Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes as the Dallas Cowboys kept alive their hopes of winning the NFC East division with a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Thursday.

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.

Despite playing without their starting quarterback, the Philadelphia Eagles put up a strong fight on the road against the Dallas Cowboys before ultimately going down 40-34.

Entering the contest at 13-1, the Eagles were missing Jalen Hurts for the first time this season, meaning backup Gardner Minshew would run the show.

One of the more capable backups in the league, Minshew played well, rushing for a touchdown in the first half before throwing one to begin the third quarter to put his side ahead 27-17. The Cowboys fought back to tie things up, but Minshew was not done, tossing his second touchdown of the game to pull ahead 34-27 early in the fourth.

However, Dallas had too much firepower down the stretch, highlighted by receiver CeeDee Lamb's big outing.

Lamb scored the Cowboys' only touchdown in the first half, and he struck again with his side trailing in the last quarter, tying the game at 34-34 to cap a 12-catch, 120-yard performance.

Dallas finally stuck their noses back in front when Brett Maher converted a 26-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining on the clock, leaving the Eagles with plenty of time to mount a game-winning drive, but it ended abruptly after Miles Sanders' fumble on the very first play.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 27 of his 35 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while his counterpart Minshew was 24-of-40 for two scores and two picks.

With the win, Dallas improved their record to 11-4 and secured their place in the playoffs, although they will need the Eagles (13-2) to lose their last two for any chance at stealing the division.

Bosa, Kittle lead eighth consecutive 49ers victory

The San Francisco 49ers (11-4) remain the hottest team in the NFL after rattling off their eighth straight win, defeating the Washington Commanders 37-20.

It continues rookie quarterback Brock Purdy's dream start to his career, with four wins from his first four starts since Jimmy Garoppolo's injury. He completed 15 of his 22 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but the stars of the game were tight end George Kittle and pass-rusher Nick Bosa.

Kittle – who had only four touchdowns for the season prior to last week's game – now has four touchdowns in the past two weeks, following up a 93-yard, two touchdown performance with Saturday's 120-yard, two-touchdown showing.

Meanwhile, Defensive Player of the Year favourite Nick Bosa sacked Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke twice, taking his league-leading sack total to 17.5 in 14 games.

The Philadelphia Eagles may have already won the NFC East and will enter Week 16 without quarterback Jalen Hurts, but a clash with the Dallas Cowboys remains the standout game on the slate.

While the Cowboys' attempts to stick with the Eagles this year were hampered by their road form, Dallas are strong at home and will hope to send a warning to their division rivals ahead of a playoff campaign in which both teams will hope to feature prominently.

Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have work to do still as they aim, like the Eagles, to secure a bye with the number one seed in the AFC.

But it is not all about the NFL's leading lights, with the battle for position ahead of the postseason ongoing – with a big game in store in Charlotte.

Stats Perform picks out the key facts ahead of a busy Christmas weekend...
 

Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

In beating the Chicago Bears last week, the Eagles secured a 13th win in a single season for only the third time in franchise history. On the two previous occasions, Philly finished with a 13-3 record and reached the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots in the 2004 season and beating the same team in 2017.

The Eagles have never won 14 games in a regular season and will be without injured QB Hurts as they aim to end a four-game losing streak in Dallas.

But the Cowboys are coming into this big home game on a downer, having blown a 17-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week for their first loss in five.

That game also again showed big QB performances can sometimes prove immaterial, with Dak Prescott throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys are 1-2 this season when Prescott has thrown three or more TD passes and only 7-6 since 2020. Prior to that, they were 13-3 in such games.

Seattle Seahawks (7-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

Patrick Mahomes and Geno Smith each earned Pro Bowl selections this week – a fifth for Mahomes but only a first for Smith. Both were well deserved, with the pair third and second respectively for passer rating among qualifying players this year (Smith, 105.3, and Mahomes, 105.0).

However, Mahomes will look to do something he has never done before on Saturday: beat the Seahawks. Having lost 38-31 to Seattle in his only previous such clash in 2018, they are one of just two teams Mahomes has played but never beaten (also 0-2 against the Indianapolis Colts).

