What a great start to the week for Dallas Cowboys and fans alike.
People will say it was just one game, and we need to see Dallas in the postseason.
That's all well and good. However, it's more than one moment in the season.
Just like when Philadelphia won the first matchup, and San Francisco blew our doors off, the potential of the entire year came into question.
The road looks uncertain for Philly, and the Cowboys skyrocketed into contender status in their last four weeks.
There were matchups inside the game that were borderline personal. You could feel the intensity.
The battles in the trenches seem always to go Philly's way. Not this time.
Additionally, the Eagles' two-headed monster on the outside in DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown could cause havoc.
Players like DaRon Bland and veteran Stephon Gilmore heard all the noise. Even noise I wrote not that long ago.
Both players blocked out the extra, especially Gilmore, and showed everyone he had much more left in his tank.
Stephon Gilmore drank from the fountain of youth
Well, that sub-title was far-fetched. I'll grant you that.
His play on the field Sunday night was as competitive as we've seen him all year.
It seemed he found his bite or needed the right person to bark at him. When AJ Brown had something to say, Gilmore was right there for the fight.
Granted, Brown made some plays, but none to the extent that would overshadow what Gilmore did.
Gilmore was credited with three impact plays that halted the momentum of the Philadelphia Eagles.
As with any corner, he gave up some catches. I don't believe anyone believed he would hold the receivers without a catch.
In any event, when Dallas needed a play, he made a play, starting with the forced fumble on the All-Pro receiver.
Stephon Gilmore and A.J. Brown were jawing at each other for most of the game tonight.
When asked about it, Gilmore said that Brown called him old on the first possession, and the rest was history.
“It lit a fire in me a little bit.”#DallasCowboyspic.twitter.com/feQ41lUm9c
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) December 11, 2023
Even in the clip above, he gave up some yards but finished it that mattered the most.
To the point where you could see the frustration in Brown's body language.
The next play below against DeVonta Smith was the icing on the cake on how good Stephon played.
Stephon Gilmore is having a GAME 🔒
pic.twitter.com/SDhlyzqWW8— PFF (@PFF) December 11, 2023
The one-armed tackle by Gilmore on Smith highlights his strengths and Smith's lack thereof.
Could the former Heisman winner have used the over pursuit to his advantage?
Absolutely.
But he didn't and Gilmore proceeded to drive thru him with that same pursuit to ensure there were no yards after catch to be had.
The Cowboys staff could not have asked for a better stop from the veteran. By the way, that was one of four stops by him alone according to Pro Football Focus.
The analyticals support Gilmore's solid play as well
Speaking of PFF, the analytical more than supports what the 12-year corner from South Carolina could do.
To put it plainly, he passed with flying colors. His overall defensive grade was 82.2, with a tackling score of 81.6 and 81.3 in coverage.
The only other thing that he could have done was on the field for the fake punt as a gunner. I believe he would have stopped that.
Playing against two guys who make a living making big plays when the ball hits their mits – Brown (14.0) and Smith (13.1) was enough for a Sunday night.
For some reason, Jalen Hurts targeted Gilmore much more than Bland. Considering the second-year man from Fresno State had been picked on the last couple of weeks, I suspected he would have gotten some attention.
Nevertheless, he was not, and Stephon was targeted 11 times, where eight were converted.
For Gilmore, he kept everything in front of him. He had 0 missed tackles and no touchdowns given up.
It was a complimentary game for the defense where the pass rush disrupted Hurts, and the backend protected the endzone.
Maybe, just maybe, next time, AJ Brown will pick on someone who doesn't have a Defensive Player of the Year award on their resume.
