Eagles, Rams Cruise to Stay Atop Divisions
The Philadelphia Eagles have come as a bit of a surprise in the NFC, holding the NFL's best record, and they had no problem improving that mark on Sunday. Carson Wentz threw a career-high four touchdowns, as the Eagles crushed the Denver Broncos 51-23, improving to 8-1 on the season. Three of Wentz's scoring passes went to Corey Clement, as the Eagles also improved to 5-0 on their home field. Alshon Jeffrey caught the other scoring pass from the second-year quarterback, who leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes, 17 of which have come in the past five games. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams added to their surprising start in the NFC West, moving their record to 6-2 with a 51-17 rout of the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Jared Goff threw for career highs 311 yards and three touchdowns, while Todd Gurley ran for two scores, helping the Rams improve to 4-0 on the road. Los Angeles used 21 and 20-point quarters to pull away for good, gaining a game on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, who fell at home to the Washington Redskins. The start for the Rams is their best since 2001, which is the team that went 14-2 and advanced to the Super Bowl. Both L.A. and Philly have that same goal in mind, but they were not expected to be ahead of the pack when it comes to that race.
Saints, Cowboys, Titans Extend Win Streaks
While the Rams and Eagles are getting comfortable at the top of the NFL standings, there are a few teams that are getting over slow starts and finding their rhythm on the year. The New Orleans Saints have picked things up on the offensive side of the ball since dealing Adrian Peterson, and won their sixth straight with a 30-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Drew Brees was sharp, completing 22-of-27 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Saints take a testy game from their division rivals. The contest did feature a scuffle between Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, as Evans assaulted Lattimore from behind on the sideline while the cornerback was pushing off Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay did fall to 2-6 on the season, including 0-4 on the road, while the Saints remained in first place in the NFC South at 6-2. Elsewhere, the Dallas Cowboys are benefiting from Ezekiel Elliott winning the suspension battle with the NFL, as the running back ran for 93 yards and a score in a 28-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The win is their third in a row, improving them to 5-3 after losing three of their first five games. Dak Prescott did not turn the ball over while throwing for 249 yards and two touchdowns, while the Chiefs suffered their third loss of the year. They have dropped three of four since their 5-0 start. Elliott's three-game streak with at least 100 yards rushing did come to an end, but his score, along with Cole Beasley's two touchdown catches led the charge. The Tennessee Titans are also staying relevant in the lackluster AFC South, as they topped the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, for their third straight victory. Marcus Mariota threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns coming off a bye, as his team improved to 5-3 on the year. Joe Flacco threw two interceptions, as the Ravens fell to 4-5 despite out-gaining the Titans 341-257, and recording 10 more first downs. The Titans now sit tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars, atop the South division, as they get set to play host to the Cincinnati Bengals, who fell to the Jaguars on Sunday..
Celtics, Harden, Porzingis Headline NBA Action
The NBA also showed up on Sunday to crack the headlines along with NFL football, including the Boston Celtics continuing their hot start with Kyrie Irving. Although, it was a different body leading the way on Sunday, as Jaylen Brown had 18 points to power the Celtics over the Orlando Magic, 104-88, for their eighth straight win. Al Horford added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, helping his team push an eight-point lead after three quarters to double digits, improving to 8-2 on the season. They outscored the Magic 27-19 in the final quarter, pushing their lead to as large as 23. Their win streak will be back on the line on Monday in Atlanta against the Hawks, who upset the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Sunday. Meanwhile, James Harden had a career night in Houston, putting up a career-high 56 points in a 137-110 Houston Rockets' rout of the Utah Jazz. The bearded star added 13 assists in 35 minutes of play, as he shot 19-of-25 from the floor, 7-of-7 from three, and 11-of-12 from the free throw line in the second-highest scoring game in franchise history.. Eric Gordon had 20 points, while Trevor Ariza added 14 points for the Rockets, who moved their record to 8-3. And Kristaps Porzingis is going off since Carmelo Anthony's exit from New York, as his career-high 40 points led the Knicks in a comeback win over the Indiana Pacers, 108-101. Porzingis shot 15-of-24 from the floor, helping his team finish at 50 percent overall, as New York rallied from a 19-point deficit to move a game over .500 at 5-4. Porzingis led the second half rally by scoring 15 straight points between the third and fourth quarters, as his team outscored Indiana 36-17 in the final 12 minutes. New York will hope their international star will continue to lead the way as they remain home to host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
The Philadelphia Eagles have come as a bit of a surprise in the NFC, holding the NFL's best record, and they had no problem improving that mark on Sunday. Carson Wentz threw a career-high four touchdowns, as the Eagles crushed the Denver Broncos 51-23, improving to 8-1 on the season. Three of Wentz's scoring passes went to Corey Clement, as the Eagles also improved to 5-0 on their home field. Alshon Jeffrey caught the other scoring pass from the second-year quarterback, who leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes, 17 of which have come in the past five games. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams added to their surprising start in the NFC West, moving their record to 6-2 with a 51-17 rout of the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Jared Goff threw for career highs 311 yards and three touchdowns, while Todd Gurley ran for two scores, helping the Rams improve to 4-0 on the road. Los Angeles used 21 and 20-point quarters to pull away for good, gaining a game on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, who fell at home to the Washington Redskins. The start for the Rams is their best since 2001, which is the team that went 14-2 and advanced to the Super Bowl. Both L.A. and Philly have that same goal in mind, but they were not expected to be ahead of the pack when it comes to that race.
