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The Latest: Cowboys-Chargers make NFL 14-11 halftime history

Sep 18, 2021, 9:06 PM | Updated: Sep 19, 2021, 3:39 pm

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams lunges into the end zone for a touchdown during th...

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams lunges into the end zone for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The Latest on Week 2 in the NFL (all times EDT):

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6:30 p.m.

The NFL has the first 14-11 halftime score in its 102 seasons.

Dallas held the 14-11 lead over the Los Angeles Chargers, prompting the search which confirmed the unusual halftime score was a first.

CBS posted the graphic about the oddity before the end of the first half. It was confirmed after doing a search via Sportradar.

The Chargers got to 11 points with Tristin Vizcaino’s 46-yard field goal and wide receiver Mike Williams catching a screen and going 11 yards for a touchdown. Los Angeles then made the 2-point conversion on Austin Ekeler’s run up the middle.

Vizcaino had a chance to tie it late in the first half, but his 44-yard attempt hit the left upright with 3 seconds remaining. Dallas got the ball at their 49 yard line and nearly scored when Dak Prescott connected with Ceedee Lamb at the Chargers 45.

Lamb then fund an opening and went up the right sideline, lateraling it to Ezekiel Elliott at the 17 before he was forced out of bounds by Derwin James at the 3.

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5:55 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals kicker Matt Prater has capped a wild first half against Minnesota with a franchise-record 62-yard field goal on the final play.

Prater’s kick put Arizona up 24-23 and surpassed the 61-yard field goal Jay Feely made against Buffalo in 2012. Prater is the NFL record holder with a 64-yard field goal for Denver against Tennessee in 2013.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has thrown for two touchdowns and run for another. Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins has kept pace with his counterpart, throwing for three first-half TDs.

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5:20 p.m.

Tampa Bay tight end Rob Gronkowski has two scoring catches yet again.

Gronkowski caught touchdown passes of 20 yards and 1 yard from Tom Brady in the first half against the Atlanta Falcons. Including the playoffs and this year’s regular-season opener, Gronkowski has two scoring catches in three consecutive games.

Gronkowski has tied the NFL record for consecutive games with multiple TD catches by tight ends. He also has set the Tampa Bay record for consecutive games with at least two touchdown catches for a player at any position.

New England tight end Ben Coates also had three consecutive games with multiple TD catches in 1994.

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5 p.m.

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray has returned after suffering an ankle injury on the opening drive against the Dallas Cowboys and missing the following series.

Murray led the Chargers with 107 tackles as a rookie and had 10 stops in last week’s win over Washington.

Dallas ended up scoring a touchdown on the opening drive, going 78 yards in 15 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Troy Pollard capped off the drive with a 4-yard run. The Cowboys went for it on fourth-and-1 from their 48. Prescott threw an incomplete pass intended for Amari Cooper, but Kyzir White was flagged for defensive pass interference to keep the drive alive.

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3:50 p.m.

Former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and and running back Edgerrin James received their Hall of Fame rings at halftime of the Indianapolis game against the Rams.

Manning played in the NFL for 18 seasons, including 14 with the Colts. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft by the Colts. He won Super Bowl titles with the Colts and Denver.

Manning said “It’s fun to stay close to the game and kind of watch the game as a fan.”

He also said “I pull hard for the Colts and kind of pull for quarterbacks. I pull for offenses.”

Colts owner Jim Irsay said Manning and James “helped build this stadium.”

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3:25 p.m.

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has returned against the New Orleans Saints due after missing two series due to cramping in his left leg. He left the game in the third quarter.

McCaffrey was held out for two offensive series while trying to get stretched on the sideline. He then went to the locker room before jogging back to the sideline and returning to the game for the fourth quarter.

Ironically, McCaffrey’s injury problems last year started late in the second game of the season. He wound up missing 13 games and the Panthers finished the season 5-11.

The Panthers lead the Saints 17-0 after the third quarter.

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3:10 p.m.

Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton is doubtful to return to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a knee injury. Rookie Justin Fields has moved into the game.

Dalotn missed Chicago’s final drive in the second quarter. He threw a touchdown to Allen Robinson on the game’s opening possession.

Dalton played his first nine seasons with the Bengals and made three Pro Bowls. He spent last year with Dallas and led the Cowboys to a win at Cincinnati.

