The heavyweight clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles lasted a full 10 innings at Lincoln Financial Field as Mike McCarthy’s team fell to a 28-23 loss.
…a decision with too much “clutch”…and, critics might say, just a little “choking.
” In every way, Dak Prescott is almost a complete stud here.
He completed 29 of 44 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns without a score, and he pushed Dallas to a last-minute chance to win, starting at the 14-yard line.
self.
As teammate Micah Parsons said: “Dak is a damn warrior.
This is Dak (Bleeping) Prescott, my brother.
It’s a dog.
He is a warrior.
I have incredible faith in him.
I felt he had a great game.
People need to put more respect on him.
He outplayed everyone today.
” Absolutely.
But – and not that this is all the QB’s “fault” – with 27 seconds left, Dallas has a first-and-5 on the 6.Then came a (disputable) false-start call.
Then, from the 11-yard line came a sack.
Eventually came a third-and-21.
but a Dallas delay-of-game penalty then made it third-and-26, all of which meant one final play from the Eagles’ 27-yard line needed to be converted to win.
Dallas would fall short on a Prescott pass to Lamb but lose no admirers over their efforts.
Still, there is no place for a moral victory as a failed two-point conversion and a Luke Schoonmaker catch that was just inches from being a touchdown ultimately halted the Cowboys’ progress.
along with the echoes of red-zone failure because.
Dallas has a first-and-5 from the 6.
Terence Steele sniffs a sack, Prescott doesn’t throw the ball to avoid a sack, coach Mike McCarthy oversees a delay of play.
Is it “stifling” “?
Going from your 14-yard line to their 6-yard line in five plays while on the road against the best team in the NFL, a bit “clutch”?
Before the clash, we highlighted five keys to win for Dallas as it looked to build on their win over the Los Angeles Rams and close the gap in the NFC East race. So, what are our post-game grades?
1. Stop A.J. Brown: FAIL (sort of) Coming into the game, Brown had surpassed 125 receiving yards in six consecutive games, and coming into this matchup, he loomed as one Eagles weapon who could take the game away from Dallas. For the most part, Brown was held in check as he managed seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t his normal 125-yard game, but he did what he needed to when called upon.
2. Get the ‘Texas Coast Offense’ rolling: PASS One thing has been noticeable since the bye week, and it’s been that coach Mike McCarthy has loosened the grip on the offense, and it looks far better. Against the Eagles, Prescott and the offense averaged 5.8 yards per play. Given that Dallas lost the game, the offense’s performance will get glossed over, but nonetheless, the Texas Coast Offense got rolling against the Eagles.
3. Ride that turnover wave: FAIL (Somehow!?) There’s no real way to describe this. The Cowboys’ defense forced three fumbles, and yet all three managed to bounce right back to an Eagles player. Just unlucky.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn wanted to ride the turnover wave, and while they managed to get the ball loose, they couldn’t close the deal, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. (Oh, and Dallas’ offense didn’t have a turnover until the final second, when Lamb’s fight toward the end zone resulted in the ball coming meaninglessly loose.)
4. Give the ball to No. 88: BIG PASS Lamb had been in a rich vein of form over the last couple of games, and he continued that against the Eagles.
The Cowboys’ No. 1 weapon caught 11 passes for 191 yards. He again had his way with the Eagles’ secondary as he was Dallas’ most potent weapon on offense yet again. Prescott went Lamb’s way and often, and No. 88 didn’t disappoint, hauling in catch after catch as he and his quarterback are on a great wavelength right now.
5. Stop the Eagles rushing attack: FAIL Coming into the game, stopping D’Andre Swift was a key, and he was held to just 41 yards on 15 carries. Jalen Hurts (10 carries, 36 yards, one touchdown) pitched in and the Eagles rushed for a total of 109 yards, which doesn’t jump off the page. But as with the San Francisco 49ers game, the Eagles managed to pick up the yards when they needed to. Three Philly Tush Pushes were all converted, which extended drives. Overall, the Cowboys knew what they needed to do to pass this tough test, and while they got some of the answers right, they got some wrong as well, which, unfortunately, resulted in a failing grade for this Week 9 showdown in which lots of “clutch” was overshadowed by a bit of “choke.”
