The Detroit Lions massacred the Cowboys 47-9 on Sunday, in Dallas, but it cost them a man.
Aidan Hutchinson left the game due to a serious injury to his left leg after making a sack of the quarterback at the expense of Dak Prescott, in this third victory in a row for the Lions (4-1).
The defensive end bumped into teammate Alim McNeill’s leg while bringing Prescott to the ground in the third quarter.
The Lions held a 34-6 lead at the time of Hutchinson’s injury, who leads the NFL in that category with six and a half sacks. There was a delay of about 10 minutes while medical staff were tending to the 2022 second overall pick, as both teams surrounded him.
The Lions kept control of the match against a defense weakened and overwhelmed by events. Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes to Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff completed 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards.
David Montgomery shined with two rushing touchdowns to help Detroit build a 27-6 cushion at halftime. He first managed a 16-yard run on the first offensive sequence, which constitutes the eighth game in a row with a rushing touchdown, an organization record.
The Cowboys, whose record fell to 3-3, then became the second team in history to face a deficit of at least 15 points in four straight home games, including the playoffs.
Dak Prescott had four sacks and threw two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter that ended up in the hands of Kerby Joseph (for the fourth time this year) in the end zone. He did not complete a touchdown pass, a first since December 17, 2023 against the Buffalo Bills.
The Steelers return to winning ways
Najee Harris rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to an easy 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Harris reached the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. He had over 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first three NFL campaigns, but he started the year averaging 3.3 yards per game.
Quarterback Justin Fields added 59 rushing yards and two touchdowns, racking up 145 air yards.
Fields has maintained his role as starting quarterback despite some recent performances below expectations. Russell Wilson was available for the first time this season after recovering from a calf injury.
The Steelers (4-2) ended their two-game losing streak with their best offensive performance since a 34-11 win against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 23, 2023.
The Steelers entered the game with the 26th scoring average in the NFL, at 18.4. Their defense had allowed 803 total yards in the last two losses, but it limited the Raiders (2-4) to just 275 yards on Sunday.
Steelers star TJ Watt forced two fumbles and made two tackles for a loss.
Broncos lose Surtain in defeat
Justin Herbert led a Los Angeles Chargers offense that took advantage of Patrick Surtain II’s injury to beat the Denver Broncos 23-16 on Sunday.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh missed the start of the game while being evaluated by medical staff, but returned to the sidelines in the first quarter and coached the rest of the game. He told a CBS reporter that he was suffering from a heart arrhythmia.
The Chargers (3-2) seemed for much of the game headed for a shutout, which would have been a first in 65 years of home history for the Broncos (3-3).
But after two turnovers and five punts, quarterback Bo Nix led a 95-yard offensive drive, capped by his two-yard pass to Troy Franklin in the end zone early in the fourth quarter.
Then, Courtland Sutton scored a 15-yard diving touchdown in the paint with 5:22 left, but a botched two-point convert left the Broncos 10 points behind the Chargers.
The Broncos reached the Chargers’ 32-yard line on their next possession and Wil Lutz’s 40-yard field goal made it 23-16 with 59 seconds left.
They then attempted a short kickoff, but it failed and thus the Chargers got their first victory against the Broncos in two years and their first against Sean Payton in seven attempts.
The game featured the only two NFL defenses ranked in the top 10 in points allowed as well as yards, rushing yards and air yards allowed.
Surtain’s concussion on the Broncos’ first defensive sequence completely changed the game. He was injured knocking down Herbert’s pass to Ladd McConkey.
Without Surtain, the Broncos were unable to stop the Chargers, who kicked two field goals and two touchdowns in the first half.
