Here is a deeper look at six statistics from the Cowboys' 26-24 victory over the Lions:
240 –
It was a big day for Ezekiel Elliott, who racked up 240 yards from scrimmage, a career high. This marked the third time he's surpassed 200 yards with the Cowboys, the team now 3-0 in those outings. He had 219 in a 40-10 win at San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2017 and 209 at Pittsburgh on Nov. 13, 2016, a 35-30 victory. His three times reaching the mark is tied for the most in the NFL since 2016. Elliott is also the first player in the NFL this season to top 200 yards from scrimmage.
114 –
Elliott's 152 rushing yards marked the 14th time in his career he's reached 100 yards, which is the most in the NFL since 2016. His 3,040 rushing yards overall are also tops in the league over that time. Elliott has hit that total in 29 career games, averaging 104.8 yards per contest. By comparison, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith totaled 2,153 rushing yards through his first 29 games, averaging 74.24 yards.
3 –
In the past, when Dak Prescott is sacked at least three times, things haven't gone well for the Cowboys. In the nine previous games he had been taken down on a least three occasions, Dallas had gone just 3-6. Prescott had also thrown for 200 yards in just two of those outings and had tossed only three touchdown passes to nine interceptions. Against the Lions, he didn't let the pressure get to him, throwing for two touchdowns with no picks. The Cowboys are now 21-4 overall when he doesn't throw an interception.
9.4 –
Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and quarterback Dak Prescott talked about opening up the offense more and they did so in this game. After failing to even attempt a pass of more than 20 yards the week before at Seattle, the quarterback had completions that went for 31, 37, 38, 19 and 34 yards to give him an average of 9.4 yards per attempt. That's the eighth-highest mark of his career and was only the 11th time he's averaged at least 9 yards per pass attempt. Not surprisingly, the Cowboys are now 11-0 in those games.
3 –
It was a huge game for defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence as he finished with three sacks, which tied his career high, eight tackles, tying for the team lead, three quarterback hurries and three tackles for loss. He now has at least a half-sack in each of the Cowboys' first four games, totaling 5.5 for the year. Over the last two seasons, as Lawrence has solidified himself as one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, the Dallas defense has now produced at least three sacks in 11 of its 20 games, going 8-3 in those contests. Consider that in 2016, Lawrence played in only nine games due to injury. In five of those the Cowboys registered at least three sacks, going 4-1. In the other seven games that season, the defense turned the trick just twice, winning both.
1.75 –
The touchdown that Dallas allowed in the first quarter to the Lions marked the first points of any kind the team has given up in the opening frame this season. In fact, over the last 10 years, the Cowboys have been particularly stingy to start the game, surrendering an average of just 3.23 points in the first quarter over that span. Unfortunately, Dallas hasn't been quite as stout in the fourth quarter, having now given up 37 points in the last quarter this season, an average of 9.25 points. Over that same 10-year stretch, the Cowboys have allowed 7.54 points in the fourth quarter.
Milestones
Team Notes
• The win over Detroit evened Dallas' record to 2-2 in 2018, the 16th time in franchise history and the second consecutive season.
• It also improved the Cowboys record in the NFC to 2-2, and served as Dallas' third straight victory over Detroit, including playoffs.
• With Ezekiel Elliott rushing for 152 yards, it marked the 42nd time that a Dallas rusher crossed the century mark since 2011. That's the most in the NFL, bettering Seattle (38), Houston (37), Buffalo (34) and Minnesota (34).
• The Dallas offense compiled 414 total net yards, its highest since totaling 454 yards at the Giants on Dec. 10, 2017.
• The offense also registered 26 first downs, its most since the unit had 27 at San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2017.
• The Cowboys committed only two penalties for 20 yards, their fewest since the team had only two against Philadelphia on Nov. 19, 2017.
Chidobe Awuzie
• Chidobe Awuzie reached 50 career tackles.
Cole Beasley
• Cole Beasley had four receptions for 53 yards to give him 270 catches for his career to pass Bill Joe DuPree (267) for 14th on the team's all-time receptions list.
Chris Covington
• Chris Covington made his NFL debut on special teams.
Ezekiel Elliott
• Ezekiel Elliott rushed 25 times for 152 yards, the third-highest total of his career.
• It was Elliott's 14th career 100-yard rushing game in the regular season, second consecutive game this season, and he ranks fifth all-time in team history behind Emmitt Smith (76), Tony Dorsett (43), DeMarco Murray (19) and Calvin Hill (16).
• Elliott's 152 rushing yards allowed him to become the 11th player in franchise history to reach 3,000 career rushing yards (3,040).
• Elliott also caught a team-high-tying four passes for a team-best 88 yards, the second most of his career, and a touchdown.
• Collectively, Elliott's 240 scrimmage yards are a career-high, seventh-most in team history and the highest among all NFL players since Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley posted 276 total yards at Tennessee on Dec. 24, 2017.
• Elliott's 240 scrimmage yards were the fourth-highest number posted against the Detroit Lions in NFL history: O.J. Simpson (273, Nov. 25, 1976); Steve Largent (261, Oct. 18, 1987); and Walter Payton (244, Nov. 24, 1977).
• Elliott became only the second Cowboy to rush for 150 yards and catch a receiving touchdown in a single game, joining Emmitt Smith, who accomplished that feat at the Giants on Jan. 2, 1994.
• Elliott is also the first player in the NFL to post 150-plus rushing yards and 80-plus receiving yards since Oakland's Michael Bush at San Diego on Nov. 10, 2011. Overall, it is the 17th time that has happened in league history, dating back to 1950 and the first time it has happened by a Cowboy.
DeMarcus Lawrence
• DeMarcus Lawrence's three sacks served as his sixth career multi-sack game and first since against Washington on Nov. 30, 2017.
• Lawrence's sacks marked his fourth consecutive game with at least a half sack, his longest such streak since he opened the 2017 season with a sack in each of the first seven games.
• Lawrence's three sacks gave him 29 for his career to top Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff (both with 27) and Chad Hennings (27.5) for ninth on the club's all-time sacks list.
Brett Maher
• Brett Maher connected on a career-high four field goals, including his first career game-winner as time expired.
Dak Prescott
• Dak Prescott threw two touchdowns for his 16th career multi-touchdown game, his first since tossing three touchdown passes at the Giants on Dec. 10, 2017.
• Since 2016, there are 12 quarterbacks who have a minimum of 15 games with at least one touchdown pass and no interceptions. Prescott is now tied for the second-most such games (18) with Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Andy Dalton, and he is the only quarterback of the 12 to have an undefeated record (18-0). Matt Ryan has the most at 19.
• Down 24-23 with 2:17 left in the fourth quarter, Prescott led the offense on a nine-play 55-yard drive that resulted in a Brett Maher 38-yard field goal to win the game. It served as Prescott's sixth career fourth quarter comeback win, the sixth-most in team history behind Tony Romo (24), Troy Aikman (15), Roger Staubach (13), Danny White (11) and Don Meredith (8).
• Overall, it was Prescott's 10th career game-winning drive – good for fifth in team history amongst Cowboys quarterbacks behind Romo (29), Staubach (21), Aikman (20) and White (14).
• Prescott's 17 completions gave him 690 for his career and allowed him to surpass Craig Morton (685) for sixth all-time in team history.
Geoff Swaim
• Geoff Swaim caught three passes for 39 yards and his first career touchdown in the third quarter.
Leighton Vander Esch
• Leighton Vander Esch made his first career start.
