This was published 7 years ago
Thanksgiving NFL: Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions claim victories
By Ed Bouchette, Clarence E. Hill Jr. and Matt Vensel
It was wins for Dallas, Pittsburgh and Detroit on Thanksgiving night - giving all three the lead in their respective division.
Steelers too much for injury-depleted Colts
The Steelers combined a productive offense with a defense that twice stifled Indianapolis at the goal line to whack the Colts, 28-7, on Thanksgiving night.
Denied: Laurence Timmons breaks up a pass intended for Phillip Dorsett of the Colts.Credit: Getty Images
Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes to Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell ran for another. It was the first time in Brown's career he caught three TD passes in a game.
Bell had another workhorse performance and rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries. Brown caught five passes for 91 yards.
Off-balance: Ben Roethlisberger passes as he's tackled by T.J Green.Credit: Getty Images
Twice the Steelers defense stopped separate Colts' series on fourth down at the 1-yard-line. Playing without starting quarterback Andrew Luck and losing a handful of other starters to injury as the game wore on, the Colts (5-6) hung on gamely through three quarters but scored only once, and that was after a fake punt kept the drive going.
Their second straight victory lifted the Steelers into first place alone in the AFC North at 6-5, half a game ahead of Baltimore, which plays host to Cincinnati Sunday.
Quarterback Scott Tolzien, making his third NFL start and first in three years, was sacked three times and intercepted twice by the Steelers. Mike Mitchell picked that one off in the fourth quarter and returned it 26 yards to the Steelers' 36.
Roethlisberger (14-20, 221 yards, no interceptions or sacks) hit tight end Ladarius Green with a 35-yarder to start the series, and Brown ended it again with his third touchdown, a 22-yard catch that put the game away at 28-7 with 5 { minutes left.
Brown caught scoring passes of 25 and 33 yards and Bell ran for 5 yards as the Steelers hit the end zone on their first three series of the game.
The Colts' only score of the first half came after a fake punt in the second quarter. They had an opportunity to score a second touchdown with a first down at the Steelers' 2 late in the second quarter. However, two runs by Frank Gore picked up only 1 yard, rookie safety Sean Davis saved a touchdown by tackling Tolzien on an option around right end and then Mike Mitchell broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone.
Trailing 14-0, the Colts dropped into punt formation from the Steelers' 43. Instead of kicking, punter Pat McAfee rolled to his right and completed a pass to tight end Erik Swoope for a 35-yard gain to the Steelers' 8. Two plays later, Scott Tolzien rifled a pass to Donte Moncrief, who made a diving catch in the front of the end zone.
The fake punt helped put the Colts back into the game, 14-7, early in the second quarter.
What also helped Indianapolis on that drive was a 15-yard penalty against Brown and Bell for celebrating the previous Steelers touchdown. Kicking from the 20 after the penalty, they allowed halfback Jordan Todman to return it 43 yards.
But Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense were on point again for the third straight year against the Colts. They made it three drives, three touchdowns with Roethlisberger's perfectly thrown pass to Brown in the back of the end zone for 33 yards and a 21-7 lead. Brown again beat cornerback Vontae Davis and toe-tapped his second foot to stay in bounds.
Indy came back to score, thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty on Lawrence Timmons and a blitz by the Steelers that did not work. Cornerback William Gay was part of a five-man blitz, but Tolzien threw quickly to T.Y. Hilton over the middle. Hilton beat Timmons to catch the ball at the 2 for a 32-yard pickup.
The Steelers defense slammed the Colts on the night's first series, pushing them back from their 25 to the 10. Gay, who would later add an interception, stripped the ball from Tolzien for a sack and 10-yard loss on first down. Javon Hargrave stuffed Robert Turbin for a 5-yard loss after a swing pass.
That allowed their offense to start the game from their 48. Seven plays later Bell ran 5 yards around left end for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Two plays earlier, on third-and-8, Roethlisberger hit Eli Rogers over the middle and he scooted for a 30-yard gain to the 8.
After Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal attempt wide from 52, the Steelers came right back with their second straight TD drive, this one 58 yards. On third down, Roethlisberger found Brown for a 25-yard touchdown pass. He caught it over Davis at the 2.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dak Prescott-led Cowboys survive Redskins, extend streak to 10
The Dallas Cowboys seemingly can't lose.
Even when their magical formula doesn't work - controlling the ball and the clock with the league's leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliott - the Cowboys find a way to keep winning and keep streaking.
The Cowboys improved their franchise-record winning streak to 10 games with a 31-26 victory against the Washington Redskins Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
They ultimately survived 449 yards passing and three touchdowns from Kirk Cousins and an offense that controlled the clock for 33 minutes and 24 seconds - thanks to clutch red zone defense and timely playmaking from quarterback Dak Prescott, the rookie fourth-round pick who continues to play with the poise and guile of veteran.
Picturesque: The sun shines through the windows at AT&T Stadium as Kirk Cousins releases a pass.Credit: Getty Images
The NFC East-leading Cowboys moved to 10-1 for the first time since 2007, when they finished 13-3, while burying the Redskins (6-4-1) in the division race with a season sweep. The streaking Cowboys remain in the driver's seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The last time the Cowboys won 10 straight games came in 1971, but that included three playoffs win capped by a victory in Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins, the first in franchise history.
Owner Jerry Jones is not ready to talk Super Bowls, but he feels good about his rookie quarterback and the team's 10-game winning streak.
"You know you're talking to someone who knows how hard this is to win 10 games in a row," Jones said. "I have all the appreciation in the world for the success that we're having out there. We're getting done by hard work and Dak's a great example. It feels like our guys know where they are and when they're there, and what they have to do. That's pretty impressive."
