Cowboys Eat the Eagles for Christmas Dinner

Prescott and the rest of the offense put together a brilliant drive following the pick-6. With the football at the Cowboys’ 25-yard line, Dallas went on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:26 off the clock. Ezekiel Elliot capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys trailed at the end of the 1st, 10-7.

The lead continuously changed hands throughout the 2nd quarter. Cowboys’ Jayron Kearse snatched the ball away from WR Quez Watkins on the ensuing Eagles’ possession. The Cowboys turned the takeaway into points on a 38-yard pass from Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. 

Gardner Minshew and the Eagles turned around and scored on a 10-play, 74-yard drive. The Cowboys kept Philadelphia out of the end zone on three straight plays before Minshew scored a 1-yard touchdown on 4th and goal. The Eagles and the Cowboys added field goals before halftime, and the Cowboys headed to the locker rooms down 20-17 at the half.

The Eagles’ potent offense continued to churn in the second half. After the Eagles forced the Cowboys to punt on their opening drive, Philly scored. Heisman winner and second-year man Devonta Smith hauled a 14-yard touchdown pass from Minshew on yet another 4th down. Minshew orchestrated a 10-play, 77-yard drive that gave the Eagles a 10-point lead with 9:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Dallas began their comeback when they scored ten unanswered to end the 3rd quarter. Brett Maher kicked a 44-yard field goal to get the Cowboys within a touchdown. Dallas’ defense stepped up again when they recovered a fumble by Gardner Minshew at Philadelphia’s 31-yard line. The Cowboys then went those 31 yards in five plays. Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 12 yards near the right pylon just past the goal line and a touchdown. The Cowboys tied the game at the end of the 3rd quarter, 27-27.

The 4th quarter exploded with points as the Eagles, and the Cowboys battled to the bitter end. Philadelphia scored first on a  9-yard touchdown pass from Minshew to Smith for the receiver’s second of the game. 

Dallas responded with another touchdown drive, this time another touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb on 2nd and goal at the 7-yard line. 

With the game tied at 34-34 with 5:49 remaining in the 4th quarter, the Cowboys’ defense became the difference in the game. On three straight Philly possessions, the Cowboys snagged two takeaways and a 4th down stop to seal the game.

Daron Bland intercepted Minshew from a deflection which the Cowboys turned into a field goal to take the lead, 37-34. Then Dallas stripped RB Miles Sanders at the Eagles' 22-yard line. After the Eagles used all their timeouts and kept the Cowboys out of the end zone, Maher kicked another field goal to put Dallas up by six points with 1:41 remaining in the 4th quarter. 

Little time remaining, and 75 yards of green grass set the stage for Minshew to shine as the backup quarterback. Minshew hit Kenneth Gainwell and AJ Brown to move the ball to midfield. Minshew then hit Devonta Smith on a pass down to the Cowboys’ 19-yard line. Here is where the Cowboys made their stand. 

On three straight plays, after the Eagles spiked the ball on first down to stop the clock, the pass rush almost got to the quarterback. Micah Parsons beat the offensive line to force Minshew to throw up a prayer on 4th down, but the pass fell incomplete. The Dallas Cowboys stay alive in their quest to win the NFC East with a victory over the Eagles, 40-34.

Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb is the Cowboys’ Player of the Game. Lamb caught 10 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns.