimately ruled out after undergoing tests in the pre-game warmup, allowing Rush to make his first career NFL start.

Despite only completing 24 of his 40 pass attempts, Rush still racked up 325 passing yards and two touchdowns to one interception.

He threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, who starred with eight catches and 122 receiving yards, in the final minute as the Cowboys improved to 6-1 even without star QB Prescott.

Asked about how the Vikings had prepared for the possibility of facing Prescott or Rush this week, safety Xavier Woods acknowledged they expected the more senior player to take the field.

"We weren't [preparing for both]," said Woods, per ESPN. "We were just preparing for 4 [Prescott].

"We kind of thought they were going to still run the same offense. So, we just prepared for 4 all week. 

"We didn't get the word [that Rush was going to start] until pregame, so we just prepared for 4 but we watched a couple clips of Coop. But during the week, we just prepared for 4."

CeeDee Lamb (eight catches for 112 yards) and Cedrick Wilson (three catches for 84 yards and one TD) also proved productive targets for Rush.

The Cowboys hope Prescott can return for the home game with the Denver Broncos, though they are eager to ensure his injury heals fully in a season where a playoff run looks increasingly likely.

Asked if facing Denver was possible, Prescott said: "For sure. I was getting prepared to play this game

"I'm a guy that takes it day-by-day, moment-at-moment, and right now, I'm going to celebrate this win with the guys and worry about rehabbing and getting everything back in order on Monday.

"We made a call at the end of having a chance to come out with a win, without me playing, and be able to get healthy and not have something re-injure and linger past this week."

After a slow start, which included an interception by Woods and Dallas' first pointless first quarter of the season, Rush delivered with a game-winning drive in the closing stages.

"That's Coop," added Prescott. "He's very mild tempered and always that way – never too high or too low. It showed.

"It allowed him to stay in there, stick to it, stick through some bad plays and come out and make some great plays to win the game that we needed in the fourth quarter."

Rush became the first quarterback to throw 300-plus passing yards and win in his first NFL start in a primetime road game since 1984.

Minnesota, meanwhile, fall to 3-4 and have a testing road game with the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) in Week 9.

With no career receiving touchdowns coming into the contest, the second-round draft pick got one on the board in the first quarter, reeling in a deep ball for a 58-yard touchdown in response to CeeDee Lamb's opening score.

A 12-yard rush from Aaron Jones would give the Packers a lead, before Dalton Schultz tied things up with the fourth touchdown of the first frame.

Second-quarter scores to Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and a second for Lamb gave their side a 28-14 lead at halftime, but Dallas would not score the rest of the way.

Watson brought it back to a one-possession game with his second touchdown to begin the fourth quarter, and he struck again with 2:29 remaining in regulation to tie the game and force overtime.

After the Cowboys failed to convert a fourth down in the extra period, the Packers marched downfield and set-up a game-winning 28-yard field goal for Mason Crosby.

With Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers desperate for a new go-to option, Watson was targeting on eight of his 20 passes for a whopping 40 per cent target share. For reference, Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams leads the league with a 31.7 per cent target share entering Week 10.

Watson caught four of his eight targets for 107 yards and three touchdowns, while to all other receivers Rodgers completed 10 passes for 117 yards and no scores.

Saturday gets his first Sunday win

In his first game as a head coach above the high school level, Indianapolis Colts legend Jeff Saturday led his team to a 25-20 road win against the Las Vegas Raiders.

In a surprising move that was not announced pre-game, interim coach Saturday opted to return the starting quarterback role to veteran Matt Ryan, pivoting away from second-year youngster Sam Ehlinger.

Ryan was serviceable, completing 21 of 28 passes for 222 yards and no turnovers, but they relied on their running game to get the job done.

Star running back Jonathan Taylor was the Colts' workhorse, carrying 22 times for 147 yards and two scores, highlighted by a 66-yard touchdown run to take the lead in the third quarter.

Despite the offense struggling, Pittsburgh forced four turnovers against a Titans side who continue to lead the AFC South but slip to 9-5 with this setback.

Linebacker T.J. Watt had 1.5 sacks to reach 17.5 for the season, establishing a new Steelers record as the home team improved to 7-6-1, getting the better of a side that blanked the Jaguars 20-0 last week.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hailed the effort from his team to overcome their shortcomings and capitalise on their strengths, with Chris Boswell kicking four field goals and Ben Roethlisberger snatching a rare touchdown.

