FOOTBALL: Dak Prescott helps Cowboys slide past Commanders

Dak Prescott passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns as the Dallas Cowboys held off the Washington Commanders 30-23 on Thursday in Landover, Maryland.

Prescott completed 19 of 37 passes for Dallas (7-8-1), helping the team snap a three-game losing streak. The Cowboys rushed for 211 yards, including 103 yards from Malik Davis, while kicker Brandon Aubrey converted three of four field-goal attempts.

Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt carried Washington (4-12) with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, 39, completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards in his 10th NFL start.

Jake Moody’s 51-yard field goal brought the Commanders within 30-23 with 2:09 remaining, but Dallas managed two first downs to run out the clock.

Washington trailed 24-10 at halftime but cut the deficit when Croskey-Merritt broke through the right tackle for a 72-yard touchdown with 9:34 left in the third quarter. After a Dallas field goal, the Commanders reached first-and-goal at the 6-yard line but settled for a field goal with 16 seconds left in the quarter. Aubrey extended the Cowboys’ lead to 10 points with a 51-yard field goal with 3:59 left.

The Cowboys opened the game with a 78-yard, 13-play drive. Javonte Williams converted a fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 44, Davis ran 21 yards to the Washington 31, and Prescott later found Jake Ferguson in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown.

Washington’s Deebo Samuel went 41 yards on a screen pass to the Dallas 6, but Johnson was sacked on third-and-goal, leading to Moody’s 29-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

Dallas converted two fourth downs on its next possession before Williams capped a 17-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, giving Dallas a 14-3 lead with 12:06 left in the second quarter.

After a Washington punt, Dallas began at its 3-yard line. On third-and-11 at the 14, Prescott connected with KaVontae Turpin for an 86-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 21-3.

Samuel’s 29-yard run and Croskey-Merritt’s 10-yard touchdown brought Washington within 21-10, before Aubrey added a 42-yard field goal to close the first half at 24-10.

Williams exited in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury, while Ferguson left in the third quarter with a calf injury.

—Field Level Media/Reuters