53º

GREG ZUERLEIN

Giants outlast Cowboys, lose division hours later to WSH

New York’s postseason chances hinged on Philadelphia beating Washington later Sunday, but the Eagles flopped in a 20-14 loss. Hardly how first-year coach Joe Judge planned it, but there were no complaints about extending the season for at least a few more hours. Limited to 26 points over its previous three games, the Giants’ 31st-ranked offense busted out with 239 yards and 20 points in the first half. Giants: Williams had seven tackles, three sacks and hit the quarterback five times. Giants: LB Blake Martinez left the game briefly after appearing to injure his left ankle or foot in the third quarter.

Cowboys beat Eagles 37-17, stay alive with Washington loss

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (19) celebrate a touchdown catch by Lamb in the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 27. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)ARLINGTON, Texas – Andy Dalton threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, two to Michael Gallup, and the Dallas Cowboys stayed alive in the playoff race with a 37-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Dallas can overtake Washington (6-9) with a win at the New York Giants and a Washington loss to the Eagles on the final weekend of the regular season. The Giants (5-10) can get in by beating the Cowboys if Washington loses. UP NEXTPhiladelphia has Dallas' fate in its hands at home against Washington in the regular-season finale.

Dalton returns to Cincy, leads Cowboys over Bengals 30-7

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton (14) celebrates a touchdown throw with wide receiver Amari Cooper (19) in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)CINCINNATI – Andy Dalton was good enough in his return to Cincinnati, tossing two touchdown passes and helping lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 30-7 win over the Bengals on Sunday. The Bengals fumbled the ball away on their first three drives, one fumble returned for a touchdown, and leading to 17 first-half points by the Cowboys (4-9). Dalton was serviceable, going 16 for 23 for 185 yards, as the Cowboys stayed in contention in the weak NFC East. Dalton signed with the Cowboys as a backup, and stepped in when Dak Prescott went down.

Jackson, Ravens run past Cowboys 34-17 to end 3-game slide

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs with the ball while scoring a touchdown on a keeper against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL football game, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, in Baltimore. The Ravens averaged 7.9 yards per carry and prevailed despite getting only 107 yards passing from Jackson. That led to a Dallas field goal, but Jackson answered with a 37-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-2 play. Tony Pollard took the subsequent kickoff 66 yards to set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Michael Gallup. An interception by rookie Patrick Queen set up a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Miles Boykin for a 14-10 lead.

Eagles beat Cowboys 23-9 in sloppy battle for first place

Philadelphia Eagles' Travis Fulgham (13) celebrates with teammates after catching a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Philadelphia. Carson Wentz threw a pair of touchdown passes to overcome four turnovers, Rodney McLeod returned a fumble 53 yards for a score and the Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 23-9 on Sunday night. “A win is a win,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. The Cowboys then had an excellent opportunity after Donovan Wilson strip-sacked Wentz and recovered at the Eagles 25. Dallas had a first down at the Eagles 4 before Brandon Graham stripped DiNucci on second down and recovered.

Social media reaction swift after Prescott's gruesome injury

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) is tackled by New York Giants cornerback Logan Ryan, rear, in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. Prescott suffered a lower right leg injury on the play. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – Dak Prescott's brother wasted little time trying to show the upbeat side of the Dallas quarterback in a hospital bed after a gruesome ankle injury that ended his season Sunday. The rush of well wishes on social media was even faster during what ended up being a 37-34 victory for the Cowboys over the winless New York Giants. Former Dallas quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman and reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City were among them.

Prescott has gruesome injury, Cowboys rally to beat Giants

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, right, looks off as first responders and team medical personnel assist Prescott after he suffered a lower right leg injury running the ball against the New York Giants in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – After Dak Prescott's season ended on a gruesome ankle injury, his running mate for all five of their seasons with the Dallas Cowboys had a hard time getting through the post-game interview. Prescott reached for the leg as he writhed in pain, and TV images showed his right foot bent at an awkward angle away from his leg. Three of Graham Gano's four field goals were from at least 50 yards for the Giants, from 55, 50 and 54. Cowboys: DT Trysten Hill was carted off with a right knee on New York's first drive of the second half.

Wilson throws 5 more TD passes, Seahawks beat Cowboys 38-31

Wilson threw five touchdown passes, setting a record for most scoring passes in the first three games of a season with 14. Wilson became the first QB to have at least four TD passes in each of the first three games. Metcalf appeared to have a walk-in touchdown after hauling in a deep pass from Wilson late in the first quarter. Dallas trailed 30-15 after Prescott fumbled on the first play of the second half and Wilson subsequently threw his fourth TD pass. But Prescott threw TD passes of 42 yards to Cedrick Wilson and 43 yards to Michael Gallup, and Greg Zuerlein’s 42-yard field goal with 4:03 left gave Dallas a 31-30 lead.

Unmasked: NFL fines coaches, teams for not covering faces

(AP Photo/Don Wright)NFL coaches thumbed their collective — and exposed — noses at the NFL’s mask mandate in Week 2. More coaches and clubs can expect similar punishments as the memo last week from Troy Vincent, who oversees the league’s football operations, was largely ignored throughout the weekend. Players, who, like the coaches, are subject to daily COVID-19 tests, are exempt from the face covering requirements. Some coaches such as Belichick, McDaniels and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wore their masks or gaiters over their mouths but not noses. Others such as Carroll, Spagnuolo and Fangio wore their face coverings around their chins or necks, exposing both their mouths and noses.

Column: Another grim chapter for Atlanta's sports history

Dallas Cowboys cornerback C.J. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)ATLANTA – As the ball spun slowly along the turf at Jerry’s World, the black-clad players backing away like it was a live grenade, Atlanta’s grim sports history flooded the consciousness. There was never any doubt a Dallas player would fall on the onside kick before the Falcons did. There was never any doubt the game-winning kick would almost perfectly split the uprights, handing a team from Atlanta an almost unfathomable defeat. The Falcons led 20-0 in the first quarter after Dallas fumbled the ball away three times.

Cowboys' rally stuns Falcons 40-39 in McCarthy's home debut

Dallas Cowboys' Chris Jones (6) and others celebrate with kicker Greg Zuerlein (2) after Zuerlein kicked a field goal to help the Cowboys to a 40-39 win against the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – One gamble after another failed for coach Mike McCarthy in his home debut with the Dallas Cowboys. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired, and the Cowboys overcame four fumbles and a 20-point deficit in the first quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons 40-39 on Sunday. The Falcons pushed the lead to 39-24 on Younghoe Koo's fourth field goal with just under eight minutes left. Calvin Ridley was the leader for the Falcons this week with 109 yards and two touchdowns.

You can't say the crowds influenced rusty NFL officials

“For one, he was clamping me the whole time,” Green complained afterward, saying the officials should call it both ways. “Honestly, it reminded me of the times I was back at the College of San Mateo, my junior college,” Edelman said. It brought me back at least to high school, junior college, college. In some ways, it brings the game back to why you started playing, just to love playing the game. ___With contributions from AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell and AP Sports Writers Tim Booth, Larry Lage and Kyle Hightower.