FRISCO, Texas – Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles marked the Dallas Cowboys’ 67th appearance on Sunday Night Football, the most of any NFL team in history, and the club recorded their 34th win on Sunday Night Football, the most of all-time. Dallas now has a 2-1 placement in the NFC East and is 3-3 overall in the division. The victory was the first road win of the season for the Cowboys, after four straight losses on the road during the 2018 season. The win put the Cowboys back on the map and the team’s hopes alive at 4-5, only two games behind the division leader Washington Redskins at 6-3. Several players made an impact for America’s Team to secure the win:
Tyrone Crawford – Crawford recorded a sack against Carson Wentz, totaling 20.0 for his career. DT Daniel Ross injured his calf on the sideline before the game began. Ross was going to average around “ 12 snaps” Garrett estimated, but with his absence, Crawford’s load became heavier on the field playing both end and tackle. He played more snaps and had several quarterback pressures throughout the game, limiting Wentz in the pocket and forcing him to make throws he did not want to make.
Amari Cooper – Cooper led the team with 75 receiving yards on six catches, for an average of 12.5 yards after the catch. He ran perfect routes throughout the game creating separation and becoming an open deep target for Prescott. He is changing the dynamic of the Cowboys’ offense and the way defenses play the Silver and Blue.
“To think a guy can come in in his first week and play 50 plays in a game and have the impact he had last week, we can then come back and do it again, “ Jason Garrett remarked following the win in Philly… “ The biggest thing is his focus and commitment. Our coaching staff has to focus to get him ready to go. He has come in and played a lot of different spots for us, that has helped our passing game and opened up opportunities for our entire offense…When you add a guy like that, that can win it one-on-one, doing different things – winning short and winning down the field, winning across the field, and intermediate routes, that certainly helps you. It garners a little more attention to defense. That opens up opportunities for other guys and that helps you as well. “
Ezekiel Elliott – Elliott rushed for 19 times for 151 yards, the fourth highest of his career, and a touchdown. During the game his longest run was 35 yards, the longest rush Philadelphia’s defense had allowed all season. The game marked Elliott’s 16th career 100-yard rushing game in the regular season, tying with Calvin Hill for fourth all-time in team history. His 187 scrimmage yards (151 rush; 36 receiving) were the fifth most of his career and second highest this season. Elliott capitalized on holes provided by the offensive line and opened up the ground game against the second ranked run defense in the league. The Eagles’ mantra may be ‘Fly eagles Fly, ‘ but Elliott was the closest thing to a bird fans saw, flying through the air as he hurdled over DB Tre Sullivan.
Randy Gregory – Gregory recorded his second sack of the season on Wentz. He had great speed around the edge to get to the quarterback and make stops on critical plays. He had great coverage against Eagles’ OT Jason Peters throughout the night, creating more opportunities for the Cowboys’ offense getting on the field.
Jeff Heath – Heath amassed a rush for three yards and a first down on a fake punt in the second quarter: The second of his career against Washington (1/3/16). He works hard sideline to sideline every game and has incredible speed in the backfield to get to the ball carrier and make critical stops for the Cowboys as the last line of defense. Heath has tremendous effort and is the standard of excellence for the secondary.
Dak Prescott – Prescott completed 26 of 36 attempts for 270 yards, all season-highs, with one touchdown and no interceptions, for a 102.8 rating. He rushed six times, to give him a total of 162 for his career to top Danny White at 162, for the fifth most career rushing attempts by a Cowboys’ quarterback. He made several big plays during critical points in the game to keep the Cowboys ahead of the chains, including a one-yard rush at the goal line on a quarterback sneak to put Dallas in the end zone. He is still learning as a young QB, but has proven his worth as a run threat and threw several fireballs during the game against Philly to open up the passing game.
Leighton Vander Esch – Vander Esch intercepted his first career pass as a rookie in the first quarter to put Dallas’ offense on the field with a chance to cash in and score. He is only the third Cowboys’ rookie at the LB position, with Dat Nguyen and Sean Lee, since 1999 to have an interception in a game. He has made a huge impact in the Cowboys’ defense with his success this year, creating a stronger force at the position with veteran Sean Lee out with a hamstring injury once again. Thanks to his playmaking ability and Jaylon Smith’s explosiveness and comfortableness on the field this season, the Cowboys are in a much better place at LB than they have been in the past without their commander.
“LVE has really good instincts and prepares very diligently, “ Jason Garrett described. “ I give Ben Bloom a lot of credit, and Sean Lee a lot of credit, and Jaylon Smith for helping him in those regards. He has a feel for playing and athleticism to go get the football. His quickness and speed are outstanding. He is still a young player, but was around the ball a lot and made a lot of significant plays in the game. “
Zack Martin – Martin exited the game with a knee injury, but the medical staff confirmed the knee was stable and the warrior re-entered the game. He knew the offensive line needed him with three rookies in the game at one point with Joe Looney, Xavier Su’a-Filo, and Adam Redmond, and so he returned to the huddle to help his team come away with the win. Martin made a big impact on the field taking care of guys in gaps and creating holes for Ezekiel Elliott and establishing the run game.
Garrett summed up his character and ability, “He is as tough as they come and he loves football. He is a damn good player and he was not going to miss much. “
