By SCHUYLER DIXONAP Pro Football Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — If the Dallas Cowboys are going to win without Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott will have to hang on to the ball.

Elliott lost two fumbles in the same game for the first time in his career, Andy Dalton threw two interceptions in his first start filling in for the injured Prescott, and the Cowboys never had a chance in a 38-10 loss to Arizona on Monday night.

While Dalton's interceptions added to the club's NFL-worst turnover margin of minus-12, Elliott's miscues were the biggest because they set up the first two Arizona touchdowns, and handed the Cowboys (2-4) a deficit of at least two touchdowns for the fifth straight game.

The good news for the Cowboys? They knew going in they would be in first place in the woeful NFC East no matter what happened. So what seemed like a critical three-game homestand when Dallas was 1-2 ended with two more losses, and a jump in the division standings.

The first Elliott fumble came after the two-time rushing champion took a shovel pass from Dalton as the quarterback was trying to escape pressure. Elliott turned upfield but didn't see Budda Baker, who knocked the ball loose and Jordan Phillips recovered at the Arizona 46.

After Christian Kirk's 6-yard score on a jet sweep that counted as a pass, Elliott fumbled again two plays later at the Dallas 27. Kenyan Drake's 1-yard run made it 14-0.

Elliott has five fumbles in six games (four lost), just one shy of his career high for an entire season from two years ago. He had never lost more than two fumbles in a season before this year, and now has four in 2020.

The Cowboys have an NFL-high 15 giveaways, and the 84 points they've allowed off turnovers are the most in the NFL through six games since at least 2000.

While the offense didn't help a defense that's been struggling all season, that group faded again after its best start. Dallas gave up Kyler Murray's 80-yard touchdown to Kirk, and Drake broke free for a 69-yard run with the game out of hand in the final two minutes.

The Cowboys have allowed 218 points, the most through six games since the 1961 Raiders gave up 228 as an AFL team. The last NFL team to give up more was Washington in 1954 with 223 points.

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