ed how many hours worth of clips he watched, he says: A lot, and mostly defensively.ddddddddddddAnd yet d

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ezekiel Elliott ran faster after he crossed the goal line than he did looking for a hole to get in the end zone from the 2-yard line.Dallas rookie sensation and NFL rushing leader had his eyes on an oversized Salvation Army red kettle in front of the stands. He jumped in, then disappeared when he crouched down.Elliott rushed for a career-high 159 yards and that short score and the Cowboys closed in on home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a 26-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night.The Cowboys (12-2) bounced back after their franchise-record 11-game winning streak ended, hanging on after what looked to be a festive night following Elliotts antics turned tense when Jameis Winston rallied the Bucs from a 17-3 deficit to a 20-17 lead.One of the words we talked about right from the outset this week was `response, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. We did a good job early in the ballgame to get a lead and they started throwing the ball a lot early in the second half and they went ahead.And again, that word `response came back to the forefront.Making his debut in the Sunday night spotlight, Winston threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns but had four turnovers, including an interception that led to Dan Baileys 38-yard field goal that gave Dallas a 23-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.Tampa Bay (8-6) had its five-game winning streak snapped and fell a game behind Atlanta in the NFC South.Weve just got to keep winning, see how it plays out, Winston said. I know Im going to keep fighting. Im not worried about not fighting. We just got to keep winning games.Dallas stayed two games ahead of the New York Giants in the NFC East and needs a win without any help to clinch the home field for the postseason.Elliott had NFL career rushing leader and former Dallas star Emmitt Smith and plenty of his teammates laughing when he jumped into the kettle -- a staple in the end zones from Thanksgiving on every year with one of the Cowboys most visible charities.Garrett wasnt quite as amused, mostly because the move cost the Cowboys a 15-yard penalty on the kickoff.He was actually talking about that pregame, should he do it, will they fine him, said fellow rookie Dak Prescott, Elliotts quarterback. I didnt know he was actually going to go down and come back up slow. Got a good laugh out of it, him coming up real slowly. It was funny.Prescott bounced back from his worst game as a pro, going 32 of 36 for 279 yards a week after completing less than 50 percent of his passes in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.He also set a franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback on a wide-open 2-yarder up the middle on a draw. His sixth rushing score of the year topped Don Merediths previous club record from 1966.Elliott had 76 of his yards with Dallas trying to control the clock on its final two possessions, but Winston still had a chance in the final 2 minutes after second-half scoring tosses to Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate gave the Bucs a brief lead.Tampa Bays last chance ended on downs at its 20, and the Bucs got just one first down on their final three possessions.COOLED-DOWN DEFENSEThe Bucs streak of five straight games of holding opponents to under 21 points -- their longest since 2009-10 -- ended, with Dallas gaining 449 yards, second-most this year against Tampa Bay. Elliott was the second 100-yard rusher of the season. A week after Drew Brees threw three interceptions in New Orleans loss to the Bucs, Prescott had his 11th game without one.PASSING TODallas tight end Jason Witten passed former teammate Terrell Owens for seventh place on the career receptions list, getting his 1,079th on a 6-yarder in the second quarter. The 34-year-old Witten, in his 14th season, had eight catches in the first half and 10 for the game, giving him 1,086.RARE MULTIPLE MISSESBailey missed two in a game for the first time since his rookie year in 2011. The first came up short from 56 yards , and the second was wide left from 52 in the final seconds of the first half. The misses against Arizona five years ago were from 50 and 49. Bailey is the NFLs career leader in accuracy among kickers with at least 100 attempts.INJURIESTampa Bay defensive lineman William Gholston and Dallas linebacker Justin Durant left the game with elbow injuries.UP NEXTBuccaneers: Finish regular season with two games against NFC South opponents, at New Orleans on Saturday and home against Carolina on Jan. 1.Cowboys: Wrap up regular-season home schedule against Detroit the day after Christmas, a Monday night, before visiting fading Philadelphia in finale.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuylerHydro Flask Coffee Mug Canada . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Canada . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. http://www.hydroflaskombrecanada.com/hydro-flask-ombre-40-oz-sale.html . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Hydro Flask Straw Lid Canada .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Hydro Flask 24 Oz Sale . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say.Everyone knows hes a peach of an NRL player, but all the natural skill in the world still couldnt teach Tyrone Peachey how to tackle in the centres.But season-ending knee injuries to Penriths all-international centre pairing in Dean Whare and Peta Hiku this year meant Peachey had to learn, and learn fast.Id never played there anywhere, even through my juniors, he told AAP.This is the first time. I was pretty nervous the first time I got put there. But with injuries, I was like the fifth or sixth-string centre. I just had to try and do my best.The early results were discouraging.It was against the Warriors. I let in a few tries and went back and did video with (coach Anthony Griffin) and he spoke me through whhat I needed to do, Peachey said.So I watched footage of guys like Dean Whare and Peta Hiku and just tried to replicate what they do.For a bloke whos made a living off his innate talents, its only hours spent on the computer that has resulted in him staying in the starting line-up.Fridays crunch against the Wests Tigers will be Peacheys 10th consecutive game in the centres, easily the longest stretch of consecutive games in one position in his career.AAsked how many hours worth of clips he watched, he says: A lot, and mostly defensively.ddddddddddddAnd yet despite the likely return of both New Zealand internationals next season, Peachey is still considering a permanent shift to the flanks.Its tough position. You feel like youre by yourself out there in the centres, theres a lot of space out there and a lot of fast guys, he said.But Im really enjoying it. Im not going to think about next year because weve got two of the best centres in the comp, but I like it out there. Ill just play whatever position Hook wants me to play.Enamoured with his unexpected, though successful, shift to the centres, Peachey, who is signed until the end of 2017, is now considering joining a growing list of players committing to the club long-term.I didnt know what I wanted when I first moved here, he said.I thought I was going to be here for two years then move back to Cronulla. But Penrith grew on me. Ive got a lot of good mates, I love the club and the direction its going on. I dont want to leave. ' ' '