The Dallas Cowboys (4-5)  are right back in this thing. After a powerful 27-20 win in Philadelphia, Dallas now holds the tiebreaker over the defending champion Eagles, also 4-5, and are just two games out of first place in the NFC East.

zeke, Cowboys Even Up With Eagles In Win On SNF

Running back Ezekiel Elliot had a riveting performance, strapping the ‘Boys to his back and soaring above football irrelevancy behind his 151 yards and two touchdowns. Surpassing the 150-yard mark for the fifth time in his three pro seasons, Elliot has become the only player in the league to have this distinction. He also tallied six catches for 36 receiving yards. The highlight of the night, a play that was representative of the Cowboys’ impressive Sunday night upset, Elliot thrust into the Philadelphia sky over cornerback Tre Sullivan for the first down and stumbled inside the ten-yard line for what would have been a score had he kept his balance.

The Cowboys failed, however, to convert that momentum into a score, settling for a field goal just before the half. Zeke’s trememndous feat set the tone for the rest of the game in spite of a fruitless first half, as Dallas unleashed the entire arsenal on Philly, even executing a fake punt on their own 31.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“I think if we don’t take some of those risks,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, “we don’t come out of here with a win.”

On the defensive side, the Cowboys bend-don’t-break effort yielded them a prosperous turnout, snagging a pick from quarterback Carson Wentz on the other side. Rookie corner Leighton Vander Esch did the honors, gauging the situation and dropped to the right angle for the pick, reading Wentz’s eyes and undercutting the throw on first down. Vander Esch accumulated 13 solo tackles (the most by a Cowboys defender this season), and one tackle for loss, solidifying himself as an unheralded steal of the 2018 Draft (he was taken at 19).

Elliot had his eyes set on the end-zone, but kept the playoffs in the forefront of his mind.”It was absolutely mandatory that we went and got the win if we wanted to keep our hopes up for winning the division and making the playoffs.”

To secure a chance of claiming the division, the Cowboys will likely need to win their games at home against Washington and the Eagles within the next month. They made that desire felt with their play, and the man of the night knew an A-1 effort was the only option.

Ezekiel Elliott seems to have surrendered in his fight against his suspension.

Ezekiel Elliott suspension news

The Dallas Cowboys running back announced Wednesday that he will withdraw his suspension appeal, which means he will serve the full six-game ban NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handed him last summer for his 2016 domestic violence incident.

Elliott, 22, will thus next play for Dallas on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) against the Seattle Seahawks. A hearing had been scheduled for Dec. 1 for a potential preliminary injunction.

In a statement on Wednesday, Elliott’s agents, Rocky Arceneaux and Frank Salzano, said: “In consultation with the NFLPA and his lawyers, and after careful deliberation and review of the recent Second Circuit decisions, Mr. Elliott has decided to forgo any further appeals and will serve the remaining suspension. This decision arises from a practical assessment of the current legal landscape. Mr. Elliott’s desire for closure in this matter is in his best interests, as well as the best interests of his teammates, family and friends.”

The statement continued: “This decision is in no way an admission of any wrongdoing, and Mr. Elliott is pleased that the legal fight mounted by him and his team resulted in the disclosure of many hidden truths regarding this matter, as well public exposure of the NFL’s mismanagement of its disciplinary process. Mr. Elliott will maximize this time away from the game and come back even stronger both on and off the field. He intends to release a final personal statement in the upcoming weeks and until then we have no further comment.”

Authorities in Ohio decided not to press charges against Elliott following the 13-month investigation into the July 2016 incident involving him and his ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. 

The legal battle was waged in four courts in three different states.

During his suspension, Elliott will not be permitted to have any contact with the Cowboys’ coaches or front offices. Owner Jerry Jones said he is not concerned about the rusher being away from the team for so long.

In eight games thus far this season, he has 783 yards on 191 carries and seven rushing touchdowns.

ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 26: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 26, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Marquise Goodwin had both a reason to celebrate and a reason to mourn last weekend.

