The Philadelphia Eagles went into their week off with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL’s best record. But it wasn’t easy.
By Chris Murray
For the Philadelphia Sunday SUN
Sunday’s NFC East matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the rival Dallas Cowboys was just another example of how nothing has come easy for the team as it reaches the halfway point in the season.
For the third straight week, the Eagles found a way to win against a tough opponent in spite of their own shortcomings.
The Birds’ 28-23 win over the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field happened because the defense overcame penalties that put the Cowboy’s offense in the Red Zone to come up with a huge sack and force wide receiver C.D Lamb to fumble a few yards short of the goal line as time ran out.
The 8-1 Eagles will come into the bye week with the NFL’s best record, despite injuries in the secondary, a quarterback playing with a sore knee, and a team that has yet to play its best game of the season.
“What an incredible win, what an incredible sense of perseverance and resilience from this team,” said Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. “We still have to play a complete game. We’re so hungry and eager to continue to grow and build upon the things we’ve been able to do. But just a way to show up in the end. … It’s always about finding a way. …That’s all that matters is winning.”
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts scores a touchtown. Photo by Webster Riddick
And once again, it was Hurts who put the team on his back and his sore left knee to provide the lift the Eagles needed to tough out the win. For the game, he completed 17-of-23 passes for 207 yards and two touchdown passes. He also had one rushing touchdown to move into first place ahead of Randall Cunningham on the Eagles’ all-time list for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
“Yeah, again, he’s tough as heck,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “Great leader, great player, rises to the occasion in big-time moments. That’s who he is. And so, whether his body is feeling 100%, whether his body is not feeling 100%, which nobody’s body is at this particular time, he’s a warrior.”
The Eagles trailed 17-14 at halftime thanks to two touchdown passes by Dak Prescott and a 51-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey.
Near the end of the first half, Hurts took a hard shot in his knee from DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons and was slow to get up. But somehow, he got up and was right back in the Eagles huddle for the next play.
In the second half, Hurts came out on fire in the second half and led the Eagles on scoring drives on their first two possessions of the third quarter. He found a wide-open Devonta Smith for a 29-yard touchdown that capped a six-play, 60-yard drive.
On the Eagles’ next drive, Hurts threw a four-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown that finished an 11-play, 87-yard drive to take a 28-17 lead they would never relinquish. Dallas would cut the lead to 28-23 on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert midway through the fourth quarter, but that’s as close as the Cowboys would come.
The Eagles offense blew several chances to put the game away late to give the Cowboys the chance to steal a late victory. After the Eagles went three and out on their final offensive possession of the game, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense got the football back with 41 seconds from their own 14-yard line.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is tackled by Eagles defense. Photo by Webster Riddick
On the first play of that drive, Prescott threw a deep pass to wide receiver Michael Gallup who drew a pass interference call against Eagles cornerback James Bradberry that put the ball at midfield.
Prescott then completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Jake Ferguson who pushed out of bounds at the Eagles’ 40-yard line, but Eagles linebacker Hassan Reddick was flagged for roughing Prescott, and the ball with 32 seconds left in the game was moved to the Philadelphia 25.
A pass from Prescott to Lamb moved the ball to the Eagles’ 11-yard line with 27 seconds. It then became a comedy of bad penalties by both teams.
Eagles rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter was flagged for encroachment—which moved the ball to the Birds’ six-yard line. Unfortunately for Dallas, a false start by guard Tyler Smith put the ball back to the Eagles’ 11-yard line.
When the Cowboys finally snapped the ball, Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat sacked Prescott for an 11-yard loss back to the Eagles 22. After an incomplete pass intended for a wide receiver, the Cowboys committed a delay of game penalty.
The game ended when Eagles safeties Reed Blankenship and Sidney Brown tackled Lamb and forced a fumble to preserve the victory.
While the Eagles get a week to rest up and get ready for the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LVII on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Nov. 20, they’ll go into the bye knowing that tight end Dallas Goddard is headed to the Injured Reserve list due to a fractured forearm. He’s expected to miss at least four games with the injury.
You can catch the Eagles/Chiefs game on 6ABC, starting at 8 p.m.
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