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NFL

Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott help save Cowboys season, for now

PHILADEPHIA — The Dallas Cowboys’ storylines entering Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t exactly positive.

The list included: a coach’s job security, a quarterback struggling to make plays, an offensive coordinator perhaps on his last chance and a defense left wobbly after its previous game. All in all, it added up to a season on the line.

But the Cowboys left Lincoln Financial Field with a 27-20 victory that seemed improbable after losing their first four road games of the season, and they find themselves alive and breathing if not entirely well just yet.

“When you’re feeling low and you’re seeing the Grim Reaper and then come in and have your team perform the way these guys did, I promise you it’s a special feeling,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “I won’t need any wings on that airplane getting back to Dallas.”

They left Philly with a win after Jason Garrett rallied a young team that had been rattled and a coaching staff that had been questioned.

They left after Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes in a road game for the first time this season.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown and had six receptions for 36 yards and a score. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

They left after Ezekiel Elliott rushed for more than 150 yards against the NFL’s second-best run defense and scored twice, including on a pass.

They left after coordinator Scott Linehan managed the offense as well as it had been managed all year.

They left after the defense did just enough with Leighton Vander Esch book-ending a first-quarter interception with a huge, fourth-quarter tackle that preceded Jeff Heath’s fourth-down stop of Zach Ertz with 1:09 to play.

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“I don’t know that I learned anything new (about his team),” Garrett said. “You try to build a team of guys who love football, who are mentally tough and I think those things get revealed when you have to go through some adversity of the course of the season.

“I thought they did a great job coming back after the (Tennessee) game just getting back to work, not blinking. Just going back to work and understanding the importance of what this next opponent is and playing 60 minutes. Thought we did a better job of that in this game than we have in the last few games. Dealing with the adversities of the game and keep playing. Dealing with the successes of the game and keep playing.”

At times early in the game, Prescott was bad. He held on to the ball too long, leading to sacks — including a 13-yard sack in the second quarter.

At times, Prescott was brilliant, such as at the end of the first half, when he connected on five passes for 79 yards and sneaked in from a yard out with 19 seconds left for the Cowboys’ first touchdown.

And then with 7:27 to play in a tied game, Prescott was once again brilliant with a 17-yard completion to rookie tight end Dalton Schultz, a floater to Amari Cooper for 24 yards and a critical third-and-8 completion to Allen Hurns for 23 yards. From there, the Cowboys rode Elliott, giving him the ball three straight times, leading to his second touchdown of the game.

When the Cowboys were at their best in 2016, they rode then-rookies Prescott and Elliott. Now almost grizzled veterans in their third year, Prescott was efficient Sunday, and Elliott was explosive.

Prescott completed 26 of 36 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown pass. Elliott finished with 151 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown run and touchdown reception.

“We needed it,” Elliott said. “It was absolutely mandatory that we went and got this win. We want to keep our hopes up for winning this division and making the playoffs. So we had to go out there and win.”

NFL

Source: Patriots' Michel (knee) likely to face Titans

Sony Michel, who leads the New England Patriots in rushing, is likely to face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

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Michel is listed as questionable for the game due to a knee injury suffered against the Bears on Oct. 21.

In six games, the 2018 first-round draft pick out of Georgia has rushed for 422 yards and four touchdowns on 95 carries.

Prior to the injury, Michel shared the top spot on the New England depth chart with James White, who is used in passing situations.

Michel rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in a Sept. 30 victory over Miami and 106 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries in a win over the Chiefs on Oct. 14.

With Michel sidelined, Cordarrelle Patterson led New England with 38 yards rushing on 10 carries in a win over Buffalo on Oct. 29 and had a team-high 61 yards on 11 carries in the Week 9 victory over Green Bay.

NFL

Source: Saints fear Bryant tore Achilles tendon

METAIRIE, La. — Just two days after Dez Bryant finally returned to the NFL, it appears that his 2018 season is now over.

The New Orleans Saints fear that Bryant tore his Achilles tendon on the final play of Friday’s practice, a source confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The news was first reported by the NFL Network, which said Bryant was to undergo an MRI.

But a source told Schefter that testing on Bryant’s Achilles is considered “a formality,” as doctors already believe it is torn. The injury is expected to sideline Bryant for eight months, putting him on track to potentially be ready for training camp next year, when he again will be a free agent.

Bryant acknowledged a setback in a tweet on Friday afternoon, writing, “This is the ultimate test.”

The Saints officially listed Bryant as limited in Friday’s practice with an ankle injury. Coach Sean Payton did not acknowledge the injury when asked about Bryant after the practice, before the news broke.

Bryant, who turned 30 on Sunday, had not been with a team since he was released by the Dallas Cowboys in April. He practiced for the first time on Thursday.

The Saints could potentially turn to another decorated veteran receiver, Brandon Marshall, who also impressed the team during a Tuesday workout, according to Schefter. The Saints also auditioned veteran receiver Kamar Aiken on Tuesday before opting to sign Bryant.

Bryant was unlikely to play this weekend at Cincinnati, regardless, so the Saints don’t immediately have to alter their game plan, with Michael Thomas and rookie Tre’Quan Smith as their top two receivers. But they will almost certainly look to add depth at the position next week after placing Cameron Meredith on injured reserve on Wednesday and Ted Ginn Jr. on IR last month.