Marquise Goodwin Son’s death news

Just hours before scoring his first touchdown of the season in Sunday’s 31-21 victory over the New York Giants, the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver lost his newborn son due to complications during his wife Morgan’s pregnancy.

“Unfortunately we lost our baby boy due to some complications, and had to prematurely deliver him early this morning around 4am,” Goodwin wrote in an Instagram post.

After catching an 83-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard in the second quarter of the team’s first win of the season, Goodwin blew a kiss to the sky and then dropped to his knees in prayer while teammates surrounded him.

“Honest to God truth, the only reason I made it through the game is because of my faith in God,” Goodwin said Tuesday. “I mentally and physically was not prepared to play in the game — at all. I really didn’t even practice that week, I was just going through a lot. Just trying to get my body rested from the week before and the week before that. Coming into the game, I wasn’t really in it because I had just lost my baby. My wife, we prayed about it and I guess she felt that God moved her to allow me to go play and she encouraged me. She raised my spirits up and helped me get ready for the game.

Morgan had reportedly encouraged her husband to play last Sunday. She told People magazine that the couple — who married in February 2016 — had decided to name their son Marquise Jr.

“We cried. It was a hard thing to take in,” she said. “This hurts because I was 19 weeks, I was almost halfway there.”

According to Matt Maiocco to NBC Sports Bay Area, Goodwin — who will be 27 on Sunday — left the locker room quickly after the game to join his family at home in Texas.

Goodwin is a former U.S. Olympian who competed in the long jump in track and field. He was two-time NCAA champion in the long jump (2010, 2012) at the University of Texas.

The 49ers (1-9) are off this week for their bye, and then host the Seattle Seahawks after Thanksgiving on Nov. 26.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 27: Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers poses for photo during warmups before the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on August 27, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Byron Maxwell is going back to the squad he started with.

Byron Maxwell trade to seahawks news

The free-agent cornerback has signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, the team that drafted him as a sixth-round pick out of Clemson in 2011.

Maxwell, 29, will prove a valuable asset to a team that lost Richard Sherman to a season-ending Achilles injury.

The cornerback signed a six-year, $63 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 but spent only one campaign with the team before being traded to the Miami Dolphins.

Miami released him in late October and remains responsible for the rest of his $8.5 million salary.

During his two seasons as a starter in Seattle, Maxwell had 68 tackles, 27 passes defensed and six interceptions.

According to ESPN,  Jeremy Lane is the favorite to replace Sherman as the starter on the left side opposite rookie Shaquill Griffin, but Maxwell could also hep out Seattle at cornerback.

Seattle agreed to send Lane to the Houston Texans in the Duane Brown trade, although he returned to CenturyLink Field when a failed physical ended his inclusion in the swap.

Neiko Thorpe and Justin Coleman are also part of the Seahawks’ secondary defense.

Pete Caroll revealed in a radio interview this week that Sherman is scheduled to undergo surgery very soon.

SEATTLE, WA – JANUARY 18: Byron Maxwell #41 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on before the 2015 NFC Championship game at CenturyLink Field on January 18, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The New York Giants have dropped to 1-8 following last Sunday’s 31-21 loss to the 49ers in Santa Clara, and many have begun to wonder how much longer Ben McAdoo will remain with the G-Men.

Ben McAdoo’s comments on Giants news

Nevertheless, the 40-year-old head coach — who is in his second year with the Giants — appears to still have strong support from the team’s front office.

Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch provided a statement to ESPN admitting the team’s “extremely disappointing season,” although they added they will wait until 2018 to make any major changes.

“Our plan is to do what we have always done, which is to not offer a running commentary on the season,” the statement read. “It is our responsibility to determine the reasons for our poor performance and at the end of the year, we will evaluate the 2017 season in its entirety and make a determination on how we move forward.”

The 49ers (1-9) earned their first win of the season against the Giants.

Here is what McAdoo said after watching videos of the team’s performances this season: “The thing that was disappointing that showed up on film is the desire to finish on a consistent basis,” McAdoo said during the opening statement of his Monday conference call.

