ARLINGTON, Texas — It wasn’t the best looking performance by the Cowboys on Christmas Eve but sometimes just winning football games, no matter how ugly or pretty, is all that matters.
Dallas defeated Philadelphia, 40-34, late Saturday afternoon thanks to a defense that forced four turnovers, and that in reality didn’t play its best. Dallas was also led by an offense that was jeered in the first half after another pick-six by quarterback Dak Prescott.
Just win, that’s all that matters. And the Cowboys kept their slim hopes alive for another NFC East title.
Here are five things of note:
What does it all mean?
The Cowboys (11-4) moved to just two games behind the Eagles (13-2) for first place in the NFC East. We have two games remaining in the regular season, and the Cowboys’ victory at least delayed the Eagles’ opportunity to clinch the division title and the No. 1 seed. Does it make the Cowboys’ game next week in Nashville against the Titans important now? Yes. Can the Cowboys win the division? Possibly, they need to keep winning and hope for some help from other teams. As it stands, Dallas is the No. 5 seed with a date against the NFC South champ, which could be Tampa Bay. Mike McCarthy has said he will play this out because every game is important.
Another pick by Dak, but…
Prescott (27-of-35 passing, 347 yards, three touchdowns, interception) threw another interception, a pick-six, on a poor throw toward Dalton Schultz in the flat. The first-half pass that was picked off was the fifth consecutive game in which Prescott committed a turnover and his 12th INT of the season, one short of his career-high set in 2017. Yet, Prescott threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. He was fantastic, with a clutch TD pass to Michael Gallup on the move and another on a back shoulder throw to CeeDee Lamb for another score in the fourth quarter. The turnovers are a concern, but overall there are few negatives to say about Prescott’s game overall.
Defense follies and struggles
You could find so many problems with the Cowboys’ defense. But it forced four turnovers with veteran linebacker Anthony Barr recovering a fumble in Eagles territory with 2:07 left nearly that sealed the game. On the Eagles’ previous possession, rookie corner DaRon Bland picked off a pass with 4:19 to play in the fourth quarter for the game-turning play. Safety Jayron Kearse had a pick and a fumble recovery. Overall, the biggest issue for the Cowboys’ defense was the pass rush. It had problems getting to Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew (24-of-40 passing, 355 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) and covering their depth of offensive weapons. On the first defensive series, Trevon Diggs was beaten twice, which included a double-move by A.J. Brown that led to a long gain. The Eagles weren’t afraid to target Diggs, the Cowboys’ best corner. Yet the same problems continued for this defense: Stopping the run. The Eagles rushed for 87 yards on Saturday afternoon. The game began to turn thanks to Kearse’s fumble recovery with five minutes left in the third quarter that led to the Cowboys’ tying the game at 27-27. Bland was beaten on a TD pass from Minshew to DeVonta Smith.
CeeDee produces another solid game
Lamb produced another 100-yard plus receiving day. He caught 10 passes for 120 yards with two touchdowns. He was targeted once in the third quarter but in the fourth quarter he caught a game-tying seven-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. He also caught a 10-yard pass in the fourth quarter during the six-play, 31-yard drive, that helped the Cowboys’ take a 37-34 lead with 2:19 to play. Any questions about Lamb’s game and whether he’s a No. 1 receiver should subside now. He’s produced some solid games this season which explains why he was named to the Pro Bowl earlier this week.
Running game was nowhere
That headline is kinda unfair yet, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 55 yards on 16 carries, with his longest carry a 22-yarder on a pitch. Tony Pollard picked up 19 yards on nine carries. It was one of those rare instances where the running attack struggled all game. There were a few bright spots, but if the Cowboys face the Eagles again, like in the NFC Divisional Round, the run game struggles is something to note.
