Jess Haynie
Still missing that first-round pick? Cowboys WR Amari Cooper scored three touchdowns, including the game-winner, as Dallas held off the Philadelphia Eagles 29-23 in a thrilling overtime victory.
On the final play, the Eagles’ Rasul Douglas had great coverage and moved in for what should have been a deflection on the throw to Amari. But the ball popped up, and Cooper had enough space to snag it out of the air and take into the endzone.
Amari had 10 catches for 217 yards, almost all of which came after halftime. He had just one catch for 27 yards before the third quarter.
The Cowboys squandered a chance to put the game away in regulation, marching the field but then falling out of field goal range with a penalty and a bad snap from Joe Looney. However, they won the coin toss and never gave the ball back to the Eagles.
Dak Prescott crushed his career high with 455 passing yards today. It’s the first time he’s gone for 400 or more, and only the fifth time he’s even been over 300 yards.
After struggling throughout much of the game, not just with three turnovers but also missing open receivers with inaccurate throws, Prescott seemed to find his footing again.
The win moves Dallas to 8-5, their fifth win in a row, and gives them a commanding lead in the NFC East. It also gives them the season sweep of the Eagles, who drop to 6-7.
Other Notes
- Brett Maher set a new Cowboys record with a 62-yard field goal to end the first half. He was 3/4 for the day, and his field goals were the only points Dallas scored for their 9-0 halftime lead.
- Ezekiel Elliott ground out 114 tough rushing yards on 28 carries. He also had 79 yards receiving.
- The tight end position is back! Blake Jarwin had a career-high seven catches for 56 yards and Dalton Schultz had 37 yards on three catches. Even Rico Gathers got a catch today, thought it was for minus-one yard.
- Zack Martin left the game late with a knee injury and did not return. Connor Williams came in to play RG in his absence.
- Tyron Smith was hit with multiple penalties, and you have to wonder how much missed practice and the nagging neck injury threw him off today.
- Anthony Brown made several key plays on pass deflections. It’s easy to forget Brown, but he has more experience than most of our secondary. It showed today.
- Randy Gregory was called for two questionable penalties for roughing the passer. It feels like he’s being targeted right now by officials, and hopefully it doesn’t get in his head. Gregory contributed a sack to the defensive effort.
- DeMarcus Lawrence was kept off the sack board today, his second-straight game without getting to the quarterback.
- With Washington also losing today against the Giants and falling to 6-7, Dallas is in great position to take the division. They could clinch the NFC East as soon as next week.
- The Cowboys now head to Indianapolis, where the Colts are coming off an upset win over Houston and fighting to stay in the AFC playoff race.
