ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns, including a 74-yarder to CeeDee Lamb, DaRon Bland returned an interception 68 yards for a score after Jayden Daniels left with a hamstring injury and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders 44-22 on Sunday.
Lamb had 110 yards on five catches after a high ankle sprain kept him out of the previous three games, when George Pickens sparkled without his new sidekick, then had just as much of an impact with them sharing the spotlight again.
Pickens’ 44-yard catch keyed a 35-second touchdown drive for a 27-15 lead in the final minute of the first half after Daniels had scored on a 1-yard run with 45 seconds to go before the break.
Javonte Williams ran for 116 yards and a touchdown for Dallas (3-3-1).
On the first possession of the second half for Washington (3-4), Daniels, who has already missed two games with a knee injury this season, injured his right hamstring while losing a fumble on Shemar James’ sack. The AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year grabbed behind his leg after getting dragged down by James as the ball came out.
Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels, and his first possession ended when he scrambled left and threw deep the other way to Jeremy McNichols. Bland was waiting for the throw and went untouched on the pick-6. Bland set an NFL record two years ago with five interception returns for touchdowns.
Prescott finished 21 of 30 for 264 yards with two TD passes to Jake Ferguson, who became the first tight end in NFL history with at least 50 catches and six receiving touchdowns in the first seven games of a season.
All of Ferguson’s scores have come on a four-game streak that is second among Dallas tight ends to Jason Witten. The franchise leader in catches and yards receiving had a five-game TD streak in 2010.
Daniels was missing his top three receivers in Terry McLaurin (quadriceps), Deebo Samuel (heel) and Noah Brown (knee/groin), a former Dallas player. Daniels had 156 yards and a touchdown to go with his TD run before the injury.
Mariota led a drive to Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s short scoring run, but his fourth down pass to Luke McCaffrey was overthrown early in the fourth quarter, ending any fading hopes for a comeback.
Pickens, acquired in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh, had four catches for 82 yards, but his touchdown streak ended at five games. He already has a career-high six TD catches.
Injuries
Commanders: DE Dorance Armstrong, the team’s sacks leader witih 5 1/2, injured a knee on the opening series of the game and didn’t return. … RG Sam Cosmi made his season debut. He tore a knee ligament in the playoffs last season.
Cowboys: DT Kenny Clark, the player acquired in the trade that sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay a week before the season started, injured an elbow in the third quarter.
Up next
Commanders: At Kansas City next Monday night.
Cowboys: At Denver next Sunday.
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