Broncos beat Cowboys 44-24 as Dallas faces defensive questions

DENVER — The Denver Broncos beat the Dallas Cowboys 44-24 on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, handing Dallas its fourth loss in eight games and intensifying questions about the Cowboys defense as the NFL trade deadline approaches. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw four touchdown passes and Denver rushed for 179 yards, while the Cowboys managed just 188 passing yards from Dak Prescott and committed multiple costly mistakes.

Denver took control early and scored on seven of eight possessions after an early Cowboys turnover. Nix completed 19 of 29 passes for 247 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Running back J.K. Dobbins ran for 111 yards, and rookie R.J. Harvey produced big plays including a 40-yard touchdown. The Broncos totaled 426 yards of offense. Dallas was flagged for 12 penalties and allowed seven scoring drives, struggles head coach Brian Schottenheimer described as self-inflicted.

Prescott was 19 of 31 for 188 yards with two interceptions. The Cowboys’ offense, which entered the game among the league leaders in scoring and yardage, was unable to overcome defensive breakdowns. Schottenheimer said the performance was unacceptable and promised changes,...