Quarterback Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes to lead Dallas Cowboys to a 36-28 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Meanwhile, running back Ezekiel Elliot had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season against the NFL’s No. 1 defence in the league.

Elliott rushed for 143 yards and a score on 20 attempts for the Cowboys (3-1), who piled up 245 total yards on the ground after allowing just 135 in the previous three games.

Sam Darnold had two rushing touchdowns in leading the Panthers in their first full game without injured star running back Christian McCaffrey, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to have at least five rushing touchdowns in the first four games.

With the Panthers (3-1) trying to overcome a 22-point hole in the fourth quarter in their first loss, Darnold had a different narrative behind the line of scrimmage before getting hot in the passing game.

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Trevon Diggs had two interceptions for an NFL-high five, becoming the first Dallas player since the 1970 merger to have a pick in each of the first four games.

Diggs gave Dallas, the NFL leader in causing turnovers this season, multiple takeaways for the ninth straight game, the longest active streak in the league, when he won a tug of battle with receiver DJ Moore for the second interception.

The Cowboys sacked Darnold five times, including two by Randy Gregory, while keeping Prescott upright against a defence that had an NFL-high 14 sacks coming into the game.

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Prescott was forced into more incompletions by Carolina’s pressure than he’d been used to after completing 77.5 percent of his throws in the previous three weeks, but he still had enough time to throw touchdown passes to four different receivers.

Prescott finished 14 of 22 for 188 yards and three touchdowns in the third quarter to overcome a 14-13 halftime lead. His touchdown passes were to Blake Jarwin for 18 yards, Amari Cooper for 35 yards, Dalton Schultz for 6 yards, and Cedrick Wilson for 23 yards, the last set up by Diggs’ first pick.

Elliott’s 47-yard run, his longest since a 55-yarder as a rookie in 2016, set up Schultz’s short score catch. The two-time rushing champion’s game total was his highest since 2018.

Darnold equalled Elliott’s 1-yard run in the first quarter with a 1-yard option keeper, giving him five rushing touchdowns in 38 career games with the New York Jets. On an 11-yard QB draw, the Panthers took a 14-13 lead. On six carries, Darnold gained 35 yards.

Darnold completed 26 of 39 throws for 301 yards, including touchdown passes of 6 and 8 yards to Moore in the fourth quarter. Moore also grabbed eight catches for 113 yards.

With inputs from the Associated Press