Dallas came right back down the field and scored to tie the game at 21, thanks to a 79-yard kickoff return on the ensuing kick by Lucky Whitehead that started the drive at the Eagle 24.
It took only 3 plays for Cassel to get his offense into the end zone, as Dez Bryant made a spectacular, leaping catch over the defenders for the score with 10:52 left in the game.
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After leading the National Football League in dropped passes over the first seven games, Matthews had his best performance when the Eagles needed him most. It was a game played at AT&T Stadium.
Matthews did, catching the ball in stride at the Dallas 25, sweeping past Cowboys safety J.J. Worse yet for Dallas, it already has completed its season series against both of those teams, leaving less of an opportunity to close the gap later.
But fresh off of the bye, Matthews returned in a big way with what was easily his best effort of the 2015 season.
Matthews looked much more confident and focused this week than he had all season.
So we know the rushing game is good, but how about the passing game? But that was before the Eagles’ inside linebacking corps was ravaged by injuries.
Immediately after the game, Twitter was flooded with Cowboys fans taking inexplicably poor shots of their television (zoom in, turn up the volume and hold your hand steady; come on, people) and insisting Maragos said heads, not tails. The Eagles’ running game has not necessarily invoked memories of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
Sam Bradford threw for 295 yards and one touchdown. Firing coaches and cutting players will not get back a single one of those losses, and the coaching staff now is largely the one that found so much success previous year.
The Cowboys have been frustrated by a season that’s gone off the rails because of injuries and an inability to make plays when it matters most. Then he missed Sam Bradford by inches on the game-winning overtime touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews. The Eagles averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
The Cowboys went 93 yards on their first possession, with Bryant picking up 51 yards on a catch-and-run. But he hasn’t gotten the necessary help he needs from a collection of outside receivers that is also hobbled with Nelson Agholor and Riley Cooper battling through injuries. If Bradford is not under throwing or overthrowing his receivers, his teammates have been dropping balls.
Nelson Agholor was inactive again, despite practicing all week.
The Eagles have been far better in second halves of games this season.
His move from right to left tackle sparked a chain of events that saw Dennis Kelly start at right tackle for the first time since 2012, with Matt Tobin – who had been filling in for Peters – staying at right guard, where he replaced injured injured Andrew Gardner in September. Had he not been able to rise and return, it would have been the Eagles in a few pain.
To Kelly’s credit, he made the correct call in overtime on a fourth and one, electing to go for it rather than punt the football away.
Beasley was the real challenge on this night, however.
The Dallas Cowboys need more from their petulant Pro Bowl receiver than a profanity-laced tirade and excuses for his lack of production this week against Philadelphia.
The Eagles also have Najee Goode and Brad Jones at inside linebacker, so there is depth at the spot beyond the top three players.
The Cowboys have to go another week without Romo; he’s due to return in Week 11, then play twice in five days because of their annual Thanksgiving date. He was flagged for several highly questionable pass interference calls down the stretch. Dallas running back Darren McFadden ran 27 times for 117 yards.
A career night for Beasley and a long overdue display of offensive ability looks like it’s just too little too late.
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The Eagles deserve credit for holding on to kicker Caleb Sturgis after a rough start to the year. Philadelphia won 33-27 in overtime, but they looked awfully ugly doing so.
