Peyton Hendershot, right, of the Cowboys celebrates with Sean McKeon, left, Jake Ferguson, center, and Dalton Schultz, kneeling down, after scoring a touchdown against the Giants Thursday in Arlington, Texas. The players played a game of Whac-A-Mole to celebrate the touchdown. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes to tight end Dalton Schultz, Ezekiel Elliott ran for a score and the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants 28-20 on Thanksgiving Day.

Rookie Peyton Hendershot ran for a 2-yard TD before directing all three of his fellow tight ends into a giant Salvation Army red kettle for a Whac-A-Mole celebration.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak on the holiday for the Cowboys (8-3), who moved a game ahead of the Giants in the NFC East while sweeping the season series.

Prescott’s TD tosses to Schultz came about five minutes apart in the third quarter, turning a 13-7 deficit into a 21-13 lead. The first was a 15-yarder on third-and-goal.

The Dallas quarterback has 10 consecutive victories over the Giants since losing to them twice when the Cowboys went 13-3 his rookie year in 2016.

Saquon Barkley was held to 39 yards rushing with a 1-yard TD behind a makeshift offensive line missing three starters because of injury in the third loss in the past four games for the Giants (7-4).

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Dallas, the NFL leader in sacks coming in, dropped Daniel Jones three times while limiting him to 14 yards rushing after he ran for first downs seven times in the first meeting, a 23-16 Dallas win.

Jones’ TD pass to Richie James in the final seconds was too late for the Giants to take advantage of a 2-0 takeaway edge in the second Thanksgiving meeting out of 122 overall in the storied rivalry.

CeeDee Lamb had six catches for 106 yards and set up three Dallas touchdowns, starting with a 25-yard catch before Elliott’s 6-yard run.

Lamb’s one-handed grab for 15 yards came before Schultz’s second TD. A 23-yarder put Dallas at the 2, and Lamb thought he made another one-handed catch in the back of the end zone.

Mike McCarthy challenged the ruling that the toe-tapping catch was out of bounds. It was upheld on review, despite the Cowboys being so confident they sent the PAT unit out after seeing the replay.

The Dallas offense came back out with all four tight ends, and Hendershot took a handoff on a sweep left for the easy 2-yard score.

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The rookie waved Schultz, fellow rookie Jake Ferguson and Sean McKeon into the red kettle, holding the ball with both hands while they popped up. Ferguson got tapped on the helmet.

Elliott had a season-high 92 yards rushing, and the Cowboys overcame two interceptions from Prescott, who threw for 261 yards.

JETS:  Mike White has already made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

So replacing a struggling Zach Wilson and trying to spark a stagnant offense should be no biggie for the New York Jets’ new starting quarterback.

Right?

“Any time you step in the huddle as a quarterback and you have grown men looking at you, it means something to me, whether we’re 0-16 or if we’re fighting for a playoff spot,” White said. “I’m focused on the Bears and focused on performing well enough for these guys in the locker room and help give us all a fighting chance to win ballgames.”

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That’s all the Jets – in the middle of the playoff hunt at 6-4 – are asking of White, who’ll get his first regular-season NFL start in more than a year Sunday at MetLife Stadium against Chicago.

“For Mike, it’s obviously a great opportunity for him,” Coach Robert Saleh said. “And I know he’ll attack it.”

Saleh announced the team’s decision Wednesday it was benching Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, and starting White. Wilson is coming off a brutal performance in New York’s 10-3 loss at New England last Sunday during which he was 9 of 22 for just 77 yards. The Jets managed 2 total yards on seven possessions in the second half.

Saleh insisted it’s a temporary mental and physical “reset” for Wilson. The coach will evaluate the position daily, but this is now White’s opportunity.

Again.

“You’ve got to stay ready,” White said, “because when your moment does come and if you let it pass by, you’re going to look back on it and be frustrated with it.”

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COMMANDERS: Taylor Heinicke is 4-1 since taking over for Carson Wentz as the Washington Commanders’ starting quarterback.

He has four new pairs of sneakers to show for it.

In a tradition he began last year, Heinicke gets himself a pair of Air Jordans in the colors of every team he and the Commanders beat. Their success and Heinicke’s popularity among players and fans has made the “Js” a viral sensation well beyond the locker room.

“I never really meant it to get this big, but I am enjoying it now,” Heinicke said Wednesday. “It’s a cool deal, and I think the coolest part about it is it doesn’t take away from football. It’s very football-related and it’s kind of just a little present for us winning.”

Heinicke has taken to getting shoes for teammates to thank them for their contributions – and hopes that incentive perhaps “gets those guys going a little bit more.” The starting offensive line was first. Tight ends are next.

“It’s awesome,” right tackle Sam Cosmi said. “I love sneakers. Any time I can get some free shoes that are styling, I’m all for it. I really appreciate it. It means a lot. He really doesn’t have to do it, but it just shows what type of team player and what type of quarterback we have.”

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