Things are suddenly going the Dallas Cowboys’ way in 2020. They dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of a 37-17 blowout win and, thanks to another loss by Washington, are still alive in the NFC East and a potential playoff spot.
The loss for Philly has now made it impossible for them to win the division. But they’re the only ones as Dallas, New York, and Washington could all still take it depending on next week’s games.
We’ll dive into those scenarios in the coming days, for now is the time to praise Andy Dalton, Randy Gregory, and the many other heroes of today’s big victory for the Cowboys.
Dalton threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns today and was nearly flawless outside of one interception on an underthrown ball, picked off by Darius Slay. But otherwise Andy was delivering the ball perfectly and helped all three of the Cowboys’ great WR trio to shine.
Michael Gallup was the start of the first half with six catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns. But Amari Cooper also had 121 yards on four catches today and CeeDee Lamb scored twice, once on a 52-yard pass and then late in the game on a 19-yard rushing play.
Ezekiel Elliott had a great day, breaking the 100-yard mark for only the second time in 2020 with 105 yards on 19 carries. He also chipped in 34 receiving yards and looked much more like the Zeke we remember after a week off with his calf injury.
The Cowboys defense shut out Philadelphia in the second half thanks largely to the play of Randy Gregory. The defensive end had 1.5 sacks and forced multiple fumbles for highlight plays but was a constant presence pressuring Jalen Hurts and making some big stops against the run as well.
It’s hard to believe but this three-game win streak has happened and has put Dallas in a position for meaningful football in Week 17. You have to credit Mike McCarthy for keeping his players engaged and fighting up to this point, and we can only hope their effort is rewarded with the most fantastic division title in the history of the NFC East.
Other Notes
- Jalen Hurts still had 342 passing yards and 69 rushing in his first start against the Cowboys. It’s hard to imagine he won’t still be the Eagles’ QB the next time Philadelphia and Dallas play each other in 2021.
- Trevon Diggs’ late pick of Hurts gave the rookie his third for 2020 and the most by a Cowboys CB since Brandon Carr in 2013. Imagine how many he’d have if he hadn’t missed so many games with injury?
- Anthony Brown also had an interception today in a more pivotal moment, ending an Eagles’ drive early in the 4th quarter that might have made this a very different game.
- The game seemed to turn when Eagles’ DT Fletcher Cox left with an injury. Philadelphia was up 14-3 in the first quarter but suddenly the Cowboys’ offense could breathe and began executing and finishing drives. That’s why guys like Cox are called “game changers.”
- This was a big day for both of the Cowboys’ coordinators. Kellen Moore, who may be headed out the door imminently for the head coaching job at Boise State, saw his offense go for over 500 yards today. Mike Nolan’s defense gave up a lot of yardage but kept Philadelphia off the scoreboard in the second half with turnovers and some good stops.