Smith, who has never faced the Chiefs, leads the NFC with 26 touchdown passes as he aims to follow Russell Wilson (2017 and 2018) and Matt Hasselbeck (2005) as the only Seahawks to lead the conference across a season. However, with eight interceptions and four fumbles lost by Smith, Seattle are the sole team in the league to have committed a turnover in every game this year.

Detroit Lions (7-7) @ Carolina Panthers (5-9)

The Lions' stunning 6-1 run, including an active three-game winning streak, has them firmly in playoff contention in the NFC. The last time they won six out of seven games in a single season, back in 2016, was also the last time they made the postseason.

However, the Lions have a miserable history against the Panthers. Their 3-7 record in this matchup is their worst against any current NFC franchise, while Detroit are 0-5 on the road against the Panthers since winning on their first trip in 1999.

With Jared Goff in the best form of his career, the Lions will hope to snap that streak. He has gone six games without an interception, which ties the longest such streak by a Lions QB since the statistic was first tracked in 1960. Goff had never previously gone more than three games without throwing a pick.

Elsewhere...

The Bears this week face the Buffalo Bills, the only team in the Super Bowl era to have lost more consecutive games with 125 or more rushing yards in each loss. Chicago have lost seven in a row, but the 1976 Bills were defeated in 10. With 2,616 rushing yards but a 3-11 record, the Bears are on course to become the first team to lead the league in rushing yards yet have one of the worst two records since the 1932 Staten Island Stapletons.

Recent history suggests the Minnesota Vikings will follow up last week's record-breaking comeback against the Colts with another win over the New York Giants. The Vikings' 7-2 record against the Giants since 2005 is their best against NFC opposition and New York's worst.

The Patriots will have to upset the Cincinnati Bengals to get their playoff bid back on track, yet they have won their past seven home games in this matchup, including the last four while scoring at least 35 points. The last team to win five in a row at home to any one team while scoring 35 points or more were the San Francisco 49ers against the Atlanta Falcons between 1992 and 1996.

Tua Tagovailoa will be relieved this week's game against the Green Bay Packers is in Miami and not Wisconsin. Following last week's defeat to Buffalo, the Dolphins QB is 0-4 in starts when the weather is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit; he is 17-7 when the temperature is at least 50 degrees.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott knows the NFC top seed may be out of reach but wants his side to "make a statement" against the 13-1 Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

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.

The Dallas Cowboys were the biggest favourites on Sunday, but they needed a touchdown drive in the final minute to defeat the Houston Texans 27-23.

Dallas entered the game at 9-3, coming off a 54-19 pounding of the Indianapolis Colts, while the Texans were 1-10-1 and coasting towards the number one pick in the NFL Draft.

The Cowboys entered the game as 17-point favourites, but the game did not follow the script, with Houston hanging 20 points on one of the league's best defenses in just the first half.

They did it with a touchdown run from rookie Dameon Pierce, before backup quarterback Jeff Driskel came in and threw a 28-yard score to Amari Rodgers, and a pair of Ka'imi Fairbairn field goals gave them a 20-17 lead at the break.

Tony Pollard had both of the Cowboys' first-half trips to the end zone – one through the air and one on the ground – before the second half turned into a defensive struggle, with no touchdowns until the final 46 seconds.

Trailing by three, the Cowboys got the ball back on the two-yard line with 3:20 on the clock, marching 98 yards down the field in 11 plays, culminating in a two-yard, game-winning rushing touchdown from Ezekiel Elliott to spare his side any embarrassment.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott ended up completing 24 of his 39 passes for 284 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while receiver Chris Moore was a standout for the Texans with 10 catches for 124 yards.

Eagles run up the score

The Philadelphia Eagles showed no mercy on their way to a dominant 48-22 demolition of the New York Giants, improving their league-best record to 12-1.

All of the Eagles' offensive stars got in on the act, starting with potential MVP Jalen Hurts, who threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown with his seven carries for 77 yards.

Running back Miles Sanders racked up 144 yards and two touchdowns from his 17 carries, while their two top receivers – A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith – were on the receiving end of both of Hurts' touchdown passes.

The Eagles' defense also collected seven sacks, with three to Brandon Graham, to leave the Giants (7-4-1) with three losses and a tie from their past four outings.

Lions keep their playoff hopes alive

The Detroit Lions have now won five of their past six after defeating the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings 34-23.

