DaRon Bland sets NFL record and Dak Prescott tosses 4 TD passes in dominant Cowboys win over Commanders
Dallas Cowboys defensive back DaRon Bland had a Thanksgiving that's going to be hard to top. Bland not only helped the Cowboys' defense dominate in a 45-10 win over the division rival Washington Commanders on Thursday, he also set an NFL record in the process.
With 4:49 left to play, Bland intercepted Commanders quarterback Sam Howell on the far sideline. Bland streaked down the sideline and was nearly tackled by two Commanders before rumbling into the end zone. The score marked Bland's fifth pick-6 of the season, setting an NFL record.
Bland was far from the only standout player on the Cowboys on Thursday. Quarterback Dak Prescott tore up the Commanders' defense, throwing for 331 yards and four touchdowns during the blowout.
It didn't take long for Prescott and the offense to find a groove. After gaining just 23 yards on their first drive of the game, the Cowboys went on an 11-play, 90-yard scoring drive at the end of the first quarter. Prescott hit running back Rico Dowdle on a screen pass to put Dallas up 7-0.
That drive began with Prescott hitting tight end Jake Ferguson with a 35-yard strike. That seemed to set the tone for Prescott and the Cowboys' offense the rest of the way. Prescott was rarely harassed by Washington's defense, and responded to that lack of pressure with a handful of accurate downfield passes.
On the next drive, the Cowboys went 75 yards in just six plays. Prescott ended the drive with another score, hitting receiver Brandin Cooks with a 31-yard strike.
They somehow improved on that on the next drive, going 75 yards in just five plays. Prescott hit Jalen Brooks for 24 yards and then hit Jalen Tolbert for 31 yards to move Dallas down the field. Tony Pollard plunged into the end zone with 26 seconds left in the second quarter to give Dallas the 20-10 lead.
The Commanders never scored again. After a scoreless third quarter, desperation kicked in for the Commanders. With the team down 13 points, Washington went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line. Sam Howell was sacked on the play, giving the Cowboys excellent field position. Dallas responded with yet another score. This time, Prescott found CeeDee Lamb for the touchdown.
After another turnover on downs, Prescott struck again, this time hitting KaVontae Turpin on a 34-yard strike to put Dallas up 38-10. He then grabbed and ate a turkey leg on the sideline, because that's something you can get away with when you're up 28 points on a division rival.
That freed up Bland and the Cowboys' defense to finish things off. With Howell and the Commanders in comeback mode, Bland took advantage of a desperation heave to set the record and put the finishing touch on an already excellent Cowboys victory.