The Saints also could activate undrafted rookie receiver Keith Kirkwood from their practice squad for added depth Sunday.

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1:16

Adam Schefter details the latest on Saints’ WR Dez Bryant tearing his Achilles tendon on the last play of practice Friday.

Meanwhile, for Bryant, it continues a tumultuous year that began with a messy divorce in Dallas. The three-time Pro Bowler was released in April when he was due to earn $12.5 million.

Bryant said Thursday that he had been working out and getting his body and mind right all season — but he also acknowledged that he was “thinking about preparing for the next year” before he got the call from Payton to come audition in New Orleans.

“Just lot of ups and downs,” Bryant said when asked to describe the past two months. “Wanting to play football, thinking about playing football.”

Bryant said he had turned down other opportunities to work out this season, without offering any specifics. He reportedly turned down at least one multiyear contract offer during the offseason.

When asked what made this situation different, Bryant had pointed first to the opportunity to play with “big GOAT” Drew Brees and “baby GOATs” Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Bryant was among the NFL’s best in his prime. He recorded three straight seasons of at least 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2012 to 2014, and he earned Pro Bowl invites in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

But his production had been slipping in recent years as he battled foot and knee injuries; he had 69 catches for 838 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games played last year. And the Cowboys were ultimately ready to move on from what executive vice president Stephen Jones described as a “fiery” personality that could sometimes be a “distraction.”

Bryant rejected the notion Thursday that he would be a locker room chemistry concern.

“I’m always gonna be me, you know, who I am. I’m not a bad guy. I’ve always been a good guy. You can ask my teammates — my ex-teammates — how I am,” Bryant said. “I love the locker room. It’s like family. Every locker room that I’ve been in from middle school, high school, college to the pros, it’s always been like a family. You have a natural bond. It’s more than just being in the locker room, it’s outside of it too.”

Bryant signed a prorated contract that will pay him $600,000. He could have made up to $500,000 in incentives for reaching specific reception totals: $50,000 for catching 25 passes in the Saints’ remaining seven games after Sunday; an additional $100,000 for 30 catches; $150,000 for 35 catches; and an additional $200,000 for 40 receptions.

NFL

Panthers' Reid ejected for hit on Roethlisberger

PITTSBURGH – Carolina Panthers free safety Eric Reid was ejected in the third quarter Thursday night for a hit to the head of a sliding Ben Roethlisberger that left Roethlisberger’s Steelers teammates defending their quarterback.

Reid lowered his head with Roethlisberger already well into his slide and delivered shoulder-to-helmet contact to the six-time Pro Bowl selection at the end of his 17-yard scramble.

Reid was flagged for the third-quarter play and then ejected as officials ruled there was unnecessary roughness due to forcible contact to the head and neck area of a sliding quarterback.

The veteran defensive back said he wasn’t intending to hurt Roethlisberger and apologized to him afterward, but was still at a loss for why he was ejected.

“I didn’t even know you could be ejected in the NFL,” Reid said. “It was a bang-bang play. I was trying to do my job. I understand the NFL is trying to protect the quarterback, but when they run the ball, they’re a running back.

“There’s a guy running the ball, so I’m doing my job. . . . If anything, there should be more [focus] on getting down earlier, so it wouldn’t have to be close. I’m running full speed. I’m just trying to do my job.”

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0:23

Safety Eric Reid explains why he went for the hit on Ben Roethlisberger, with no ill intention.

Roethlisberger, for his part, told reporters Reid told him “Sorry, didn’t mean it. No intent there” and added with a smile that he didn’t remember whether Reid had hit his helmet on the hit.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera didn’t believe Reid’s hit warranted an ejection.

“I really don’t,” he said. “I don’t think he hit him hard enough to eject him.”

Roethlisberger’s teammates took exception to the play as soon as it happened, with offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey leading a group of Steelers in confronting Reid while he was still on the field.

Pouncey said Roethlisberger has offered to pay any fines Pittsburgh players get for their part in the shoving match that followed.

“Ben’s the franchise quarterback,” Pouncey said. “He means a lot to this organization, obviously to this football team. I could see if he was pulling his shoulder down trying to hit a guy, but he was giving himself up. That shouldn’t happen, but Eric Reid did apologize, so I give him credit for that.”

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For his part, Reid believes there is no consistency with the call, and he noted how Carolina quarterback Cam Newton got hit in the crown of the helmet and no penalty was called.

Newton agreed the calls have been inconsistent, noting he was hit in the helmet last week as well and there was no call.

“It is what it is,” Newton said. “Last week was a perfect example of the same scenario. I’m not here to judge what flag is called, but there is an inconsistency. I do understand that. I’ve been seeing that for a long time.”

The Panthers in late September became the first team to take a chance to Reid, who filed a collusion grievance against the NFL when no team would sign him after last season with San Francisco. Reid claimed the league colluded to keep him off a roster after he spent the previous season kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustice.

He has continued to kneel during the anthem at Carolina and has not dropped the grievance.

New Panthers owner David Tepper, who had not addressed the decision to sign Reid until prior to Thursday’s game, was asked if he had to give approval first.

“What did I say when I first came here?” Tepper said. “I said the first thing I want to do is? . . . Win. What was the second thing I said I wanted to do? That was also win. What was the third thing I wanted to do? Enough said.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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