Jared Goff played arguably his best game of the season, taking no sacks and committing no turnovers while passing for 330 yards and three touchdowns, with D.J. Chark enjoying a terrific day on the outside for 94 yards and a touchdown from his six catches.

It was a day to remember for first-round draft pick Jameson Williams, as the first catch of his NFL career went for a 41-yard touchdown, having only made his debut last week after beginning the season with a torn ACL.

The Lions are now 6-7, and are well and truly in the NFC wildcard hunt, only one game off the pace.

The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up in the second half to run away with a 54-19 home win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, led by former Colts safety Malik Hooker.

The win improved the Cowboys' record to 9-3, good enough for third in the NFC, trailing only the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) and the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) in the race for the one seed.

It was the Colts leading early, with Matt Ryan's 14-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Dulin giving them a 10-7 lead at quarter-time after their opening field goal was answered by a CeeDee Lamb touchdown catch for the Cowboys.

Tony Pollard put the Cowboys back in front when he forced his way into the endzone from the two-yard line, before Hooker seized full control of the game when he intercepted Ryan with one minute remaining in the first half, allowing the Cowboys to add another touchdown ahead of the break.

Michael Gallup was the recipient of that score in the final seconds of the half, and after an Alec Pierce touchdown cut the Cowboys' lead to 21-19, Gallup snagged his second of the game for some breathing room.

Things would go from bad-to-worse from there for the Colts as their next four drives resulted in turnovers.

Hooker added a fumble recovery and defensive touchdown to his big day, and the next two drives would both end in interceptions by fifth-round rookie DaRon Bland, icing the game and setting up some garbage-time stat-padding.

Dak Prescott completed 20 of his 30 passes for 170 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Pollard rushed 12 times for 91 yards and two scores, and Ezekiel Elliott added 17 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Dak Prescott believes the Dallas Cowboys have a championship-level defense after another lockdown performance in the second half of their 28-20 Thanksgiving win against the New York Giants.

Prescott was solid, completing 21-of-30 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions, with both of his scores coming in the third quarter to tight end Dalton Schultz.

His touchdown passes on back-to-back drives quickly turned a 13-7 half-time deficit into a 21-13 lead by the end of the third quarter, and the Cowboys did not concede a point in the second half until a consolation touchdown in the final 10 seconds.

Their defense was led by last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year and current Defensive Player of the Year favourite, Micah Parsons, who sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones twice to take his season tally to 12 – the second most in the league.

It comes one week after the Cowboys' defense manhandled the Minnesota Vikings en route to a 40-3 demolition, and Prescott said that defensive group gives them a chance to be great.

"I'm as confident as I can be," he told reporters after the Giants win. "I always have been with this team.

"It doesn't matter what [outsiders] say about what they believe in, I know what this team is capable of – especially with this defense we have.

"We've just got to continue to keep our heads down, take it one day at a time, and one game at a time. We control everything that's in front of us."

Despite the final result, it was a choppy first half for the Cowboys' offense, but star receiver CeeDee Lamb said that is never going to result in a dip in confidence.

"We've been preaching resilience," Lamb said. "That's our motto this year. Everything about this season has been revealing itself. Just understanding that we're always coming to battle, ready for whatever and we've got each other's back.

"[Prescott and I] are still building. I understand how late it is in the season, but we didn't have the first half [of the season, when Prescott was out injured]. 

"We still had a couple mishaps, but we came out victorious and had a couple completions in the clutch."

At 8-3, the Cowboys are almost assured of a spot in the postseason, where they will have a chance to win their first playoff game since 2018.

The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up at half-time and took over the game against the New York Giants, carrying their side to a 28-20 victory on Thanksgiving.

Playing on the road, it was the Giants who led early, with two field goals and a Saquon Barkley goal-line touchdown giving the visitors a 13-7 lead at the long break.

What was a competitive contest in the first half turned into one-way traffic in the third quarter, with Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz punctuating back-to-back drives with touchdown catches to jump ahead 21-13 heading into the fourth.

The last quarter was more of the same, adding another touchdown with a hand-off to backup tight end Peyton Hendershot from the two-yard line to complete the rout.

