'Safe Haven': Dak Prescott Leans on RBs, Defense as Cowboys Beat Lions

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott returned from injury and didn't have to do too much against Detroit.

The best friends for a quarterback returning after being out to injury?

Well, a running game and defense, of course.

Dak Prescott leaned on his backfield mates and those on the opposite side of the ball, as the Dallas Cowboys cruised to a 24-6 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

"There's nothing that can substitute this,'' Prescott said. "This game has always been a safe haven, peace for me. To get back between those lines, go to war with my brothers, a bunch of selfless men who just care about the overall team success, there's nothing like it.''

The Cowboys (5-2) were understandably sluggish in the early going under Prescott, who returned to the lineup after missing four games with a thumb injury. Dallas backup Cooper Rush went 3-1 in Prescott’s absence, benefiting from much of the same formula that’s proved successful throughout the season.

Prescott was efficient but hardly spectacular in completing 19-of-25 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. But he didn’t have to be Pat Mahomes.

The Cowboys stellar defense once again set the tone, even as Prescott and Co. struggled early. The Lions were limited to only two field goals, both coming in the first half, as Detroit took a 6-3 lead into the break.

Dallas also forced five turnovers, none bigger than a fumble recovery near the goal line as the Lions were poised to take the lead in the third quarter. Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis, who was injured, also picked off Detroit quarterback Jared Goff in the third to keep the Cowboys in control.

Both picks led to Dallas touchdowns.

Prescott appreciated the defensive effort in making his job easier.

“Just play within the game, don’t try to do too much, know that you got the defense to help you out,” he said. “You just have to play the field position. These guys know that when we score touchdowns, they can pin their ears back and go do what they do to create turnovers.”

Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard also shined, taking even more pressure of Prescott’s shoulders. The duo combined for 166 yards of total offense, with Elliott scoring twice from short yardage.

“As I’ve been watching for the past five weeks, these are all the things I’ve seen,” Prescott said. “I feel like we have been running the ball better than we have in a couple of years. We get the offensive line going and you can see how excited they are.

“They come back out to possessions saying, ‘Hey, continue to run it’. You want to feed the backs and the offensive line to make sure they get into that rhythm and feel good about what they’re doing.”

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