Bengals at Cowboys Week 5: Highlights, score and recap

The Dallas Cowboys will try to move to 4-1 for the 2016 season when they host Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.

The 3-1 Dallas Cowboys have looked impressive so far this season behind two offensive rookies. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will try to guide the team to a fourth-straight win on Sunday but they’ll have a major test. In this latest matchup, one of the top three quarterbacks in passing yards, Andy Dalton, will bring the Cincinnati Bengals to AT&T Stadium looking to help his squad achieve an above .500 record.

The Cowboys have certainly exceeded expectations without Tony Romo in the lineup so far this season. Prescott has looked comfortable in his place to guide the offense. Ezekiel Elliott has been a beast as well. Right now, Elliott is leading all running backs in total yards on the ground. He’s rushed for 412 so far in his rookie year and has looked as good as advertised. For the Bengals, Dalton is ranked No. 3 in the league in terms of total passing yards with 1,203. Meanwhile, his receiver A.J. Green is currently third overall in total receiving yards with 468.

Dalton and Green helped bring the team to a 22-7 victory against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. Green had a stellar day, finishing with 173 yards and a touchdown in the win. Dalton had 296 passing yards and a touchdown on 22-of-31 completed passes. The win evened their record at 2-2 as they try to stay competitive with Baltimore and Pittsburgh in their division.

Both teams have their share of injury issues ahead of the game. Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert had to miss a second-straight practice due to a new back injury, which makes it seem he’ll be unable to debut against Dallas.

For the Cowboys, Dez Bryant is one notable player who will be unlikely to play. Bryant has been dealing with a fracture in his right knee. Other iffy Dallas players include Kicker Dan Bailey who has been dealing with a back injury which could limit him and cornerback Orlando Scandrick.

The latest game highlights will appear below as they become available.

Highlights

Three players to watch

1 Ezekiel Elliott

The rookie running back was heralded coming into the league but started slow, recording just 134 yards total in his first two games. However, he has been on a tear in his last two, with 140 against the Bears and 138 against the 49ers. He’s also scored a touchdown in all but one of his four games so far.

2 Andy Dalton

The offense clearly starts and stops with Andy Dalton. The Bengals quarterback has thrown for 366 yards twice and had nearly 300 last week against Miami. If he has a big day at Dallas, it will likely be the catalyst for a third mark in the win column.

3 A.J. Green

Usually, when Dalton goes big, it includes one of the best and brightest receivers in the league too. Green had a monster game last week with 173 yards and a touchdown in a win over Miami. It’s no surprise that Cincinnati currently ranks third in the NFL in passing with 291 yards per game.

Odds

The Bengals were a one-point favorite as of Thursday. The over/under points total was hovering around 45 points ahead of the game.

Next week

For Week 6, Dallas hits the road to battle the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field at 4:25 p.m. Eastern Time. The Bengals will also be on the road, as they’ll take on the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium starting at 1 p.m. ET.