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ARLINGTON, Texas -- At the end of the 2016 season, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott looked like the first overall pick, while Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the actual No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft, struggled through his rookie campaign. Prescott, whom the Cowboys selected with the 135th pick in 2016, led his team to an NFC East division title, outshining Goff, who tossed seven interceptions and five touchdowns in starting the Rams' last seven games.
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But Goff found some redemption on Sunday as he led Los Angeles to a 35-30 second-half comeback victory over the Cowboys.
"We're seeing a guy continue to mature," Rams head coach Sean McVay said about Goff. "We know we've got a long way to go, but we've been very pleased with Jared and can't say enough about his effort today."
Goff passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, keeping Los Angeles constantly on the move and outpacing Prescott's Cowboys.
It seems Goff is reaping the benefits of first-year coach McVay's scheming. Goff worked well with running back Todd Gurley on Sunday as Gurley not only rushed for 121 yards, but also caught seven passes for 94 yards and a crucial 53-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
"The mindset (McVay) has of me being able to step up and be able to catch passes, it takes a lot of stress off everybody," Gurley said. "Goff, me, the receivers, we have a lot of guys who can do a lot of things."
As a result, Los Angeles rebounded from losing 11 of its last 12 games in 2016 by improving to 3-1 after the win over the Cowboys. It didn't take McVay long on Sunday to start thinking about getting win No. 4 this season.
"I think the one thing I really appreciate about our team right now is we take things one game at a time," McVay said. "There's a lot of football to be played. We've got an excellent Seattle Seahawks team coming to town."
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Dallas linebacker Sean Lee, the Cowboys' leading tackler, missed Sunday's game due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 3 at Arizona.
Lee led Dallas with 25 total tackles through three games, eight more than DeMarcus Lawrence. Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith led the team in tackles with 10 in Lee's absence.
"Everyone knows what Sean brings to the table," Smith said. "So if you don't have that, it's a loss. But there's no excuses."
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Los Angeles wide receivers Tavon Austin and Sammy Watkins both went through the NFL concussion protocol following the Rams' win at San Francisco in Week 3.
Both were cleared to play and made an impact in the victory over Dallas.
Although Austin caught just one pass for a two-yard loss, he ran for 48 yards on six carries. Watkins' only catch converted a second-and-6 with a 17-yard gain on the Rams' final scoring drive of the fourth quarter.
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Both Dallas and Los Angeles players stood in unison for the national anthem prior to Sunday's game. Dallas remained one of six NFL teams not to have a player protest during the national anthem this season.
