Tuesday 27 December 2016 14:02, UK
The Dallas Cowboys scored six touchdowns, including one thrown by receiver Dez Bryant, to beat the Detroit Lions 42-21. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott played the whole game, throwing for 212 yards and three touchdowns, while Ezekiel Elliott once again led the attack with 80 yards and two scores.
In 140 Characters...
Behind one of the great offensive lines, Dallas look unbeatable up front. A win next week would give them a 14-2 record - best in team history.
MVP
Dez Bryant was sensational, with 70 yards and two touchdowns from just four catches. He even threw a 10-yard TD to Jason Witten! With 67 receiving TDs, Bryant is now second in franchise history and needs just five more to take top spot.
Game-changer
With the teams level at half time, Dallas came out and dominated, and it was the defence that made the critical first play. Escaping pressure, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw downfield on the run, but the pass was tipped by a leaping Brandon Carr, into the arms of J.J. Wilcox.
From there, the Cowboys scored three touchdowns in 17 plays to stun Detroit and effectively end the contest.
Stat of the night
13 - Prescott has 13 wins this season, tying the rookie record with Ben Roethlisberger. He has one more game to make that record his own, against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The game
Both sides started fast, with five touchdowns in the first six drives. Dallas took the lead through Brice Butler's 21-yard catch, but Detroit soon levelled as running back Zach Zenner cut through a gap in the defensive line to score from seven yards.
Dallas went ahead once again after Elliott's 55-yard run finished in the end zone, before Stafford scored a one-yard rushing touchdown of his own to begin the second quarter.
The Lions then made it 21-14 as Zenner added his second touchdown of the night, getting the better of the Dallas defence once more as he charged through for the five-yard touchdown.
Bryant pulled his team level before half time, making a spectacular one-handed, 25-yard catch under heavy pressure from cornerback Johnson Bademosi.
After a first half battle for supremacy, it was Dallas who took over from the third quarter onwards. From Wilcox's interception, Elliott gave Dallas the lead with a one-yard rushing score, before Bryant turned quarterback, taking the ball from Prescott and throwing 10 yards down the sideline to tight end Witten.
Detroit missed a 47-yard field goal on their next drive, and Bryant put the game beyond reach with a 19-yard catch, getting his feet in bounds on the right hand side before falling into the end zone.
With their play-off place already assured, head coach Jason Witten made the decision to leave Prescott in for the entire game, despite having Tony Romo in reserve. He did reduce the workload on Elliott, who went without a carry in the final quarter. Elliott is now 167 yards shy of the all-time rookie rushing record, and looks unlikely to see enough action in week 17 to secure the accolade.
As for the Lions, who have lost their last two games, the season comes down to a showdown with the Green Bay Packers. Victory would still secure the NFC North, but defeat could see them out of the play-offs completely, if the Washington Redskins beat the New York Giants.
