Dallas Cowboys remain two games off the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East after thrashing the Indianapolis Colts; There were just two points splitting the teams before a fourth-quarter eruption, with 33 unanswered points for the hosts
Tuesday 6 December 2022 07:17, UK
The Dallas Cowboys scored 33 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to rout the Indianapolis Colts 54-19 on Sunday, with four takeaways leading to touchdowns and three TDs for Dak Prescott on an impressive night for the playoff hopefuls.
The Colts (4-8-1) were competitive in the first half and had a chance to level in the third quarter, but disintegrated at the end as the Cowboys (9-3) erupted to remain two games behind NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.
Matt Ryan's first interception was on a tipped pass to former Indy first-round pick Malik Hooker, and Prescott followed with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Gallup for a 21-13 halftime lead for the Cowboys.
Gallup had two touchdown catches on the night and CeeDee Lamb the other when he rolled over safety Rodney McLeod Jr. and stayed on his feet.
Ryan, who threw two touchdown passes, then threw his second and third interceptions and lost a fumble during the nightmare finish for the Colts (4-8-1), who fell to 1-3 under interim coach Jeff Saturday and lost for the sixth time in seven games overall.
Ryan has 18 giveaways this season (13 interceptions, five lost fumbles) to lead the NFL by three over Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen.
The highest-scoring quarter for the Cowboys (9-3) since at least 1991 was just the third time in NFL history a team scored as many as 33 points in the fourth.
After Gallup's second TD, Hooker scooped up a fumble from tight end Mo Alie-Cox and took off untouched down the right sideline for a 34-19 lead early in the fourth.
Hooker, the 15th overall pick by the Colts five years ago, had an injury-plagued four seasons with the Colts before signing with the Cowboys during training camp last year.
Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott and rookie Malik Davis had pile-it-on scoring runs after the last three Indy turnovers in the fourth.
Owner Jerry Jones said Elliott didn't start for the first time in 98 career regular-season games because of some "discipline issues" with the coaching staff.
The two-time rushing champ entered the game in the middle of the second series. He finished with 77 yards on 17 carries. Pollard had 91 yards on 12 carries.
Colts
Cowboys
Cowboys safety, Malik Hooker: "It was definitely some extra motivation. Sorry how it ended and everything, but I just wanted to come out here and prove that I'm still the player I was drafted to be and I feel like I showed that tonight."
Colts wide receiver, Parris Campbell: "Obviously, the record speaks for itself. That was just unacceptable. We've got four games left. Are we going to lay down for every single opponent, or are you going to respond? What are we made of? How can we respond?"
Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones: "I think there was a little issue he[Elliott] had with his coach, some discipline issues that were being tardy for a meeting or a phone going off.
"But I won't get into that, but I'm not giving out that punishment. I'd be a lot more lenient than that."
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