Monday 18 September 2017 07:02, UK
Trevor Siemian equalled his career-high of four touchdown passes as the Denver Broncos bullied the Dallas Cowboys on offence, and defence, in a 42-17 blowout win.
The Broncos 'D' held Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to the worst game of his career - eight yards on nine carries. Linebacker Von Miller ended a career-long five-game sackless streak by taking down Dak Prescott twice, and Aqib Talib had a 103-yard interception return for a touchdown in the dying embers of the fourth quarter.
Elliott - who came into the game averaging 108 yards rushing per game and more than five yards a carry in his career - was outshone in the backfield by Broncos running back CJ Anderson, who rushed for 118 yards and a TD, as well as catching another.
Denver scored on their opening drive when Siemian found Sanders for a 10-yard strike, but then the game was delayed later in the first quarter by 62 minutes with storm clouds circling.
When play did finally resume, Dallas swiftly tied things up in the second quarter, with Prescott and Dez Bryant linking up after DeMarcus Lawrence's strip sack of Siemian.
That's about as good as it got on the night for the Cowboys, as Denver edged out into a 21-10 lead by half-time after Siemian connected with Anderson and then Sanders again.
The Broncos stretched that lead further in the third, as Siemian found tight end Virgil Green for his fourth touchdown before Chris Harris Jr's interception of Prescott helped set-up a 22-yard Anderson TD run.
The Cowboys pulled the score back somewhat to 35-17 after Jason Witten's 28-yard TD reception that was set-up this time by a Siemian interception - rookie Jourdan Lewis with the pick - but then Talib's pick-six late on iced the game.
Dallas are still seeking their first win in Denver since 1992, registering their sixth straight defeat against the Broncos in Denver.
In the other Sunday evening games in the NFL, the Los Angeles Chargers lost a second straight game due to a missed field goal in the dying seconds, with rookie kicker Younghoe Koo the offending party again - this time from 44 yards out - to see them go down 19-17 to the Miami Dolphins.
Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes to wide receiver Michael Crabtree, running back Jalen Richard scored on a 52-yard run and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson had a 43-yard TD run as the Oakland Raiders rolled to an easy 45-20 win over the New York Jets.
Veteran Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch carried 12 times for 45 yards and scored on a two-yard touchdown in his first home game in his city of birth, Oakland.
In the NFC West, Seattle Seahawks scored a first touchdown on the season with just over seven minutes remaining to see them edge to a 12-9 home win over rivals San Francisco 49ers, who continue their own search for a first TD into Week Three.
Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins' 11-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Grant with little under two minutes remaining lifted the Washington Redskins to a 27-20 road victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
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