Ravens vs. Cowboys 2016 final score: Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant lift Dallas to its 9th straight win

After a 20-yard first-quarter touchdown run, Baltimore Ravens tailback Terrance West threw up Dez Bryant’s signature “X” celebration. Whether Bryant saw West’s taunt, he made sure to let the rest of the Ravens know he was up to their challenge.

The 2014 All-Pro helped Dak Prescott shake off a slow start and push the Dallas Cowboys to their ninth-straight victory. Bryant proved last week’s revival against the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t an outlier in the 27-17 win.

The Cowboys responded to West’s celebration with a 24-3 run that reminded the Ravens the NFL’s best team calls Texas home. West gained just 8 yards in the 50+ minutes following his “X” celebration. Bryant hauled in six passes for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns over that same span.

More importantly, Bryant showed what his presence as a tried and tested receiver means for Prescott and the Cowboy offense. The rangy wideout used his 220-pound frame to post up in the end zone and when Dallas needed big yards, dropping the level of difficulty for his prodigious quarterback by expanding his targets downfield. After a pair of early incompletions, the duo connected on their next six attempts to turn an early deficit into a two-possession lead.

That start also showcased Prescott’s ability to come back against one of the league’s top defenses. Baltimore ranked fifth in the NFL when it came to yards allowed per pass attempt and ninth in opponent passer rating. After gaining only 31 yards with his first 10 attempts, he gained 270 over his next 26 while tossing three touchdowns. The final outcome was the second 300-yard passing game of Prescott’s budding career.

The game was also notable for a pair of record-book performances. Ezekiel Elliott’s second carry of the game was enough to break Tony Dorsett’s 39-year franchise record for most rush yards in a season by a rookie. Elliott finished the game with 97 yards on 25 carries and now has 1,102 through 10 games in 2016.

Steve Smith stamped his place in league lore in the third quarter when he caught a 22-yard pass from Joe Flacco — the 1,000th of his career. Smith is just the 14th player in NFL history to record 1,000 receptions or more. He finished the day with a vintage eight-catch, 99-yard, one-touchdown performance.

On a day where Elliott was merely above-average rather than his standard great, the Cowboys needed their quarterback to be sharp. Prescott rose to the challenge — with a lot of help from Bryant.

With comparisons between these Cowboys and the franchise’s dynasty of the 1990s unavoidable, Bryant is the stand-in for Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. On Sunday, he proved once more he can shake off the injuries that marred the early part of his season. He carved up a potent Raven defense and showed he’s still the receiving threat Jason Garrett needs to complement Prescott and Elliott in the Cowboy offense.