Elliott shines despite threat of suspension
Cowboys tame Giants, Packers beat Seahawks
DALLAS: It was just another 100-yard game for Ezekiel Elliott who ran like a carefree Dallas Cowboys rusher on Sunday and not the polarising player who is facing potential suspension from the NFL.
Elliott suited up for the Cowboys’ season-opening 19-3 win over the New York Giants after a court injunction froze a sixgame ban from the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The second-year player rushed for 104 yards on 24 carries and was a dominant force throughout the night against the Giants.
Elliott was banned by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last month after a 13-month investigation into allegations of assaulting his former girlfriend.
“It just feels good to be out here with these boys,” Elliott said after the game.
“It’s definitely been a tough last 14 months. Your name is getting dragged through the mud. Being associated with [the accusations], that’s tough.”
Elliott, who also made five catches for 36 yards against the Giants, has maintained his innocence and was neither arrested nor charged over the allegations.
The NFL Players Association filed a restraining order seeking to block any suspension for Elliott, and a Texas judge ruled the player didn’t receive a fair hearing during his appeal against the ban.
“I’m relieved that I’ll finally get a fair trial and a chance to prove my innocence,” said Elliott, who won the NFL’s rushing crown as rookie in 2016.
“I’m glad I’m able to be with these guys for as long as it’s permitted, and not having to miss time and be away from them.”
Aaron Rodgers threw for a touchdown and 311 yards as the Green Bay Packers opened their season with a 17-9 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Rodgers led the offence but the Packers also put on an impressive showing on defence, shutting down star quarterback Russell Wilson.
“This really started with our defence,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. “It starts on the line of scrimmage. We were in the backfield a bunch.”
Wilson was limited to 158 yards on 14-of27 passing as the Seahawks managed only 12 first downs and totaled just 225 yards.
Rodgers clinched the victory with a 26-yard bootleg pass to tight end Martellus Bennett j ust prior to the two minute warning.
The only negative for Rodgers was seeing his regular-season streak of passes without an interception come to an end at 251. The streak was the second-longest in team history behind Bart Starr’s 294 passes in 1964.
Ty Montgomery rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown on offence for the Packers, but they couldn’t have done it without a staunch effort from their defence.
Elsewhere, Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes and Giorgio Tavecchio kicked four field goals in his NFL debut as the Oakland Raiders beat the host Tennessee Titans 26-16.
In his first game since breaking his leg on Christmas Eve against Indianapolis, Carr completed 22 of 32 passes for 262 yards.
In Cleveland, Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes to tight end Jesse James as the Pittsburgh Steelers edged the Cleveland Browns 21-18.
Roethlisberger completed 24 of 36 passes for 263 yards.
In Detroit, Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals 35-23.
Rookie receiver Kenny Stafford completed 29 of 41 passes for 292 yards. Golden Tate caught 10 passes for 107 yards and safety Miles Killebrew scored on a 35-yard interception return.
Carson Wentz passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Redskins 30-17.
In other games on Sunday it was, Dallas 19, New York Giants 3, Atlanta 23 Chicago 17, Baltimore 20 Cincinnati 0, Jacksonville 29 Houston 7, New York Jets 12 Buffalo 21, Indianapolis 9 Los Angeles Rams 46, Carolina 23 San Francisco 3.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins game was postponed because of Hurricane Irma which made landfall in Florida on Sunday. The game will instead be played on Nov 19.