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ARLINGTON -- Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 17 passes for 195 yards, ran for one touchdown and tossed a scoring strike to Terrence Williams as the Dallas Cowboys ran off with a 31-26 win over the Washington Redskins on Thursday before 93,099 at AT&T Stadium. Prescott wasn't flashy throughout, but got heated up when it mattered most in the fourth quarter and helped the Cowboys (10-1) to an NFL-best 10th straight win and a 2.5-game lead over the New York Giants in the NFC East.
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It was a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive and a seven-play, 48-yard drive that helped separate things in the fourth quarter.
Prescott capped the first drive with a six-yard touchdown run and running back Ezekiel Elliott scored on the second drive with a one-yard run.
The Redskins (6-4-1) got a gem from franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins, but couldn't come up with the magic late to make a push.
Washington didn't get its first touchdown until the start of the 4th quarter and the Cowboys defense didn't buckle in the final 6:29 of the game.
Cousins, who pulled the Redskins within 24-19 on a 67-yard scoring strike to DeSean Jackson, completed 41 passes for 449 yards and three touchdowns.
The Redskins made one final push, pulling within five points on a Jordan Reed touchdown catch with 1:53 remaining in the game.
Prescott got the Dallas offense off on the right foot in the first quarter, working the ball 75 yards in seven plays for the opening score.
Elliott got the first of his two scoring runs from four yards to make it 7-0 early.
Prescott connected on pass plays of 4 (Elliott) and 13 (Cole Beasley) yards to keep Washington off balance.
The Redskins couldn't hit pay dirt in the first half, coming away with just two field goals despite Cousins completing 18 passes for 216 yards.
Dallas' defense held up in the first half, thanks to some timely penalties and strong coverage downfield.
Cousins worked the Washington offense to the Dallas 19 yard line on its opening possession, but came away with nothing when kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 43-yard field goal attempt.
Hopkins connected later on field goals of 24 and 20 yards in the second quarter.
Washington finished with 505 total yards of offense while Dallas had 353 yards in a near-balanced attack.
NOTES: Cowboys TE Jason Witten extended his team record for consecutive games catching a pass to 130. ... Elliott had 92 yards rushing to run his season total to 1,194 yards. ... Backup LB Justin Durant had a hamstring injury in the first quarter after snuffing out a screen to Washington WR Jamison Crowder. ... Three Redskins ball carriers produced only 56 yards. ... Backup DE Anthony Lanier II went out in the first series against Dallas with a leg injury and did not return. ... Ten different receivers caught passes from Kirk Cousins in the game, with DeSean Jackson (4-118, 1 TD) and Jordan Reed (10-95 2 TDs) leading the way.