“It’s something that in [Sunday’s] game, it’s fresh in my head watching the ballgame,” he later added. “It’s not one player and it’s not on all plays. It’s something that almost looks like at times we’re waiting for someone else to make a play instead of just pulling the trigger and making the play ourselves.”

Add several key injuries and briefly suspended players, and the Giants have delivered one of the worst seasons in the last decade.

New York allowed 31 points to a Niners offense that had scored 30 points in its three previous games combined.

The Giants have won at least six games every year since 2003, and even went an impressive 11-5 to reach the playoffs in 2016, McAdoo’s first season in charge.

Only the 49ers and Cleveland Browns (0-9) have worse records than the Giants this season.

New York next hosts Kansas City (6-3) on Sunday.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 08: Head coach Ben McAdoo of the New York Giants complains to the official during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers during an NFL game at MetLife Stadium on October 8, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the New York Giants 27-22. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

If the San Francisco 49ers were going to win one game this season, it would surely be against the almost-as-hopeless New York Giants.

Giants vs. 49ers Game Score

C.J. Beathard threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third score to lift the 49ers (1-9) to a 31-21 home victory over the Giants (1-8) on Sunday.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanhan got doused with Gatorade in the final seconds of the game.

“You lose 9 in a row, you learn to savor the moment and enjoy these,” Shanahan said. “It was tough work to get our first win and we got it. The guys knew how much it meant to me and I knew how much it meant to them.”

Beathard connected on an 83-yard TD to Marquise Goodwin and a 47-yarder to Garrett Celek in the second quarter as the 49ers to earn their first win under Shanahan.

San Francisco acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo two weeks ago in a trade with New England.

“I’ve been a part of a lot of wins with this franchise over the 11 years I’ve been here,” left tackle Joe Staley said. “This win felt just as good as winning the NFC championship. It was unbelievable.”

The Niners gained the lead on Sunday for the first time since Oct. 1 at Arizona when Robbie Gould scored a field goal on the opening drive. The five contests without a single lead tied a franchise worst set in 1963.

Meanwhile, Giants coach Ben McAdoo could be fired as the team is undergoing one of its worst seasons in recent memory. The G-Men have not fired a coach during the season since 1976, when Bill Arnsparger was let go after a 0-7 start and replaced by John McVay, who became much more successful as an executive who helped build the Niners dynasty in the 1980s.

Sunday’s matchup marked the first time in 33 years that two teams with only one combined victory faced off this late in the season. Giants rookie tight end Evan Engram caught a TD pass for the fourth consecutive game while filling in for injured receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris. Three more Giants players left early with injuries on Sunday: DT Damon Harrison (ankle), LG Justin Pugh (back) and LB Kelvin Sheppard (groin).

Only three players protested the national anthem before the game, which came on Veterans Day weekend. Goodwin and Eric Reid took knee, while Olivier Vernon was the only Giant to kneel.

The 49ers next have a bye, and then host the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 26. The Giants host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers dives forward against the New York Giants during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn set a franchise record on Sunday by compiling six sacks in the team’s 27-7 home victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Adrian Clayborn Sacks News

Before Sunday, Clayborn had two sacks through the first eight games of the season. The 29-year-old defenseman — who is in his third season with Atlanta — now has a team-leading eight sacks. Clayborn’s previous career high was 7.5 sacks as a rookie with Tampa Bay in 2011.

The DE was one shy of the NFL record of seven in a game, set by Derrick Thomas in 1990.

Clayborn broke the record previously set by Hall of Famers Claude Humphrey and Chuck Smith. Humphrey had five in a game twice, and Smith recorded a five-sack game against the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 12, 1997.

Clayborn completely outplayed Cowboys left tackle Chaz Green, and all six of his sacks were on quarterback Dak Prescott.

The DE will now earn a sweet payday for his performance, according to ESPN’s Field Yates:

“I mean, it’s unfortunate,” Green said. “You have some good days. You have some bad days. This obviously wasn’t my best day. I take this on my shoulders and look at myself in the mirror. Just need to fix the things I need to fix. I’m going to get it fixed.”

