Preseason Blitz: Dak Prescott's stellar outing overshadows Tony Romo's sharp return

Ron Clements

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Preseason Blitz: Dak Prescott's stellar outing overshadows Tony Romo's sharp return image

Two oft-injured NFL stars were on the same field Friday night in Texas, but it was rookie quarterback Dak Prescott who stole the show. 

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and  Dolphins running back Arian Foster made their preseason debut at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. 

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Romo was sharp in two series, going 4 for 5 for 49 yards and leading a scoring drive on Dallas' second possession of the 41-14 Cowboys victory. 

Romo's first series was plagued by penalties in what was a sloppy game: 22 total penalties enforced for 192 yards (Miami, 10-79; Dallas 12-113).

While Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was 12 of 20 through the air for 162 yards and two touchdowns, the Dolphins couldn't get anything going once he was pulled. 

Foster, meanwhile, ran for minus-5 yards on two carries while his competitor for the starting job in Miami, Jay Ajayi gained 19 yards on six carries. Miami ran for 120 yards on 29 carries as a team after Isaiah Pead's fourth-quarter run late in the fourth quarter accounted for 45. Pead's other three carries totaled 3 yards. 

The best running back in the game was new Cowboys back Alfred Morris, who ran for 85 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Dallas rookie Ezekiel Elliott did not play because of a tender hamstring. 

Injury roundup

— Redskins running back Matt Jones left Friday's 22-18 win over the Jets in the first quarter to get X-rays on his left shoulder. Jones had rushed for 31 yards on seven carries. The Redskins later announced Jones had suffered a sprained AC joint. He returned to the sideline with his left shoulder in a sling and is scheduled to undergo more testing on Saturday.

— Dolphins backup quarterback Matt Moore was hit in the head while sliding, and left Friday's game late in the first half to be evaluated for a concussion. 

— The Jets had several injuries with linebacker Erin Henderson (stinger), wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (head), cornerback Dee Milliner (biceps) and defensive lineman Lawrence Thomas (shoulder) all exiting the game without returning. 

— Chargers tight end Jeff Cumberland left Friday's 19-3 win over the Cardinals with an Achilles injury. Offensive lineman Donavon Clark also suffered a knee injury and did not return. Both players were carted off the field. 

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Impact rookies

Dak Prescott continues to impress for the Cowboys. The rookie quarterback from Mississippi State went 10 for 12 for 139 yards and two scores last week against the Rams. He then threw for 199 yards on 12-for-15 passing with two scores against the Dolphins on Friday. Prescott also ran for 28 yards and two more touchdowns, including a 20-yard scoring scramble. 

Jets receiver Robby Anderson, who was undrafted out of Temple, caught six passes for 131 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown from Bryce Petty that gave the Jets an 18-14 lead late in the fourth quarter. 

Redskins quarterback Nate Sudfeld, a sixth-round pick from Indiana, was 10 of 20 for 77 yards on the night, but went 7 for 10 on the ensuing drive after Anderson's go-ahead score. Sudfeld threw for 69 yards on the final possession, which was capped by a game-winning 18-yard touchdown pass to Kendal Thompson with 29 second remaining. It was the only catch of the game for Thompson, a rookie from Utah. 

Highlights

Colt McCoy and Rashad Ross were in sync, hooking up for a pair of first-half touchdowns against the Jets. McCoy finished the 22-18 victory 13 of 16 for 159 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while Ross, a second-year receiver from Arizona State, caught four passes for 58 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown catch and an acrobatic 39-yard touchdown reception. 

Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry had the tip drill working in the first half. Landry finished with four receptions for 33 yards in the 41-14 loss to the Cowboys.

Things didn't go well for the Cardinals in their 19-3 loss to the Chargers right from the start. Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers jumped an attempted screen pass from Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and returned it 25 yards for the game's first score. 

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NFL preseason scores Week 2 

Thursday’s games

Eagles 17, Steelers 0
Bengals 30, Lions 14
Patriots 23, Bears 22
Falcons 24, Browns 13
Packers 20, Raiders 12
Vikings 18, Seahawks 11

Friday’s games 

Redskins 22, Jets 18
Cowboys 41, Dolphins 14
Chargers 19, Cardinals 3

Saturday’s games (All times Eastern)

Panthers at Titans, 3 p.m.
Giants at Bills, 4 p.m.
Ravens at Colts, 7 p.m.
Buccaneers at Jaguars, 7:30 p.m.
Saints at Texans 8 p.m.
49ers at Broncos, 9 p.m.
Chiefs at Rams, 9 p.m.

Ron Clements