ARLINGTON, TEXAS — With an impressive 37-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles combined with a Washington loss to Carolina, The Dallas Cowboys remain alive in the NFC East race. The win keeps the Cowboys’ playoff aspirations and contention for the division title going into the last regular season game of the year.
Things started off with a familiar scene playing out at AT&T Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys’ defense could not stop the Eagles’ zone reads and both running back Miles Sanders and quarterback Jalen Hurts imposed their will on the ground. The Dallas D gave up an additional big play through the air, an 81-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to DeSean Jackson to extend the Birds lead in the first quarter. From that point on, something switched. Dallas dominated and Philly abandoned the run game, playing into the Cowboys’ hands. Here are some thoughts from week 16:
Cowboys’ Stellar Passing Game
Dallas outscored Philadelphia 34-3 following the first quarter, after the Eagles put up 14 in the first. Andy Dalton spread out the ball with poise and accuracy from the pocket. The offensive line did a solid job providing enough time for Dalton to go through reads and Dallas took full advantage. The Cowboys’ talented wide receiver trio was on full display and abused the Eagles’ secondary in man and zone. Both Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup finished with 121 yards receiving. Gallup and CeeDee Lamb combined for three touchdowns and all three WR’s had explosive yards-after-catch plays: Gallup with a 55-yarder, Cooper with a 69-yarder, and Lamb with a 52-yarder. The receiving corps. ran fluid routes and out leveraged cornerbacks for an acrobatic show between the hash marks.
Efficient Rushing Attack
Elliott was active despite being limited in practice during the week with a calf contusion. The team’s featured back has faced criticism all season long due to repeated ball security issues and a lack of big runs but against the Eagles, he showcased his skills. No.21 ran with power. He had great patience, letting the holes develop, and hitting them with ease. Elliott finished the game with 19 carries for 105 rushing yards, his longest being 31 yards. Credit to the O-line as well for their run blocking and seam creation that helped Dallas get the ground game rolling to compliment the passing attack.
More Defensive Takeaways
They say takeaways come in bunches and that has certainly been the case for the Cowboys that now have 10 in the previous three games. The forced turnovers have shifted the momentum and given the offense a short field to work with. This afternoon, the Cowboys had three. Anthony Brown had an interception, his second of the season after one against the 49ers. Trevon Diggs had an interception as well and Randy Gregory had a strip sack that was recovered by Jaylon Smith, resulting in a CeeDee Lamb touchdown on the offense’s gifted drive.
No. 94 Played Lights Out
Randy Gregory is the comeback story that puts a smile on anyone’s face. After a long grueling process of trying to get reinstated into the league and concerns on his maturity and past indiscretions with substance abuse, the front office did not give up on Gregory. He did not play until week seven in 2020 and is third on the team in sacks. Gregory was relentless off the edge with outstanding pash rush moves to get to Jalen Hurts and hard hits that knocked the ball out. He accumulated three forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks for a loss of 14 yards; a constant force that wreaked havoc on the Eagles.
Following the game, Mike McCarthy gave Gregory praise. He described, “His pressure was impactful. There were a number of three man rushes and he was still applying pressure. I like the look of our upfront guys.”