Fields led the Bears on their final possession of the first half with Dalton hurt.

Dalton warmed up at halftime but Fields led the Bears in the third quarter.

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3:05 p.m.

The Dallas Cowboys are without five opening-day starters against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Offensive right tackle La’el Collins began his five-game, substance-abuse suspension. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence broke his foot in practice during the week, and fellow defensive end Randy Gregory tested positive for COVID-19 soon after the 31-29 loss to Tampa Bay.

Also, safety Donovan Wilson didn’t recover from a groin injury in time, and wide receiver Michael Gallup is out at least three weeks on injured reserve with a calf strain.

Dallas is getting four-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin back after he missed the opener because of a positive COVID-19 test.

Los Angeles will be without two starters. Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (shoulder) and defensive end Justin Jones (calf) did not practice all week.

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3:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Rams linebacker Kenny Young has been ejected with 4:59 left in the third quarter at Indianapolis after making contact with an official.

Young and Colts receiver Zach Pascal were both called for personal fouls on the first-and-goal play from the Rams 4-yard line.

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3:00 p.m.

Tennessee will be without starting left tackle Taylor Lewan against Seattle after he appeared to suffer a knee injury in pregame warmups.

Lewan was not listed with an injury during the week but walked off the field slowly with a slight limp and athletic trainers at his side about two hours before kickoff.

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2:50 p.m.

Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton is questionable to return against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a knee injury. Rookie Justin Fields is next in line.

The veteran missed Chicago’s final drive in the second quarter. Dalton threw a touchdown to Allen Robinson on the game’s opening possession.

Dalton played his first nine seasons with the Bengals and made three Pro Bowls. He spent last year with Dallas and led the Cowboys to a win at Cincinnati.

Fields led the Bears on their final possession of the first half with Dalton hurt.

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2:45 p.m.

Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt is out after sustaining a groin injury in the second quarter against Las Vegas.

Watt, who signed a contract on the eve of the season that made him one of the highest-paid defenders in the NFL, watched the end of the first half on the sideline as the Raiders took a 9-7 lead. He did not return to the field for the start of the second half after the Steelers ruled him out.

The Raiders are dealing with injuries of their own. Rookie offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood did not return for the second half due to an oblique injury.

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2:40 p.m.

Texans rookie Davis Mills has replaced an injured Tyrod Taylor at quarterback for Houston to start the second half.

Taylor went 10 for 11 for 125 yards in the opening half. He threw a touchdown pass and ran 15 yards for another.

The Texans announced Taylor left had a hamstring injury with 10 minutes left in the third quarter,

Mills was drafted in the third round this year from Stanford.

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2:35 p.m.

The Panthers’ defense is setting the tone again in Carolina.

The Panthers lead the Saints 17-0 at halftime behind two Sam Darnold TD passes, but the big story has once again been their defense. The Panthers have now outscored their opponents 33-0 in the first half this season and are holding Jameis Winston in check.

Winston, who threw for five TDs last week in a 38-3 win over the Green Bay Packers, is 8 of 13 for 77 yards and Alvin Kamara has just 4 yards on two carries. Carolina has two sacks and is blitzing Winston on almost every play forcing him to make quick decisions.

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2:25 p.m.

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has a groin injury that could force him to miss the second half against Las Vegas. Watt exited in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s game against the Raiders. He is questionable to return.

Watt is the fourth Pittsburgh defensive starter to go down with an injury. Cornerback Joe Haden and inside linebacker Devin Bush are inactive with groin injuries and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu left in the first quarter with a significant left ankle injury.

The Raiders lead 9-7 at the half.

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2:05 p.m.

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has returned after leaving briefly with a left shoulder injury.

Mayfield was hurt while making a tackle following an interception in the second quarter against Houston. Mayfield’s throw was high and picked off by Texans safety Justin Reid.

Mayfield made a diving hit on Reid near mid-field and stayed on the ground. He was helped off the field and briefly examined in the sideline medical tent before jogging to the locker room. While the Texans were driving for a TD, Mayfield returned to Cleveland’s bench, took some warmup throws and stayed in the game.

Mayfield completed his first nine passes and was 9 of 11 for 110 yards before getting hurt.

Case Keenum is Mayfield’s backup.

