Washington moves into first place in woeful NFC East
Antonio Gibson ran for 115 yards and three touchdowns, Alex Smith had a scoring pass and Washington at least temporarily moved into first place in the woeful NFC East with a 41-16 Thanksgiving victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
Gibson’s second score was a 23-yard run on the first play after an ill-advised fake punt attempt by Dallas as Washington beat its division rival on Thanksgiving for just the second time in 10 tries, the most frequent visitor for the Cowboys in their annual holiday home game.
Washington (4-7) slides ahead of Philadelphia (3- 61) in the NFC East and will stay in first place if the Eagles lose to Seattle on Monday night. It was the third win in five games since a five- game losing streak dropped Washington to 1-5.
Dallas (3-8) couldn’t build on a big win at Minnesota, losing for the fifth time in six games since star quarterback Dak Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury. The Cowboys were playing a day after strength coach Markus Paul died at a hospital following a medical emergency at the team’s facility.
The Cowboys trailed 2016 when they faced a fourthand-10 from their 24-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Darian Thompson took the snap in front of punter Hunter Niswander and pitched to Cedrick Wilson on a reverse that was stuffed for a 1-yard loss.
On the next play, Gibson easily beat the Dallas defense to the left pylon. After another Dallas punt, Gibson capped a clock-killing drive with a 37-yard score for a 34-16 lead.
Washington made it a blowout when Montez Sweat tipped and intercepted a pass right in the face of Andy Dalton and was free to run 15 yards for a TD.
WATSON’S 4 TDS LIFT TEXANS TO 41-25 WIN OVER LIONS >>
Deshaun Watson had a pair of go-ahead touchdown passes in the first half and threw for two more scores in the fourth quarter to help the Houston Texans pull away and beat the host Detroit Lions 41-25.
Texans star defensive end J. J. Watt had an early pick-six, and Will Fuller had six receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans (4-7), who have won two straight for the first time this season and three of their past four games with interim coach Romeo Crennel.
Detroit (4-7) scored first before collapsing with turnovers on two straight snaps and three consecutive possessions in the first half against a defense that entered the game with an NFL-low five forced turnovers.
Watt put his hands up on a rush just in time to pick off Matthew Stafford’s pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. On Detroit’s next snap, Jonathan Williams fumbled and Houston took advantage with Watson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Prosise to go ahead 13-6.
Watson’s 33-yard TD pass to Duke Johnson gave the Texans a 20-14 lead early in the second quarter. REPORTS: RAVENS QB JACKSON TESTS POSITIVE FOR VIRUS >> Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has tested positive for COVID-19, NFL Network and ESPN reported.
Jackson’s positive test marks the fourth straight day a Ravens player has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, leaving the status of Baltimore’s scheduled Sunday road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers uncertain.
According to ESPN, Ravens coach John Harbaugh told his team Thursday that due to safety precautions, players will not be allowed back in the training facility until Monday at the earliest.
CARDINALS WR FITZGERALD HAS COVID-19 >> Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, NFL Network reported.
Fitzgerald, 37, has not missed a game since November 2014 and has played in 260 of a possible 266 games since the Cardinals drafted him in 2004.
RAMS PUT TOP TACKLER KISER ON IR>> The Los Angeles Rams placed leading tackler Micah Kiser on injured reserve.
The Rams’ starting middle linebacker will be out for at least three weeks.
Kiser injured his knee late in the Rams’ 27-24 victory at Tampa Bay last Monday night, coach Sean McVay said. Kiser leads the team with 77 tackles.
JIM HANIFAN, OFFENSIVE LINE COACHING GREAT, DIES >> Jim Hanifan, the former St. Louis Cardinals coach who returned to the city as offensive line coach to help the Rams win the Super Bowl, has died. He was 87. Hanifan was a All-American receiver at Cal.
Ha n i fa n’s d au g ht er, Kathy Hinder, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he died Tuesday at Missouri Baptist Hospital. She said the cause of death hasn’t been determined, but said it wasn’t related to COVID-19.
Hanifan came to St. Louis in 1973 along with head coach Don Coryell from San Diego State. He also coached in the college at Utah and Cal, and was an NFL assistant in San Diego.
COVID-19 SENDS FALCONS HOME ON THANKSGIVING >> Positive COVID-19 tests forced the Atlanta Falcons to take their Thursday workout virtual. The team planned to hold a morning workout before clearing players to spend the afternoon and evening with their families.
Sunday’s game is not impacted, the team said in a statement Thursday morning, underscor ing that they were “informed of two positive COVID-19 tests from non- coaching staff members.”