ARLINGTON, Texas – The Detroit Lions couldn’t stop Ezekiel Elliott from another big rushing day Sunday, and when it mattered most, they couldn’t stop him through the air, either.
Elliott ran for 152 yards on 25 carries and caught a 34-yard pass with just over a minute to play to set up the game-winning Brett Maher field goal as the Dallas Cowboys rallied for a 26-24 win over the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium.
Elliott had his way with the NFL’s last-ranked rushing defense, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, but after Matthew Stafford drove the Lions for a late touchdown, it was a big passing play from Dak Prescott to Elliott that sent the Lions to their third loss in four games.
Stafford gave the Lions a brief 24-23 lead with 2:17 to play when he found Golden Tate for an easy 38-yard touchdown pass over Anthony Brown.
The Cowboys started their final possession at their own 25, and nearly fumbled away a chance at victory.
Rookie Da’Shawn Hand knocked the ball out of Prescott’s hand on the second play of the drive, but Prescott recovered and threw incomplete into the Dallas bench.
Allen Hurns beat Jamal Agnew for a third-down conversion, and after Glover Quin broke up a pass over the middle on the next play, the Cowboys (2-2) split Elliott wide right in the slot against linebacker Jarrad Davis.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott carries the ball to score a touchdown against Lions defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand in the second quarter in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. (Photo: Tom Pennington, Getty Images)
Elliott beat Davis downfield to put the Cowboys in field-goal range, and four plays later Maher made the game-winning kick.
Elliott scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Prescott in the first half and had several big plays running the football.
But the Cowboys gave the Lions (1-3) life when they went away from their All-Pro running back on their penultimate drive midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lions rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit with 5:49 to play, holding the Cowboys to late a field goal and scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 38-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate with 2:17 to play.
Elliott ran for 148 yards on 23 carries, but the Cowboys inexplicably went away from their All-Pro running back on two goal-to-go plays from the Lions’ 4-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
Elliott ran six times on the drive for 29 yards, but the Cowboys called passing plays on back-to-back goal-to-go plays from the 4-yard line, with Prescott throwing incomplete both times.
Stafford started the Lions’ final drive at the 25-yard line, and nearly led the 33rd fourth-quarter comeback of his career.
Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup goes up for a pass against Lions cornerback Darius Slay in the first quarter in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. (Photo: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
Elliott finished with four catches for 88 yards to go with his 152 yards on the ground, and Prescott completed 17 of 27 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Prescott had not thrown for more than 200 yards in a game since mid-December of last year.
Stafford was 24 of 30 passing for 307 yards for the Lions, and Tate added eight catches for a season-high 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Kerryon Johnson scored his first career touchdown with 14:20 to play, off a play-action end-around to Jamal Agnew, when he barreled over Jeff Heath near the goal line.
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com.
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