Fridays other semifinal will pit second-seeded former

Preminiem Geregistreerd op: 17 Okt 2019 Berichten: 210

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Tony Romo was sick, and it wasnt because he had just watched the Oakland Raiders return a fumble for a touchdown on the opening kickoff. Wholesale Astros Jerseys . After the Dallas quarterback caught a virus the night before Thanksgiving, his top two running backs were there to help out. DeMarco Murray ran for three touchdowns, backup Lance Dunbar led Dallas with a career-high 82 yards rushing and the Cowboys overcame the shock of Oaklands early score to beat the Raiders 31-24 Thursday. Romo still did his part. He was behind 7-0 before taking his first snap, and his offence didnt have a yard in the second quarter when he took the field down 21-7 with less than 2 minutes remaining before halftime. Five completions from Romo later, Murray scored on a 4-yard run 10 seconds before halftime and set the stage for a second-half rally that put the Cowboys (7-5) two games above .500 for the first time since late last season. Dallas is at least temporarily ahead of Philadelphia (6-5) atop the NFC East. "To have the opening kickoff fumbled and returned for a touchdown and then be down a couple of scores in the first half, nobody blinked," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "The momentum kind of turned and I think guys started feeling pretty good and it just continued." Dallas was without kick returner Dwayne Harris because of a hamstring injury, and rookie replacement Terrance Williams gave the Raiders a touchdown with a fumble on the opening kickoff. Greg Jenkins picked up the ball at the 23 after it squirted away from the pile and outran everyone to the pylon. The play was upheld on review after replay showed Williams knee hitting the turf just as the ball was coming out. Matt McGloin, an undrafted rookie quarterback making his third career start, had a strong first half for the Raiders. But without much help from the leagues fifth-best rushing attack, his offence stalled in the second half as Oakland (4- Cool

clinched an 11th straight season without a winning record since going to the Super Bowl during the 2002 season. Rashad Jennings rushed for 35 yards on 17 carries -- a 2.1-yard average -- and had both of Oaklands offensive touchdowns. Darren McFadden carried just five times for 13 yards in his return after missing three games with a hamstring injury. The Raiders finished with 50 yards rushing -- 1 more than their season low -- while the Cowboys came with the leagues 29th-ranked rushing offence and had 144 yards on the ground, their second-best total of the year. "The game boiled down to, in the second half we wore down," said Raiders coach Dennis Allen, the leagues youngest head coach making his first appearance near the Dallas suburb of Hurst, where he grew up. "They were able to run the ball and we werent able to get off the field." Murray had just 25 yards after his third TD, but ran for another 38 to help Dallas burn the clock with a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. Most of the late damage came on a drive to Dan Baileys 19-yard field goal to put Dallas up by 10 with 1:56 left. Murray, who tied the score at 7-all on a 2-yard run the first play after a fumble by McGloin late in the first quarter, also had 39 yards receiving. "I was just playing like I always play," Murray said. "Im not worried about anything else. Im just doing the best I can do and trying to help this team win." Dunbar, who went out with a left knee sprain in the fourth quarter, sparked the tying and go-ahead touchdown drives in the second half, highlighted by a 45-yard run that led to a 4-yard scoring pass from Romo to Dez Bryant, who had seven catches for 61 yards. McGloin, who was 18 of 30 for 255 yards, converted five straight third downs with passes on a pair of touchdown drives in the second quarter. He also had a throw to Andre Holmes that was ruled a touchdown on second-and-goal from the 16. After the call was overturned on replay, Jennings scored from the 1 to put Oakland ahead 14-7. Holmes, who played seven games for Dallas last season before he was sent to the practice squad, had career highs with seven catches for 136 yards. His previous high was 33 yards. After McGloin completed a 21-yard pass to Holmes on the first play of the second half, the Raiders didnt get another first down until the fourth quarter. "We did start slow but this team is getting to that point where there is no panic anymore," said Dallas cornerback Brandon Carr, who was burned repeatedly by Holmes but had an interception to stop a potential tying drive by the Raiders in the fourth quarter. Notes: Raiders G guard Mike Brisiel injured a knee on Oaklands first offensive play and didnt return. ... CB Mike Jenkins, who spent his first five seasons with the Cowboys, had a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble before leaving with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Rusty Staub Jersey . On Saturday night, Winnipegs strong offense was again accompanied by some fantastic pitching which gave the Fish a commanding victory. Justin Verlander Astros Jersey . Never caused problems. Never raised a ruckus. Never got sick or hurt while frolicking in the fields of Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky.In a rematch of last years all-Spanish final, eight-time champion Rafael Nadal once again beat David Ferrer, while another quarterfinal on Wednesday saw Andy Murray hold off French crowd favorite Gael Monfils at Roland Garros. The world No. 1 Nadal improved to 64-1 lifetime at the French Open with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1 victory over his fifth-seeded compatriot Ferrer on Court Lenglen. The match started late in the day after a three-hour rain delay prevented the ladies from taking to the famed clay courts at Chatrier and Lenglen on Day 11. Nadals semifinal opponent on Friday will be the seventh-seeded Wimbledon champion Murray, who outlasted the 23rd-seeded Monfils 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-0 on Chatrier. After rolling past four unseeded players, Nadal faced his first big test at the 2014 French championships when he came up against the world No. 5 Ferrer. Ferrer stunned Nadal by taking the first set, but Nadal promptly rebounded to claim the second. The bout then turned into a runaway affair for the reigning champ, who also had to beat out impending darkness in Paris for his 33rd straight match win here. The 13-time Grand Slam winner captured a fourth straight French Open title and eighth overall championship here a year ago by besting Ferrer in the finale. Nadal, who turned 28 on Tuesday, is now 22-6 lifetime against the 32- year-old Ferrer, including a perfect 4-0 mark at Roland Garros. Ferrer upset Nadal on some clay in Monte Carlo back in April. The amazing Nadal is trying to become the first man to capture five straight French Open championships. The Murray-Monfils match was a see-saw affair, as the British star pounced on the Frenchman for a two-sets-to-love lead, only to see the 2008 French Open semifinalist Monfils turn thinggs around by stunningly taking sets three and four. Ryan Pressly Astros Jersey. . After the fourth set, Murray sat in his chair and complained to the tournament referee about the darkening conditions at 9:20 p.m. local time, but it was decided the two men would play on. Murray appeared to struggle mightily with some sore legs in the fourth set against Monfils, but he showed no signs of problems in a lopsided fifth, which was played out in a mere 24 minutes as the stunned French faithful looked on. The 27-year-old Murray will appear in his second French Open semi. He missed the event last year due to injury. Nadal and Murray will meet for a 20th time on the ATP World Tour, with the mighty Spaniard leading their all-time series, 14-5, including a 5-0 record on clay. Nadal beat the two-time Grand Slam titlist Murray in a French Open semi three years ago. Fridays other semifinal will pit second-seeded former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic against 18th-seeded Ernests Gulbis, who will appear in his first-ever major semi. Djokovic will perform in his sixth French Open final four (1-4) and is 4-1 in his career versus Gulbis. The six-time major champion Djokovic was the French Open runner-up two years ago and still needs this title to complete a career Grand Slam. And if he wins the championship this week he would also reclaim the world No. 1 ranking. The 27-year-old Djokovic is a 22-time Grand Slam semifinalist. The 25-year-old Gulbis is currently riding a nine-match winning streak and already owns a pair of titles in France this season, including one in Nice just one day before the French Open commenced. Hes 13-0 on French soil for the year. Gulbis has not lost to a seeded player at a Grand Slam event since the 2010 Australian Open, compiling a 5-0 mark. ' ' '