The Cowboys could have put an end to the “they can’t beat winning teams on the road” narrative on Sunday.
They could have put a lot of pressure on the Eagles going into their Monday matchup with the Giants. But they did neither.
Dallas let the Dolphins off the hook, losing 22-20 on a last-second field goal.
The Eagles held on once again to win a one-possession game over a lesser team in the Giants to take sole possession of the division lead.
And the Commanders are wishing the season ended after 16 weeks like it did in the good old days.
Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
The road, at least in 2023, is pure kryptonite for the Cowboys.
And there is no easy way to explain why. The offense is unstoppable at home.
They all but disappear once they leave AT&T Stadium.
Unless the 49ers and Eagles both collapse over the next two weeks, the road is where Dallas will spend its January.
The Cowboys should have been leading 14-3 after the first quarter in Sunday’s game at Miami. Instead, they trailed 13-7 at halftime.
Prescott’s fumble, as he and Hunter Luepke couldn’t complete a handoff, at the goal line hurt.
But that play followed Tony Pollard inexplicably cutting back into a defender at the goal line instead of running to the pylon for the touchdown.
Then Dallas abandoned what had been working on offense for nearly two quarters. By the time they went back to that it was too late.
Tyron Smith’s absence at left tackle was felt as Prescott was sacked four times and harassed all day.
The Cowboys’ defense held the Dolphins’ potent offense in check – five total field goals and three of them over 50 yards.
But when they needed a stop? The Cowboys’ defense couldn’t get off the field and leave the offense any time to try to win the game.
The Cowboys are 3-5 on the road this year. Unless they pull out the NFC East title they will play every game on the road in January.
They’ve done nothing so far to convince many of us that they can beat a team on the road when it matters.
Dallas draws the Detroit Lions at home this week and closes the year on the road against the Commanders.
Philadelphia Eagles (11-4)
The Eagles jumped all over the Giants for a 20-3 halftime lead, telling the Giants’ media darling quarterback Tommy DeVito to “fuggedaboutit” in his bid to upset the Eagles on Monday.
The Eagles will no doubt believe their 33-25 victory cures all of their recent ills.
But the bottom line is they beat up a 5-10 team that isn’t world beaters and once again struggled to hold on for a win.
They have games against the Cardinals and a road game in New York against these same Giants – who got a huge confidence boost from the way they rallied in the second half.
The NFC East is far from decided and will likely come down to the final minutes on Jan. 7th in the Meadowlands and Maryland.
New York Giants (5-10)
The Giants dug themselves into a 17-point hole against the Eagles and very nearly found their way back out.
The upset bid fell short. The Giants will go into the season-ending rematch with some confidence.
But who will be their starter that week, or even next week when they host the Rams?
DeVito was pulled at halftime after a lackluster 9-for-16 effort that netted 55 yards. Tyrod Taylor came in and moved the Giants into the endzone twice in the second half.
New York is relegated to spoilers now. We’ll see if they rise to the challenge.
Cowboys fans – given a win over Detroit on Sunday – will certainly be Big Blue fans on Jan. 7th if the division title is on the line.
Washington Commanders (4-11)
The Commanders’ loss to the Jets on Sunday was pure Commanders 2023.
Fall behind by 20, rally all the way back to take a one-point lead, and still lose on a late field goal.
At this point, the Commanders are cooked and playing for pride.
They host the 49ers – playing for the No. 1 seed – this week and then the Cowboys – who could be playing for the East title.
A 4-13 record is a very real possibility. For Ron Rivera, it would be a bad ending to his tenure as the head coach in Washington.