The Cowboys let the NFC East know that they will be in the running for the division title with their 38-23 conquest over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys used a balanced offense, an opportunistic defense, AND took advantage of some injuries and missteps by the Eagles to secure this win. The Cowboys are now in sole possession of second place in the NFC East at 4-5, trailing the 6-4 New York Giants.
More importantly, the Eagles lost their leader in MICHAEL VICK (6 of 9 for 70 yards, and 1 touchdown pass) to a concussion in the second quarter. He was replaced by the talented NICK FOLES (22 of 32 for 219 yards, 1 touchdown pass, and no interception) who almost led his team to victory, but it wasn’t enough. TONY ROMO (19 of 26 for 209 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions) was efficient in the game, as he distributed his passes to 7 different receivers and he also used his legs to help will his team to victory.
The Eagles started the game at their own 19 after the opening kickoff. The biggest play of the drive was a DESEAN JACKSON (5 catches for 62 yards and no score) 31-yard reception to the Dallas 7 yard line. On the play he showed his customary exciting talents as he caught Vick’s pass, reversed his field, then zig-zagged across the field until he was tackled in scoring territory. That catch led to an ever better play, actually a spectacular play, by RILEY COOPER (2 catches for 24 yards and 1 score), which was a 2 yard one-handed jump catch touchdown over 2012 first-round draft pick Dallas cornerback MORRIS CLAIBORNE. It was now 7-0 Eagles after the ALEX HENERY extra point. Their first scoring drive was 10 plays for 81 yards and one of their best of the game.
But the Cowboys had some tricks up their sleeve and a scoring drive of their own. On this 13-play and 80-yard drive, Cowboy running backs accounted for 8 carries for 61 yards, and a running back, FELIX JONES, culminated the drive with an 11 yard touchdown catch from Romo to tie the game at 7- 7. Drives like this let the Eagles know that they were in for a tough ball game versus the Cowboys offense.
At the tail end of the first quarter, the Cowboys took over on their 35 after an Eagles punt. This drive ended on a deep Romo incompletion to DEZ BRYANT (3 catches for 87 yards and 1 score) down the right sideline which forced a 4th and 5 BRIAN MOORMAN punt.
Early in the second quarter, Vick had two plays which helped lead him out of the game. The first was a JAY RATLIFF tackle of Vick in which the latter went down hard on the ground and on the football, with his head driving a few yards on the turf. Then on a third down play, he was thrown to the ground by a Cowboy defender after he let go of a pass. When he fell his helmet hit the turf hard and that was it for him. He looked woozy and dazed on the sidelines and had to be led to the locker room. Vick appeared to have a concussion, and will be evaluated throughout the week to determine his status for next week and beyond.
Later, Dallas took over on their own 20, but two straight sacks by MYCHAL KENDRICKS (minus 5 yards) and a third down sack by rookie defensive tackle FLETCHER COX and assorted Eagle defenders (minus 7 yards) forced a 4th and 22 punting situation.
The Eagles then took over at their own 22 with Foles beginning his first full drive of the game. On his first play he handed off to LESEAN MCCOY (16 carries for 82 yards and no score) for no gain. Then on the second play of the drive, he completed his first NFL regular season pass with a 5 yard screen pass to McCoy. But on third down, he and receiver JASON AVANT weren’t able to connect down the field so in came MAT MCBRIAR for a 4th and 5 punt.
Dallas took over at their 32 yard line after the punt. A huge play on the drive was a Bryant 49-yard catch down the right sideline versus Eagles safety KURT COLEMAN and cornerback DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE. The reception set the Cowboys up at the Eagle 19 yard line, but all Dallas was able to convert was a 30-yard DAN BAILEY field goal which put them ahead 10-7.
With 2:34 left in the half, Dallas took over at their own 35. A 15 yard Jones run to the 50 yard line, took the game into the two-minute warning. Then on 3rd and 1 of the drive, linebacker DEMECO RYANS and Coleman gobbled up JASON WITTEN (8 catches for 47 yards and no score) for no gain which forced a Moorman 4th and 1 punt.
In the third quarter, the Eagles took over on their own 37. The biggest play of the drive was a McCoy 2 yard run to the Dallas 34 yard line where he was thrown out of bounds by Dallas’s GERALD SENSABAUGH. But on a 1st and 20 play after right tackle KING DUNLAP committed a holding penalty, Foles converted a play that will put Eagle fans and the Philadelphia media on the Foles bandwagon, and have fans whispering “quarterback controversy.” Foles took the snap, had tight end BRENT CELEK get off the line as a possible intermediate check down, then the quarterback ran to his right and unleashed a bomb to JEREMY MACLIN alone in the end zone to complete a 44 yard touchdown play. It was now 14-10 Philadelphia.
Later in the quarter, the Eagles scored again on a drive that started at their 28-yard line. Two pass interference penalties on Claiborne versus Jackson and Maclin helped the Eagles score on this drive. Two missteps by Dunlap (illegal hands to the face versus Dallas defensive lineman JASON HATCHER) and a BRYCE BROWN no gain run on third down forced a 4th and 13 field goal. Henery’s 40 yard field goal was good, giving the Eagles a 17-10 lead.
Dallas took over on their own 20 after the kickoff. Romo had one of his better plays of the season on 3rd and 5, as he dodged two tacklers for what should have been sacks, then he fired a 25 yard completion to MILES AUSTIN who took the catch to the Eagle 36 yard line. Romo’s hard work on that play didn’t go for naught as on 3rd and 4, he fired a 30 yard touchdown pass to Bryant (his third of the year) to tie the game at 17-17.
But the Cowboys weren’t done. DWAYNE HARRIS took a McBriar punt and sped down the left sideline 78 yards untouched to give the Cowboys a 24-17 lead with under 1 minute left in the game.
But, the Cowboys STILL were not done scoring. Cornerback BRANDON CARR saw Jackson mishandle a Foles pass and before the ball had a chance to hit the ground, Carr took the ball away from Jackson’s leg and raced 47 yards for a commanding 31-17 lead.
But with under 2:50 left in the game, rookie receiver DAMARIS JOHNSON took a Foles pass 32 yards all the way into Eagle scoring territory. His big catch led to a 1 yard STANLEY HAVILI touchdown run. But Henery’s extra point kick was no good, so the Eagles were staring at a 31-23 deficit with 1:55 left in the contest.
An onside kick attempt by the Eagles fell into the hands of Witten. The Cowboys took over at their own 43 yard line. The drive didn’t yield much offensively, but it did snatch a lot of time away from the comeback hopes of the Eagles. A beneficial Moorman punt set the Eagles up at their own 11 yard line. Then a false start penalty on 1st down pushed the Eagles back to their own 6.
The door was slammed on the Eagles when linebackers DEMARCUS WARE and ANTHONY SPENCER sandwiched Foles and forced him to fumble into the waiting hands of Hatcher who recovered the ball in the end zone leading to the final score of 38-23.
By Matthew Robinson
