Dak Prescott in action
Dak Prescott in action

NFL wildcard weekend results: Dallas Cowboys cling on against Seahawks as Indianapolis Colts see off Houston Texans


Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 137 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Cowboys hung on for a 24-22 Wild Card win over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.

Dallas' defense impressed, keeping Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and their No 1 rushing attack under control for most of the night to hand the team their first loss in their last four Wild Card games.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, meanwhile, threw for 226 yards and had a one-yard sneak for a score in the fourth quarter to stretch Dallas' lead.

A 53-yard connection between Wilson and Tyler Lockett helped set up set up a quick Seattle touchdown as Wilson found J.D. McKissic from seven yards out. A second successful two-point conversion, following an injury to kicker Sebastian Janikowski, brought the Seahawks back to within two of their hosts.

But, punter Michael Dickson's attempted onside kick was caught by Cole Beasley, sealing a first playoff win for the Cowboys since beating Detroit at the same stage of the 2014 season.

After initially trading in field goals, Dallas went up 10-6 heading into half-time after Prescott found Michael Gallup for a 13-yard score.

Seattle got a double dose of bad news before the break when Janikowski missed a 57-yard field goal on the final play and injured his left thigh.

But, the injury somewhat helped the Seahawks to take the lead, forcing them to go for it on 4th-and-5 from the Dallas 39-yard line in the third quarter, rather than attempt a field goal. Doug Baldwin made an incredible toe-dragging catch on the sideline for 22 yards, setting up a Wilson four-yard touchdown run.

However, fourth-quarter plunges over the goal line by Elliott and Prescott saw Dallas back ahead and hang on for a victory that sets up a divisional round clash with either the New Orleans Saints or Los Angeles Rams next weekend.

On a sour note, Cowboys receiver Allen Hurns appeared to suffer a severe lower left leg injury in the first quarter, when his ankle buckled under a tackle by Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald.

Colts cruise home against Texans

The Indianapolis Colts booked a divisional round playoff matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend as they cruised to a 21-7 Wild Card win over the Houston Texans on Saturday.

The Colts bolted out of the blocks at the NRG Stadium in Houston, scoring touchdowns on three of their opening four offensive possessions, with Andrew Luck throwing two TDs either side of a Marlon Mack two-yard scoring run.

Luck finished 19 of 32 passing, for 222 yards, finding tight end Eric Ebron and wide receiver Dontrelle Inman in the endzone. His only blip on the night was a J.J. Watt tipped interception early in the second quarter.

The Texans couldn't capitalise on the turnover, however, as they were held scoreless through the first half. The closest Houston came to scoring was when they went for it on 4th-down-and-1 at the Indianapolis nine-yard line just before the break, but Deshaun Watson's pass intended for DeAndre Hopkins fell incomplete.

Watson finished 29 of 49 for 235 yards, one TD and one pick, while Hopkins - seemingly struggling with an injury - hauled in only five catches for 37 yards.

Watson did finally get the Texans on the board early in the fourth quarter, finding Keke Coutee from six yards out, though there were questions over whether the receiver had fumbled the ball before reaching the endzone. The play was reviewed but the touchdown was upheld.

It didn't spark a late revival from the hosts, however, as again they turned over on downs on their next possession before Mack and the Colts ran out the clock. Mack finished with an impressive 148 yards off 24 carries.

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