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1:30 p.m.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is hurting after a fourth-down hit in the first quarter of Miami’s game against Buffalo.

Miami elected to go for it on fourth-and-2 from near midfield, and Tagovailoa was hit by Buffalo’s A.J. Epensea. Tagovailoa grimaced and grabbed his left side after getting up, then walked a few steps and went back to the ground.

Tagovailoa was tended to there for a few moments before making it to the bench area, then was taken by cart to the Miami locker room for further evaluation.

He was sacked twice on Miami’s first series, then got hurt on the final play of the Dolphins’ second series.

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1:20 p.m.

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry has left the Cleveland Browns game against Houston with a knee injury.

Landry was hurt while making a 9-yard catch on Cleveland’s second offensive play. He was examined in the sideline medical tent before being escorted to the locker room.

The team said his return is questionable.

Landry is in his fourth season with the Browns. He had 72 catches for 840 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Landry has caught at least two passes in 111 consecutive games, the fourth longest streak in NFL history.

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1:10 p.m.

Two-time Pro Bowler Eric Fisher made his Colts debut Sunday, starting at left tackle less than nine months after rupturing his left Achilles tendon.

It’s been quite a journey back.

Fisher was injured during January’s AFC championship game, watched helplessly as Kansas City lost the Super Bowl and then was released by the Chiefs in a cost-cutting move in March.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard, who knew Fisher from his time in Kansas City, signed Fisher in May believing he could return by early September. But the top overall selection in the 2013 NFL draft didn’t even need that long to recover completely.

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12:30 p.m.

Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman is inactive against the Cincinnati Bengals after being listed as doubtful because of a knee injury.

Goldman also missed Chicago’s season-opening loss to the Rams in Los Angeles. He opted out of last year because of COVID-19 concerns.

Goldman started 63 of the 67 games he played in for Chicago from 2015 to 2019 after being drafted in the second round out of Florida State.

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12:15 p.m.

Sam Darnold’s job just got a little easier in Week 2.

The Saints announced they will be without cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hand) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee) against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, which is a blow to New Orleans’ secondary.

Darnold, the Panthers’ new starting quarterback, is coming off a game where he threw for 279 yards and one touchdown and also ran for a score in a 19-14 win over his former team, the New York Jets. Despite the win, the Panthers struggled in the red zone scoring just one touchdown on four trips inside the Jets 20-yard line.

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12:05 p.m.

Browns starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is playing against Houston after being listed as questionable and not practicing all week.

Wills sprained his left ankle early in last week’s season-opening loss at Kansas City. He came onto the field at FirstEnergy Stadium hours before kickoff and tested his ankle with coach Kevin Stefanski, line coach Bill Callahan and members of Cleveland’s medical staff watching.

The No. 10 overall pick in 2020, Wills also suffered a serious ankle injury in Cleveland’s playoff loss at Kansas City.

Complicating matters for the Browns is that Wills’ backup, Chris Hubbard, is out with a triceps injury. If Wills couldn’t play – or if he has to come up – Blake Hance will likely move into the left tackle spot.

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12 p.m.

Russell Wilson is hoping Week 2 of the NFL season provides a personal milestone. Wilson will try for his 100th regular-season win when he leads the Seattle Seahawks against the Tennessee Titans.

Seattle’s “12s” will be back in the stands Sunday for the first time since Dec. 29, 2019, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Titans will try to avoid an 0-2 start while Wilson goes for his 100th win in his 146th start. Only Tom Brady (131) and Joe Montana (139) have won 100 in fewer games.

In one of the week’s top matchups, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson will face off for the fourth straight season in a matchup of MVP quarterbacks. Jackson is 0-3 vs. Mahomes, 30-5 against everyone else.

Andy Dalton will make his first home start with Chicago as the Bears face Cincinnati. Most Bears fans are eager to see first-round draft pick Justin Fields, who played well in a brief appearance in the opener, take over for Dalton.

The New Orleans Saints will have eight coaches unable to attend their game at Carolina because of positive COVID-19 tests. Offensive line coach Brendan Nugent has cleared COVID-19 protocols and is now set to coach. On Saturday, assistant head coach and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, and defensive assistant Brian Young were added to the list of coaches unable to attend the game.

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The Latest: Cowboys-Chargers make NFL 14-11 halftime history