CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cooper Rush threw for 214 yards and a career-high three touchdown passes on Sunday, and Dallas forced Bryce Young to show up. Committing four turnovers and sacking the second-year quarterback six times, the Cowboys defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-14 on Sunday for their third win in their last four games. middle.
CeeDee Lamb had nine catches for 116 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown reception, while Rico Dowdle had a career-high 149 yards on 25 carries. The first undrafted running back since Houston’s Arian Foster to rush for more than 100 yards in three consecutive games.
Young has improved in recent weeks, going 19-for-28 for 219 yards, throwing a career-long 83-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jalen Coker and running for a score. But the second-year quarterback fumbled the ball twice and was intercepted twice, falling to 4-21 as an NFL starter.
The Panthers were the favorite for the first time in nearly two years, but it was the Cowboys (6-8) for much of the game.
Lamb had eight catches for 104 yards in the first half as Dallas led 10-0. The Cowboys seemed poised to add another score late in the second quarter, but Rush fumbled the ball at the Carolina 17. On the next play from scrimmage, Young found Coker down the right sideline for an 83-yard touchdown pass, the longest touchdown pass in the game. He put the Panthers (3-11) in the game with 31 seconds left. ) tied the score to 3 points.
But that’s as close as the Panthers can get.
Dallas’ Osa Odighizuwa stripped Young of the football on Carolina’s first possession of the third quarter on a Cowboys pass from Rush to Jalen Thor Jalen Tolbert profited from an 11-yard touchdown pass, and the latter was free in the end zone to lead 17-7.
Rush then threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Brooks.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey is known for his thigh, and coach Mike McCarthy gave him a chance to prove it when the Cowboys attempted a 70-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. But Aubrey’s kick was too short and barely reached the end zone, where the Panthers returned the punt. The longest successful field goal in NFL history is Baltimore’s Justin Tucker’s 66-yarder, and the longest field goal is Sebastian Janikowski’s 76-yarder.
Cowboys: OT Chuma Edoga suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and linebacker TJ Bass left the game in the fourth quarter with a calf injury.
Panthers: WR Xavier Legette left the game in the third quarter with a groin injury.
Cowboys: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday.
Panthers: Host Arizona next Sunday in their final home game of the season.