Two other Falcons defenseman managed to sack Prescott: Dontari Poe and Brooks Reid. The only Cowboys quarterback to be sacked more times in a game was Troy Aikman, who was taken down by the Philadelphia Eagles 11 times in 1991.

“We’re not going to leave somebody out to dry, for the most part,” Prescott said. “We’re not going to point fingers and say it’s Chaz. It’s whatever it is. We’ll go back and look. I probably could have gotten the ball out faster sometimes. We’ll go back and look at it and get better from it.”

 The Falcons (5-4) next visit the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 20, while the Cowboys (5-4) will host the Eagles on Sunday.

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 12: Adrian Clayborn #99 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates a sack during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Martellus Bennett was released by the Green Bay Packers on Thursday and claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots, but he’ll be sidelined for a while.

Martellus Bennett Injury News

The veteran tight end — who reportedly failed to disclose a physical condition — has been playing with a shoulder injury: a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum.

Bennett attended Patriots practice on Friday.

During Green Bay’s bye week — week 8 — Bennett said on social media that he was “pretty sure” he would retire after this season, but then sustained the shoulder injury following the first practice after the bye.

Packers (4-4, 3rd in NFL North) coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that surgery was being discussed before the Packers released Bennett.

“I’m not going to get into the Patriots claiming Marty, I’ll just reiterate what I said yesterday: I just know what the facts are and how the timeline came about,” McCarthy said. “I talked to him Tuesday [following the bye week] after practice and he [had] a shoulder concern injury. I advised him to get the second opinions. He did that and he went to a number of them. The last medical conversation I was involved with in regards to Marty, they were talking about scheduling surgery. After that, then you have the termination and then the claim. I really don’t have any comments on that. I’ve answered the question for the last time, respectfully.”

Bennett played for the Patriots in 2016. He had 55 catches for 701 yards and 7 touchdowns for the team that campaign, which ended with a historic, comeback overtime Super Bowl victory.

The 30-year-old tight end has also played for the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears.

Instead of re-signing Bennett as a free agent this offseason, the Patriots (6-2) chose to trade for Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, who has not recorded a catch in eight games this season.

In claiming Bennett, the Patriots inherit the three-year, $21 million contract that he had signed with the Packers. If the Patriots don’t pick up a $2 million bonus early in the 2018 league year, Bennett would become a free agent again.

Caption:SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 09: Martellus Bennett #83 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 9, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Richard Sherman’s season is officially over.

Richard Sherman Ruptured Achilles News

The Seattle Seahawks cornerback sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in Thursday’s 22-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale.

Sherman — who has never missed a game since his NFL debut in 2011 — said his Achilles has been perturbing him all season. He exited Thursday’s game in the third quarter and did not return. He is set to undergo surgery.

“No coming back from that until you get surgery,” head coach Pete Carroll said, adding that Sherman “couldn’t even walk” after leaving the game and standing on the sideline. “He’s been a bastion of consistency, competitiveness and toughness. We’re going to miss the heck out of him.”

In his post-game press conference, Sherman was visibly emotional while discussing his injury.

“I thought I could get the ball. Once it popped, just unfortunate,” said Sherman. “One of those things that you have to play through for as long as you can. When it goes, it goes.”

“I’ve put a lot of stress on it. Think it would have gone eventually.”

Jeremy Lane replaced Sherman on Thursday. Sherman has vehemently criticized Thursday night football before, arguing it’s hypocritical of the NFL to promote player safety in other areas, but then require teams to play after just three days off.

Also injured on the Seahawks squad Thursday was left tackle Duane Brown, who sprained his ankle. However, Carroll said the team does not yet know how serious that injury is. Second-year running back C.J. Prosise — who missed most of the past five games with a right ankle sprain — sprained his left ankle in the third quarter.

The Seahawks (6-3, 2nd in NFC West) next host the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 20.

GLENDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 09: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after an injury on a play in the second half of the NLF game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 9, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)