LANDOVER, Md. _ One thing is seemingly clear two games into the 2019 season.
Even when Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is not perfect, he is still pretty darn good.
So forgive him if he didn't match the 158.3 quarterback rating he fashioned in the season-opening victory against the New York Giants. Prescott will settle for another sterling performance and a 2-0 start following Sunday's 31-21 victory against the Redskins.
Prescott completed 26 of 30 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns, an interception and a lowly quarterback rating of 123.5.
This game started with Prescott tossing an interception on the second drive of the game, resulting in a 7-0 deficit after a Redskins touchdown.
He then went off, leading the Cowboys to touchdowns on three consecutive drives with passes of 51 yards to receiver Devin Smith, 2 yards to tight end Jason Witten and 10 yards to Amari Cooper to blow the game open at 21-7 early in the third quarter.
How good was Prescott?
He completed 18 straight passes and was 14 of 14 in the second half. The 18 straight completions ties his career high and is the second most in Cowboys history behind Brandon Weeden's 21 straight in 2015. It's most for the team on the road.
Any questions?
Five things to from Cowboys victory against the Redskins:
_DAK PRESCOTT'S ENCORE AND STILL NICE
There was little chance Dak Prescott was going to match last week's perfection on the road against the Redskins and a defense that is much better than the Giants. He had a tipped pick on the second drive of the game. The Cowboys had just one first down after their first three drives. He was four of six for 19 yards and an interception after the first quarter.
Then Prescott became Prescott again, leading the Cowboys to touchdowns on three drives with touchdown passes to three different receivers to make the score 21-7. The second one included a 42-yard run by Prescott and a stiff arm on cornerback Josh Norman, who questioned his abilities during the week, saying the Giants defense was making it easy on him.
When the Cowboys sealed the game with a touchdown run by Zeke Elliott to make the score 31-14, Prescott tied a career high with 18-straight completions.
He was 14 for 14 in the second half.
_ ELLIOTT BACK TO NORMAL LOAD
The second game back from a 41-day hold out resulted in an increase in workload for Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. After getting 13 carries for 53 yards in the opener against the New York Giants, Elliott rushed 23 times for 111 yards and a game-sealing touchdown against the Redskins.
He was in on 28 of the Cowboys' 30 first-half snaps. He played in 23 of 34 first-half snaps against the Giants.
The Cowboys did use backup Tony Pollard more against the Redskins, largely because of the hot day in Washington.
The Cowboys took the lead with the passing game but closed out the Redskins with Elliott on the ground.
_ COWBOYS DEFENSE STILL NOT HAPPY
The Cowboys defense did it's job against Redskins running back Adrain Peterson, holding him to 10 carries for 25 yards.
But that was largely because the Cowboys offense took over the game and took the running game out of the equation.
The defense failed to come up with at least two interceptions when they had the opportunity. It gave up a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to keep the Redskins in the game longer than necessary. And then gave up a late touchdown pass with 2:17 to go in the game. They Cowboys recorded just one sack (defensive end Tyrone Crawford).
_ COWBOYS SHUT UP JOSH NORMAN
Redskins cornerback Josh Norman made news earlier in the week when he questioned Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after he passed for 405 yards, four touchdowns and had a perfect quarterback rating against the Giants.
Prescott and the Cowboys receivers seemingly took their time picking on Norman. Devin Smith beat him for a 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter on a perfect throw from Prescott.
Prescott also hit him with a nasty stiff on a 42-yard run in the second quarter. Receiver Michael Gallup, Amari Cooper and tight end Jason Witten all caught passes when covered by Norman.
_ DOLPHINS UP NEXT
The Cowboys come home for matchup against the hapless Miami Dolphins, who lost 49-10 in the opener against the Baltimore Ravens and 37-0 to the New England Patriots.
The Cowboys should make this an easy 3-0 start. The biggest intrigue in the game are the trade talks the Cowboys are having with the Dolphins about safety Minkah Fitzpatrick that possibly could include defensive end Taco Charlton.
The Cowboys did business with the Dolphins in the offseason in a trade for defensive Robert Quinn, who will make his season-debut against his former team after being suspended for the first two games for using a banned substance.
