Cowboys make history with 10th straight win

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott runs for a touchdown against the Redskins during the second half of Thursday's game in Arlington, Texas.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott runs for a touchdown against the Redskins during the second half of Thursday's game in Arlington, Texas.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys are accomplishing things in Dak Prescott's rookie season that never happened under Hall of Fame quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.

Dallas, which got its five Super Bowl championships under Staubach and Aikman, had never won 10 consecutive regular season games in the same season until now.

Only once before in franchise history had the Cowboys started 10-1, in Tony Romo's first full season as the starter in 2007. That was also the only other time since 1995, their last Super Bowl season, they already had 10 wins on Thanksgiving Day.

"I have tons of confidence in myself, this team, and the coaching staff," Prescott said. "I never go in to the game thinking we are going to lose, it is always what do we have to do to win? I feel like that is how this team thinks."

The NFL-leading Cowboys (10-1) haven't lost since their 20-19 setback to the New York Giants in the opener, when Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott made their NFL debuts. Their 31-26 win against Washington on Thanksgiving Day completed a season sweep of the NFC East rival.

"The momentum is real for us right now. Our football team is a lot of fun," veteran tight end Jason Witten said. "It's neat to be a part of this and lead a great group of guys. Ten wins is good but they don't hang those banners after 11 weeks. We have to continue to build here going into a critical stretch."

Unlike after most Thanksgiving games, the Cowboys don't immediately get a long weekend this time. They play another Thursday game next week at Minnesota, meaning their extended break will instead come before the Dec. 11 rematch against the Giants in New Jersey.

After that, the Cowboys will have consecutive home games against Tampa Bay and Detroit before finishing the regular season at Philadelphia.

"It's cool. We have to keep it moving though. We can't get comfortable," receiver Dez Bryant said about the 10-game winning streak. "When you get comfortable you're going to fall apart. It's still a long season. We have to make sure everyone's mind is right, including mine. We have to be chasing something."

The only time the Cowboys have won more consecutive regular-season games was 11 in a row - the last five of the 1968 season and the first six games in 1969, a stretch that included Staubach's first NFL start.

When including postseason games, the longest winning string in franchise history is 12 in a row. That included the Cowboys' first Super Bowl title during the 1971 season, when they won their last seven regular-season games and all three postseason games, before winning the first two games of the 1972 season.

"We're striving for perfection," veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. "Nobody is making the playoffs after 10 wins. We just have to keep our foot on the gas and continue to go in week in and week out and win football games."

Notes: Prescott is three short of Ben Roethlisberger's NFL rookie record for consecutive wins by a rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl Era. Roethlisberger won 13 consecutive games as a rookie with Pittsburgh in 2004. The Cowboys have the longest winning streak following a season-opening loss since San Francisco's 11 straight wins after losing its 1997 opener. The NFL record is 12 in a row by Minnesota in 1969.