New York only had four possessions after half-time, resulting in a punt and two turnovers-on-downs, before a consolation touchdown in the final seconds with the game well-and-truly decided, as the Cowboys showed why many are picking them as the best defensive team in the NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons collected two of the Cowboys' three sacks on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, taking his tally for the season to 12, trailing only Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots (13).

The Cowboys' two-pronged rushing attack also delivered, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combining for 152 yards and a touchdown from 34 carries, while CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with six catches for 106 yards. Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes with two interceptions on 21-of-30 passing for 261 yards.

The result breaks the tie between the two sides in the NFC East, with the Cowboys now owning sole possession of second place in the NFC East at 8-3, while the Giants slipped to 7-4.

The Dallas Cowboys sent a statement to the rest of the NFL with an eye-opening 40-3 road win against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

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.

Green Bay Packers rookie Christian Watson was the star of the show in his side's 31-28 comeback win in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

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.

Dak Prescott made a slow start on his return to the Dallas Cowboys team, but "a win's a win", the quarterback says.

Prescott had been out of action since fracturing his thumb in the Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cowboys had improved to 4-2 in his absence, led by Cooper Rush, and their fifth win followed in a 24-6 defeat of the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Prescott was back in the team, although he was far from the star of the show.

The Dallas defense produced five sacks and two interceptions, while Ezekiel Elliott ran in for two touchdowns.

Prescott did not throw a TD pass until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, finishing with 207 yards on 19-of-25 passing.

The QB was never concerned about his own performance, though, suggesting he might have enjoyed overseeing a comfortable victory without contributing with a TD of his own.

"A win's a win," Prescott said. "I really don't care how it gets done; a win's a win.

"I thought it was going to be pretty cool to leave this game without a touchdown, honestly. That's kind of where my head is right now.

"I know how talented this team is. I know what we can be. It's not about me. It's about all of us, and I'm just trying to make sure I play my part and make sure I put this team in the right situation each and every play."

Crucially, he added: "The thumb feels pretty good."

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said of his QB's display: "I thought Dak performed better as the game went on. It's his first time he's been out there in quite some time.

"Start with the command of the huddle, the whole operation, I thought he was really on point there. He handled the adjustments that were going during the course of the game.

"Those are the big things that don't show up in the stat column."

The Dallas Cowboys have not made an official announcement, but according to Dak Prescott he will be back starting at quarterback on Sunday against the visiting Detroit Lions.

When asked during a press conference on Thursday if he would be starting on Sunday, Prescott responded, “I am.”

He then paused briefly and said, “I think.”

Though he tried walk back his slip-up, all signs point to Prescott being under center for the first time since suffering a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 11.

He has been medically cleared to practice and got through a full training session on Thursday for the first time since his injury.

''It's about staying where my feet are,'' Prescott said. ''Just thankful I went out there and had a good practice. Just put my mind right where I am, and when I look up I'll be prepared ready to go for Sunday.''

Prescott said he had no issues throwing and joked that he threw 140 passes – his way of saying he has no limitations.

"I did everything. I wasn't limited by any means," Prescott said. "There wasn't a pitch count. I think I threw about 140 balls, something like that. I just made that up, but there was no pitch count. I was full go."

He threw 40 passes during a practice on Wednesday and also threw on the field prior to the Cowboys’ 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

That marks the only blemish on Dallas’ record since the season opener.

Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to four consecutive wins in place of Prescott, completing 61.9 per cent of his passes for 775 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 97.1 passer rating before completing 47.4 per cent of his 38 attempts for 181 yards with a TD throw and three picks for a 37.3 rating in Week 6.

''He went out there and did everything I expected Cooper to do,'' Prescott said. ''Understand that everybody had to raise their level and everybody is going to continue to raise their level. That is what he has done and what the team has done. Now I can come back and we can keep rolling.''

Prescott, however, also struggled in Week 1, completing 48.3 per cent of his 29 attempts for 134 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per throw with one interception and a 47.2 rating.

Since Dak Prescott was injured in the season opener, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has remained optimistic that his quarterback would return sooner than originally estimated.

He now believes Prescott will be back on the field this Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

"Well, let's just say this: He's determined to [play]," Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. "I think he's, from my perspective, from what I can know and see, I think he's going to get there. We feel like that physically, he's at a position that the risk/reward justifies him being out there in terms of any reoccurrence of the injury."

