Eagles vs. Cowboys: Score, Twitter Reaction from 2014 Thanksgiving Day Football

In the second helping of the NFL's three-course Thanksgiving offering, the Philadelphia Eagles' explosive offense feasted on a depth-famished Dallas Cowboys defense at AT&T Stadium.

Philadelphia set the tone from the beginning and was firing on all cylinders, defeating America's Team, 33-10, on Thursday to take sole possession of first in the NFC East with a 9-3 record.

Philadelphia's dominance caused Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com to recall a recent matchup in this series that took on a similar tone:

Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez, most infamous for his Thanksgiving "butt fumble" while with the New York Jets in 2012, quickly put that in the rearview mirror by capping off a brilliant opening touchdown drive with a two-yard run to paydirt.

Sanchez was slinging the rock all over the Dallas secondary, throwing for 202 yards in the first half. He found rookie Jordan Matthews for a 27-yard touchdown to boost the lead to 14-0 through one quarter.

The Eagles' official Twitter account highlighted how Matthews, the SEC's all-time leading receiver at Vanderbilt, has made a rather seamless transition to the pros as a second-round pick:

Jeremy Maclin once again proved his worth as a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, with a game-high eight receptions and 108 yards to exceed the 1,000-yard mark. ESPN Stats & Info added context to Maclin's achievement after he missed last year with a torn ACL:

Philly also got a lot of production out of star running back LeSean McCoy, who surpassed the same statistical milestone Maclin did, only on the ground.

A rather slow start to the year gave critics of coach Chip Kelly's offense ammunition. However, McCoy shined in Arlington, outperforming the man who will likely take his distinction as the league's reigning leading rusher, DeMarco Murray.

Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer noted how consistent McCoy has been—a rare feat in the modern climate of professional football:

Offensive play-caller Scott Linehan made a concerted effort to establish Murray early, yet Philadelphia was up to the task as its offense continued to march down the field.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo hit star receiver Dez Bryant on a 38-yard completion, leading to a one-yard TD plunge by Murray to make the score 14-7. However, that was the extent of Dallas' explosive plays before halftime. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora felt Romo wasn't quite himself all day:

This stat from Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News supports that inference:

Perhaps the following pregame quote from Romo about the Eagles defense foreshadowed what was to come, though.

"They're just a little bit more improved in their consistency," said Romo, via NJ.com's Matt Lombardo. "I think they're a little more well rounded. They're playing a little bit better. For whatever reason some guys have stepped up their level of play on the back end at a few spots. I think they're playing good football."

First-year kicker Cody Parkey has been quite a revelation, as the first three of his four field goals allowed the Eagles to go into the locker room with a 23-7 advantage.

NFL Network fantasy guru Michael Fabiano took solace in Parkey's prowess—though it will be interesting to see how Parkey holds up under increasing playoff stakes:

McCoy fumbled the ball away to give the home team some hope after a 28-yard boot by Dan Bailey cut the deficit to 23-10, only to run 38 yards to the end zone the next time the Eagles had the ball.

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks observed how Philadelphia's uptempo tactics fatigued the Cowboys:

Once Cary Williams picked off Romo with less than three minutes left in the third, it all but sealed the lopsided game between two of the NFL's elite teams.

NBC Sports analyst and Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy brought up a relevant point about the overall trend of the game:

In addition to the Eagles stuffing Murray, pass rushing was a big key in this contest. Even Dallas' mighty offensive line couldn't hold off Philadelphia, a defense that gives up a lot of yards yet was second in sacks before Week 13, while the Cowboys were just 27th.

Chris Trapasso of NFL.com observed how critical Eagles nickelback Brandon Boykin was, as two Cowboys weapons in Jason Witten and Terrance Williams combined for just three catches with Boykin's help:

Skip Bayless of ESPN noted how the constant pressure, galvanized by Fletcher Cox, among others, impacted Romo's comfort level in the pocket:

ESPN's Louis Riddick recognized Cox in particular for his disruption:

Looking ahead, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a silver lining for the Dallas faithful to reflect upon:

But Ed Werder of ESPN offered even more positive news for Eagles fans in light of Thursday's landmark victory:

If the Cowboys are meant to remain in the division hunt, they need to find a way to manufacture pressure on the opposing QB. Whether it means sending more blitzes or men in the trenches stepping up, they matched up poorly versus the Eagles' lightning-fast attack.

A chance at avenging Week 13's loss looms on Dec. 14, but Dallas has to travel to Lincoln Financial Field and try to steal a road win.

The Eagles are undefeated at home and face the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks before Dallas.

Both Philadelphia and Seattle will have played this Thursday, so they'll each have extra preparation time ahead of a game that could define both their seasons and go a long way toward shaping the NFC playoff picture.