The NFL season is past its halfway point, and the Oakland Raiders are currently in first place in the AFC West after their win against Denver on Sunday night.
The Oakland Raiders have been one of the worst teams in the NFL for quite some time, but they have been building back up to relevancy over the past two years. On Sunday night, the team moved to 7-2 on the season, and will head into their bye week in first place in the AFC West.
Running back Latavius Murray rushed for over 100 yards against the Denver Broncos, scoring three touchdowns in the team’s 30-20 victory.
Staying in that AFC West, the San Diego Chargers beat the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, thanks to a huge game by their running back. Second-year back Melvin Gordon rushed for nearly 200 yards against the Titans, including a dominating performance on the team’s final drive of the game.
Gordon’s only touchdown of the game was the game-winner, as he drove in from one-yard out to give the Bolts the lead for good. With the win, San Diego moved to 4-5 on the season.
Ben Roethlisberger made his return to the lineup on Sunday, as the Pittsburgh Steelers took on divisional foe Baltimore. However, it was the Ravens defense that came to play on this day, as they dominated the Steelers for nearly the whole game. Roethlisberger led the team to two fourth quarter touchdown drives, but it was too little too late, as the Ravens won 21-14.
The New York Giants hosted the Philadelphia Eagles in a huge NFC East matchup on Sunday, and it was the home team who came away with the victory. Despite a career-high 364 yards from Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, the Giants were able to beat Philadelphia thanks to four touchdowns from Eli Manning. With the win, the Giants moved into sole possession of second place in the division.
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Speaking of the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys continued to roll with their star rookies. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns in the game, while Ezekiel Elliott rushed for two, as the Cowboys destroyed the Cleveland Browns. With the win, Dallas moved their record to 7-1, while the Browns are still looking for their first win of the season.
There was overtime on Sunday, as the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings needed an extra frame to decide a winner. After the Vikings scored a touchdown with only 0:27 second left in the fourth quarter to take the lead, 16-13, the Lions pulled off an incredible comeback. Matt Prater hit a 58-yard field goal with no time remaining, sending the game into overtime.
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In overtime, Matthew Stafford hit Golden Tate for a touchdown on their first possession, sending the Vikings to their third straight loss. Minnesota had won five straight to start the season.