ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — CeeDee Lamb ran sideways, arms in the air with the ball in one hand while finishing off a 74-yard touchdown catch with new sidekick George Pickens backpedaling into the end zone at the same time from just a few yards away.
The dynamic Dallas receivers were back on the field together after Lamb missed three games with a high ankle sprain, and they had plenty to do with the best game of the season for the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns, starting with the long one to Lamb, DaRon Bland returned an interception 68 yards for a score after Jayden Daniels left with a hamstring injury and the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders 44-22 on Sunday.
On the first play of a first-quarter possession, Lamb ran a deep cross and was waving for the ball when Prescott threw it his way. Lamb broke free just as he caught the ball, with Pickens closing in from the left, and they celebrated together the rest of the way — and after the score.
“At that point, that turned into our touchdown,” Lamb said alongside Pickens in a rare side-by-side interview in the locker room. “It’s whoever brings the ball in. Many more in the future.”
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 the rookie linebacker 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.
“Injuries are not the reason that we lost,” coach Dan Quinn said after the Commanders dropped to third in the NFC East behind the Cowboys a season after their first trip to the NFC championship game in 33 years. “We’re the ones that got ourselves in a hole, we’re the same ones that have got to dig ourselves out. Make no mistake, we’re not playing to the standard we’ve set.”
Pickens sparkled in all three games without Lamb, who had 110 yards on five catches in his return, and the offseason trade acquisition from Pittsburgh had just as much of an impact
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.
“Me knowing that I can impact the game right before the half, we get points before the half, helping the defense,” said Pickens, who had four catches for 82 yards but had a five-game TD streak end. “I felt like I still affected the game in a positive way.”
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.
Kicking machine
Brandon Aubrey became the first NFL kicker with five field goals from at least 60 yards with a 61-yarder in the second quarter. His 47-yard field goal in the first quarter put Dallas ahead for good at 10-8 after the Commanders had gone ahead on a safety when Williams was tackled in the end zone and Zach Ertz’s 6-yard TD catch from Daniels.
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.