Roethlisberger (16-of-25 for 148 yards) also went fifth on the all-time NFL passing yards list in this game, jumping ahead of Philip Rivers with a three-yard pass to Najee Harris and boosting his career total to 63,562 yards by the end.

Tomlin said: "It's an exciting victory for us, a very necessary one. They won the battle of field position, their special teams were better than ours, but in spite of all those things I thought the guys continued to fight.

"The turnovers levelled the playing field in the second half. That was the catalyst for us to go ahead and secure victory. I like the way the guys collectively smiled in the face of adversity.

"We'll be thankful for this win. That's a really good football team we played and were able to beat today. Hopefully there's some growth associated with conquering challenges like that, and we are going to need that as we go on the road next week."

The Steelers tackle the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs on December 26, while the Titans are back in action against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

Lions chew up Cardinals

Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and kept the Arizona Cardinals waiting to nail down a playoff place as the Detroit Lions sprang a huge shock with their 30-12 win.

With just one win, Detroit headed into the game against the Cardinals, who were 10-3 for the season, as heavy underdogs, despite Arizona losing last week to the Los Angeles Rams.

Goff found Amon-Ra St Brown and Josh Reynolds for touchdowns in the first half as the Lions surge to a 17-0 lead at halfway – at that point their biggest advantage at any stage of any game all season and the Cardinals' biggest half-time deficit for three years.

The lead was even wider come the end of the game, with Goff finding Jason Cabinda for another touchdown, meaning Arizona's once-firm grip on first place in the NFC West is now far from that, as the Rams (9-4) lurk.

The NFL said the result marked only the third time since 1970 that a team with the worst record in the NFL had beaten a team with the best or joint-best record, taking into account only games when the sides had already played at least eight times in the season.

It was also the third-largest win all-time by a team with nine-plus fewer wins than an opponent, per Stats Perform.

Cowboys almost there

The Dallas Cowboys moved to the brink of a first playoff appearance since 2018 thanks to a 21-6 win over the New York Giants, improving to 10-4 as they continue to lead the NFC East.

Behind the arm of Dak Prescott (28-of-37 for 217 yards and one touchdown), the Cowboys had just enough to avoid any undue worries, with the scoring all wrapped up by the end of the third quarter.

While Prescott was far from perfect, he was streets ahead of Giants starting QB Mike Glennon (13-of-24 for 99 yards) who was picked off three times by the Cowboys. Trevon Diggs had the third of those interceptions to reach 10 for the season. Glennon was eventually benched to allow Jake Fromm (6-of-12 for 82 yards) a chance to impress.

Prescott lost both of his starts against the Giants as a rookie in 2016 but has now gone 9-0 in subsequent starts against New York.

Dallas dropped to 7-3 on the season with a 19-9 loss at Arrowhead Stadium, failing to find the endzone for the first time since November 2020.

The Cowboys were missing left tackle Tyron Smith because of an ankle injury and felt the impact of that absence as Prescott was sacked five times.

Cooper, meanwhile, missed out after testing positive for coronavirus, that problem exacerbated by fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb leaving the game with a concussion.

He is unvaccinated, meaning Cooper must miss 10 days and will also not be available for the Cowboys' Thanksgiving clash with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.

Despite facing the prospect of heading into the Raiders game without both Cooper and Lamb, Prescott refused to blame the former for his vaccination status.

"I mean, it's unfortunate not having him," Prescott said, in quotes distributed by the team. "To say the decision he made — I mean I'm vaccinated and I could get it and be out two games.

"Let's try not to knock the guy or put the guy down for a personal decision.

"I don't think there's anybody that comes back under 10 days. You give me that stat on guys that are either vaccinated or unvaccinated coming back faster than that time and tested out, then ok, we'll go from there.

"That's my team-mate; that's my brother. We're going to support him. That's his decision, as I said way back in training camp when you guys asked me this question.

"Unfortunately we don't have him, but I know he'll come back and be beneficial for us late in the season."

"It's just an opportunity for other guys to step up and make plays," Prescott added of Cooper's absence.

"We've had different guys including myself go out week after week and other guys have had to step in and make those plays.

"It's challenging when you're missing a guy like Amari who is such a playmaker and dynamic but we've got to be able to win without him."