ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys didn’t must apprehension relating to the NFC East title anymore once they kicked off in opposition to Washington.
So they took care of the wide name quarterback’s plod as an different.
Prescott threw four touchdown passes, DeMarcus Lawrence returned an interception for a acquire and the Cowboys popular their clinching of the division crown with a 56-14 rout of Washington on Sunday evening.
The Cowboys (11-4) tied the franchise file for choices in a foremost half of while taking a 42-7 lead and disturbing Washington to the point that defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne scuffled on the sideline.
Dallas didn’t must keep so as to add the division title to the playoff berth that turned into once sealed with San Francisco’s loss to Tennessee three nights earlier. Las Vegas’ 17-13 victory over Denver took care of that about an hour sooner than kickoff, giving the Cowboys a tiebreaker over Philadelphia.
Prescott and company didn’t appear to care, and now the Eagles can’t tie them for the division title after Dallas scored its most choices, playoffs integrated, since a 59-14 victory over San Francisco in 1980.
“I don’t know if many other folks knew that we’d clinched sooner than the game. I didn’t,” Prescott acknowledged. “I don’t know if we’re on this planet or in the trade of attempting to send messages more than we’re simply attempting to rating better.”
Washington (6-9) allowed its most choices since 2010 in essentially the most-lopsided loss for either crew in a storied opponents played 124 cases. Washington’s playoff hopes are faint, but no longer long previous.
“I told them you play this sport lengthy ample, you’re going to rating beat love this,” coach Ron Rivera acknowledged. “The scheme you answer to it, the scheme you bounce again, the scheme you play, that tells more about you than one thing else else.”
Prescott tied the membership file for passing TDs in a half of with four sooner than halftime — one every to a running again (Ezekiel Elliott), a first charge discontinue (Dalton Schultz), a receiver (Amari Cooper) and a backup address (Terence Steele, who turned into once lined up as a first charge discontinue when Prescott faked the handoff for a easy 1-yard acquire ).
Taylor Heinicke, making a 2nd consecutive beginning in opposition to Dallas after missing the game in between thanks to COVID-19, gave up Trevon Diggs’ NFL-leading 11th interception on the first offensive play for Washington, which turned into once playing five days after a coronavirus-delayed loss to Philadelphia.
The Dallas offense took it from there, recording 389 yards sooner than halftime as Prescott ended a flee of mediocre showings by finishing 22 of his first 25 passes and finishing with essentially the most yards in a foremost half of in his occupation with 321. He turned into once 28 of 39 for 330 yards when he left for just appropriate in the third quarter.
“I belief he turned into once in whole control,” coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged. “His numbers in the first half of think that. Had some shot opportunities, turned into once affected person with the checkdowns. I if truth be told love the scheme he played tonight.”
The Cowboys had been already up 14-0 leisurely in the first quarter when Lawrence, a defensive discontinue, deflected Heinicke’s stir along with his simply hand, corralled the ball and rumbled down the left sideline 40 yards for a TD.
“Nothing turned into all over again spectacular than D’Law’s keep-6,” acknowledged Elliott, who scored once every on a flee and a consume. “I turned into once impressed with the stiff arm, the excessive knees, making the final guy miss on the sideline. I’ve he acknowledged he turned into once an all-voice tight discontinue on the sideline. You seen that nowadays.”
Lawrence turned into once mobbed by other participants of his defensive line, simply as Steele turned into once by fellow Dallas blockers on his acquire. It turned into once a varied scene for the fellows in the trenches for Washington.
The defensive linemen had been on the Washington bench when Allen and Payne perceived to interchange phrases sooner than both bought up and Allen, a crew captain, threw a punch at his aged Alabama teammate.