Cowboys Ground Eagles, Take First Place in NFC East

The Dallas Cowboys went into the stadium where their 2008-'09 season ended so horribly and were able to quiet those demons and the Philadelphia fans, as they beat the Eagles 20-16 to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Tony Romo had another stellar game, going 21-of-34 for 307 yards and one TD.

Romo did throw an interception, ending his three game streak of not throwing a pick, but didn't let the interception affect his play. Romo was able to find some chemistry with receiver Roy Williams, and he also hit Miles Austin for the game winner.

Romo targeted Williams seven times, and they hooked up five times for 75 yards. Patrick Crayton had a 64-yard reception that set up a field goal, and with eight minutes left Romo hit Austin for a 49-yard TD pass to make the score 20-13.

The Eagles made a 52-yard field goal on their next drive but never saw the ball again.

The Cowboys' running game wasn't great, but it was effective, as Marion Barber had 50 yards on 12 carries. Tashard Choice ran three times out of the wildcat formation for 13 yards and one TD, and Felix Jones ran four times for 10 yards.

The Eagles' defense constantly had eight men in the box, making it hard for the Cowboys to run the ball, so they took what they could get and used the passing game to win. 

As good as the Cowboys offense was in this game, it was their defense that made the difference.

The Cowboys had two interceptions, which led to 10 points. Safety Gerald Sensabaugh caught a pass that went through Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin's hands and hung in the air.  In the third quarter Mike Jenkins picked off a deep pass also intended for Maclin, as he undercut the route and caught the ball at its highest point.

The secondary did a great job holding QB Donovan McNabb to just 227 yards passing and one TD. They also shut down the Eagles' deep passing game, holding DeSean Jackson to just 29 yards on two catches and Maclin to just 44 yards on three catches.

The Cowboys' front seven held the Eagles to 89 yards rushing, and McNabb was sacked four times in Sunday's game. Linebacker Keith Brooking had one and added five tackles.

Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff had two sacks, but it was rookie Victor Butler who had the most important sack on a McNabb scramble that set up a David Akers field goal, which would be the Eagles' last score.

The Eagles had no timeouts left, and Eagles coach Andy Reid said after the game that he thought the Eagles would hold the Cowboys and force them to punt, but they couldn't as Marion Barber had 23 of his 50 yards rushing on the Cowboys' last drive, and Romo hit tight end Jason Witten for a five-yard pass that gave the Cowboys a first down and let them run the clock out.

The Eagles used their last timeout earlier in the fourth quarter to challenge a 4th-and-1 QB sneak by McNabb that didn't get the first down. McNabb fell behind the line of scrimmage after making an initial push, and Reid felt that the spot was wrong. There was no conclusive evidence to show that McNabb's right arm was past the first down marker, and the Eagles lost their final timeout.

The Cowboys now hit a huge soft spot in their schedule as they face the Packers, Redskins, and Raiders to finish out November.