Prescott's passing numbers weren't special. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 195 with a touchdown after passing for 300 yards and in each of the previous two games. But he rushed eight times for 39 yards, including a 6-yard score.
Most importantly, three times the Redskins rallied to within five points in the fourth quarter, Prescott made plays to keep them at bay - leading the Cowboys on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives before converting a first down to run out the clock.
"Over and over and over again at critical moments, he came up with big plays," coach Jason Garrett said. "He just played winning football for us. "He did the things winning quarterbacks do. He made plays with his feet. He made plays with his feet out in place. He made plays with his arm. I just thought he was outstanding."
It's becoming a trend. Prescott completed six of seven passes in the fourth quarter against the Redskins. Over the past four games, Prescott has completed 25 of 28 passes in the fourth quarter.
"We have high expectations for ourselves on the offensive side of the ball," Prescott said. "No matter if we are up or down, we are going to go out there and score. And I think that scored the last two weeks. It's expected. It's business."
It's not expected of a team led by a rookie quarterback and rookie running back. Elliott ended the game with 97 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
The Cowboys led 17-6 at halftime only to see the Redskins narrow the score to 17-12 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to tight end Jordan Reed.
The big plays on the 90-yard drive was a 26-yard pass to Vernon Davis, a fourth-and-2 conversion pass to Pierre Garcon and a 33-yard pass to Reed. The two-point try failed.
Prescott and the Cowboys responded quickly with a 21-yard run by Elliott followed by a 19-yard pass to Elliott to get them started. Five plays later, Prescott scored from 6 yards out.
Down 24-12, the Redskins got right back in the game with a stop and go from receiver DeSean Jackson, who burned rookie cornerback Anthony Brown for a 67-yard touchdown.
But this time a gamble for an onside kick backfired on the Redskins when linebacker Damien Wilson scooped it up for the Cowboys at the 47.
The unflappable Prescott converted a third-and-7 with a scramble. A late hit by Donte Whitner tacked on 15 yards.
"I just let the game come to me," Prescott said of his running. "There were matching some routes and doing a good job of that but didn't contain me. I was just using my feet."
Two plays later on third and 9, he rolled to his right and threw a perfect pass to receiver Dez Bryant for 26 yards and a first and goal at the 1.
Elliott made the score 31-19.
The Redskins again narrowed the gap to 31-26 with 1:53 left on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Reed.
It capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ultimately took up too much time (4:36).
Cousins completed 41 of 53 passes for 449 yards and three touchdowns. His passing yards were the most since the Cowboys gave up 488 to Detroit's Matthew Stafford in 2013.
But the Redskins did not get the job done in the red zone.
They had the ball at the Cowboys 19-, 2- and 5-yard line in the first half, but only ended up with six points show for it. The Cowboys did not record a sack or force a turnover for the fourth straight game. But they survived on defense.
"I thought we made a number of good plays to keep them out of the end zone," Garrett said. "Obviously, you don't want them to drive the ball down the field. But if you play good red zone defense, you force them to kick field goals and give your team a boost."
The Cowboys play at the Minnesota Vikings (6-5) next Thursday and then have 10 days off before a crucial NFC game at the New York Giants Dec. 11.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Vikings fall to Lions, 16-13
With the Minnesota Vikings staring at third-and-long and this critical NFC North game tied at 13-13 with less than a minute left to play at Ford Field, it looked as if the Vikings and Detroit Lions would be heading to overtime for the second time this season.
But quarterback Sam Bradford, who has been so steady this season despite issues with pass protection and the league's worst rushing attack, threw his third interception of the season in Vikings territory. Lions cornerback Darius Slay returned the ill-timed interception to the 20-yard line, setting up Matt Prater's game-winning field goal.
The 16-13 loss put the Vikings a game and a half behind the Lions in the division.
It was the latest comeback win for the Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford, who rallied from three points down with five minutes left to stun the Vikings again.
Stiffarm: Kyle Rudolph of the Vikings pushes away from a defender.Credit: Getty Images
The Lions started their game-tying drive at their 1-yard line. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin beat cornerback Captain Munnerlyn for 29 yards on third-and-8. Stafford then hit wide receiver Marvin Jones and Boldin again to get into field-goal range.
The Vikings blew a three-point lead in a home loss to the Lions three weeks ago.
Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes walked the field as Lions kicker Matt Prater (5) celebrated his winning field goal Thursday afternoon.
The Lions scored on the game's opening drive, with Stafford completing all six of his pass attempts, including his 2-yard touchdown toss to Boldin, who was wide open.
The Vikings responded with a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Matt Asiata on their first drive of the game. Twice on that drive the Lions thought they had forced turnovers, but a penalty wiped out a would-be interception and an official review overturned a called fumble on the field after it was determined Bradford threw a forward pass.
Clincher: Darius Slay picked off Sam Bradford to set up the game-winning field goal.Credit: Getty Images
The Lions reclaimed the lead with a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter. Prater's kick was set up by a 41-yard reception by Lions wide receiver Golden Tate.
Late in the first half, the Vikings gained possession near midfield after stopping the Lions on fourth-and-1. The offense went nowhere, though, keeping the score at 10-7.
The Vikings tied it up again midway through the third quarter. A 41-yard reception by running back Jerick McKinnon put Kai Forbath in position for a 30-yard field goal. They then took their first lead of the game, 13-10, early in the fourth quarter.
McKinnon gained 10 yards on a Wildcat run. Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson caught a 10-yard pass to give the Vikings their first third-down conversion of the day. Then he rushed for 21 yards on a reverse. But an illegal chop block penalty on left tackle T.J. Clemmings forced the Vikings to settle for another Forbath field goal.
Star Tribune