Prescott was originally expected to be sidelined between six-and-eight weeks after suffering a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 11.

He began throwing again last week and coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that Prescott would be medically cleared to return to practice Wednesday.

"He’s going to be given every opportunity this week to go play," Jones said. "He looks ready to go."

Jones said Prescott had a "very impressive" throwing session prior to Sunday’s 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and afterwards said he was planning to return in Week 7.

Sunday’s defeat marked Dallas’ only setback since the season opener.

Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to four consecutive wins in place of Prescott, completing 61.9 per cent of his passes for 775 yards for an average of 7.4 yards per attempt with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 97.1 passer rating.

He looked a bit shaky this past weekend, however, completing 47.4 per cent of his 38 attempts for 181 yards and an average of 4.8 yards per pass with a TD throw and three picks for a 37.3 rating.

Prescott, however, also struggled in Week 1, completing 48.3 per cent of his 29 attempts for 134 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per throw with one interception and a 47.2 rating.

Dak Prescott is planning to return to the Dallas Cowboys team against the Detroit Lions in Week 7 and is "happy as hell" with the job the team have done in his absence.

Quarterback Prescott was speaking after Sunday's defeat to NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, who improved to a stunning 6-0 with their 26-17 success.

But the Cowboys are still a highly competitive 4-2, despite being without Prescott since the fourth quarter of their only other defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.

"That's my plan," he said of facing the Lions. "Obviously got to see the doc, but that's my plan.

"I plan on going into this week and trying to get my full week of practice."

Cooper Rush has deputised at QB, although he has Dallas ranking down in 27th in total offense (300.8 yards per game). In 2021, when Prescott started 16 of 17 games, the Cowboys ranked first (407.0).

That room for improvement gives the Cowboys cause for optimism, though. The defense has kept them in contention, ranking eighth (304.2) in a significant improvement on last year (19th – 351.0).

"I never really had any doubt that the team wouldn't do what they just did," Prescott added. "Obviously, you all know me, very optimistic.

"I've got a lot of pride in this team, know the guys that are on this team, the defense, know what Cooper is capable of.

"So, I'm obviously disappointed I couldn't be with the guys along the past five weeks but excited to move forward and happy as hell with the position that we're in, and we can get rolling."

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is certainly looking forward to having his QB back, although he has remained on course for a second straight 1,000-yard season with Rush under center, averaging 68.2 per game.

"The sky's the limit," Lamb said. "The offense is very good, and everyone knows this. When we get [Prescott] back, we're going to show everybody."

The Philadelphia Eagles withstood the Dallas Cowboys' second-half charge to maintain their undefeated run to start the season with 26-17 victory at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.

The Eagles raced away to a 20-0 lead after 20 second-quarter points, before the Cowboys stormed back within three points when Cooper Rush found Jake Ferguson for a fourth-quarter TD.

But Jalen Hurts, who completed 15 of 25 attempts for 255 yards and rushed 27 yards on nine carries, added his second touchdown pass of the game for DeVonta Smith as the Eagles moved to a 6-0 start for the first time since 2004.

Cowboys QB Rush, starting for the injured Dak Prescott for the fifth straight game, threw three picks having previously gone 158 pass attempts without an interception. Rush finished making 18-of-38 for 181 yards with the one TD pass as the Cowboys moved to 4-2.

After a scoreless first quarter, Miles Sanders scored the Eagles' 13th rushing touchdown of the season, the most for a team league-wide through six games since 2005. Sanders finished the game with 18 carries for 71 yards.

From the next play, C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Rush's pass, commencing the Eagles' drive for Hurts to lay off to A.J. Brown who crossed into the endzone after a nice step.

KaVontae Turpin's explosive kickoff run helped kicker Brett Maher get the Cowboys on the board prior to half-time, before Rush found Ferguson, allowing Ezekiel Elliott to score from the next play, capping a nine-play 79-yard drive.

The Cowboys had the momentum when Dante Fowler Jr sacked Hurts, with Rush finding Ferguson for a career-first TD in the last quarter to make it 20-17. But Hurts showed composure to lead a 13-play drive resulting in Smith's TD, before Gardner-Johnson picked another Rush pass intended for Ceedee Lamb.