Saints, Cowboys, Titans Extend Win Streaks
While the Rams and Eagles are getting comfortable at the top of the NFL standings, there are a few teams that are getting over slow starts and finding their rhythm on the year. The New Orleans Saints have picked things up on the offensive side of the ball since dealing Adrian Peterson, and won their sixth straight with a 30-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Drew Brees was sharp, completing 22-of-27 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Saints take a testy game from their division rivals. The contest did feature a scuffle between Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, as Evans assaulted Lattimore from behind on the sideline while the cornerback was pushing off Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay did fall to 2-6 on the season, including 0-4 on the road, while the Saints remained in first place in the NFC South at 6-2. Elsewhere, the Dallas Cowboys are benefiting from Ezekiel Elliott winning the suspension battle with the NFL, as the running back ran for 93 yards and a score in a 28-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The win is their third in a row, improving them to 5-3 after losing three of their first five games. Dak Prescott did not turn the ball over while throwing for 249 yards and two touchdowns, while the Chiefs suffered their third loss of the year. They have dropped three of four since their 5-0 start. Elliott's three-game streak with at least 100 yards rushing did come to an end, but his score, along with Cole Beasley's two touchdown catches led the charge. The Tennessee Titans are also staying relevant in the lackluster AFC South, as they topped the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, for their third straight victory. Marcus Mariota threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns coming off a bye, as his team improved to 5-3 on the year. Joe Flacco threw two interceptions, as the Ravens fell to 4-5 despite out-gaining the Titans 341-257, and recording 10 more first downs. The Titans now sit tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars, atop the South division, as they get set to play host to the Cincinnati Bengals, who fell to the Jaguars on Sunday..
Celtics, Harden, Porzingis Headline NBA Action
The NBA also showed up on Sunday to crack the headlines along with NFL football, including the Boston Celtics continuing their hot start with Kyrie Irving. Although, it was a different body leading the way on Sunday, as Jaylen Brown had 18 points to power the Celtics over the Orlando Magic, 104-88, for their eighth straight win. Al Horford added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, helping his team push an eight-point lead after three quarters to double digits, improving to 8-2 on the season. They outscored the Magic 27-19 in the final quarter, pushing their lead to as large as 23. Their win streak will be back on the line on Monday in Atlanta against the Hawks, who upset the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Sunday. Meanwhile, James Harden had a career night in Houston, putting up a career-high 56 points in a 137-110 Houston Rockets' rout of the Utah Jazz. The bearded star added 13 assists in 35 minutes of play, as he shot 19-of-25 from the floor, 7-of-7 from three, and 11-of-12 from the free throw line in the second-highest scoring game in franchise history.. Eric Gordon had 20 points, while Trevor Ariza added 14 points for the Rockets, who moved their record to 8-3. And Kristaps Porzingis is going off since Carmelo Anthony's exit from New York, as his career-high 40 points led the Knicks in a comeback win over the Indiana Pacers, 108-101. Porzingis shot 15-of-24 from the floor, helping his team finish at 50 percent overall, as New York rallied from a 19-point deficit to move a game over .500 at 5-4. Porzingis led the second half rally by scoring 15 straight points between the third and fourth quarters, as his team outscored Indiana 36-17 in the final 12 minutes. New York will hope their international star will continue to lead the way as they remain home to host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
