Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott carries the ball as Washington free safety D.J. Swearinger and cornerback Kendall Fuller chase on Oct. 29, 2017.Geoff Burke
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns and the Dallas Cowboys took advantage of a blocked field-goal return and three turnovers to beat Washington 33-19 Sunday and move into sole possession of second place in the NFC East.
Playing in a driving rainstorm that made it difficult to hold onto the ball, let alone throw it, Dak Prescott completed 14 of his 22 passes for 143 yards as Dallas (4-3) heeded the message on Elliott's cleats to "Feed Zeke." With another hearing on his NFL suspension coming Monday, Elliott carried the ball 33 times, scored twice for the second consecutive game and surpassed 100 yards for the third in a row.
The game turned in the second quarter when Dallas's Tyrone Crawford blocked Nick Rose's field goal attempt and Orlando Scandrick returned it 86 yards to set up a one-yard Elliott TD run two plays later. Instead of Washington (3-4) leading 16-7, Dallas went up 14-13 and never trailed again.
Washington QB Kirk Cousins lost one fumble and kick returner Chris Thompson lost another. Cousins was 26-of-39 for 263 yards and a one-yard TD pass to Josh Doctson that cut it to 26-19, but Rose missed the extra point and Dallas sealed it with an interception return for a touchdown by Byron Jones with 21 seconds left.
Signed to fill in for injured kicker Dan Bailey, Mike Nugent was wide left from 49 yards on his first attempt for the Cowboys. Nugent shook it off and made field goals from 36, 48, 27 and 37 yards in the second half.
Eagles win sixth in a row
Carson Wentz tossed two touchdown passes, Jalen Mills had a pick-6 and the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles beat the winless San Francisco 49ers 33-10 on a sloppy, rainy Sunday. The Eagles (7-1) overcame a slow start on their way to a sixth straight win. The 49ers are 0-8 for the first time in franchise history. Wentz was 18-of-32 for 211 yards and one interception. He threw a 53-yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery and one-yard TD pass to Zach Ertz. He leads the NFL with 19 TD passes, most by an Eagles quarterback through eight games. The 49ers lost five straight games by a field goal or less before Dallas routed them 40-10 last week.
Patriots take advantage of Chargers' mistakes
Tom Brady passed for 333 yards and a touchdown, Stephen Gostkowski added four field goals as the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers 21-13. It was the fourth straight victory for the Patriots (6-2). The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Chargers. Los Angeles (3-5) got on the board first when Melvin Gordon found a seam on the outside and rumbled down the sideline for an 87-yard touchdown run. But the rest of the game was marked by Los Angeles' mistakes and inability to move the ball offensively. New England got its lone touchdown via a two-yard toss from Brady to Rob Gronkowski in the second quarter. The Patriots went 1-for-4 in the red zone, but were able to cobble together the Gostkowski field goals and a safety.
Browns lose eighth in a row
Case Keenum threw for two touchdowns and Kai Forbath made four field goals in the last of four games held this season in Britain as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Cleveland Browns 33-16. Adam Thielen had five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown for the NFC North-leading Vikings (6-2), who trailed 13-12 at halftime – the first time the Browns, 0-8 for the second consecutive year, claimed a mid-game lead this season.
Brees on a roll
Drew Brees completed 23 of 28 passes for 299 yards against a Bears defence that ranked sixth against the pass, and the New Orleans Saints beat Chicago 20-12 for their fifth straight win. Running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara each ran for touchdowns for New Orleans (5-2). Ingram finished with 99 yards from scrimmage, including 75 on the ground, but his two late fumbles kept the Bears in the game into the final minutes. Kamara had 76 yards from scrimmage – 48 receiving. Chicago rookie Mitchell Trubisky completed 14 of 32 passes for 164 yards in his fourth start for the Bears (3-5). Chicago's Jordan Howard had 102 yards rushing on 23 carries.
Panthers defence comes up big
Carolina's defence didn't allow a TD for the second straight week, helping the Panthers snap a two-game losing streak with a 17-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cam Newton rebounded from a subpar performance in a 14-point road loss to the Bears, leading a 17-play, 82-yard TD drive that consumed more eight minutes of the opening quarter. He then completed three passes to Christian McCaffrey to set up a field goal for a 10-0 halftime lead. The Bucs (2-5) have lost four straight. The Panthers put the game away in the fourth quarter, intercepting Jameis Winston twice, with Mike Adams's pick leading to Newton's 25-yard TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin to make it 17-3. Carolina's defence picked up where it left off in only allowing three points against Chicago, which returned a fumble and interception for the only touchdowns in a 17-3 victory that knocked the Panthers (5-3) out of first place in the NFC South.