Eagles vs. Cowboys: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes
Six losses in a row.
It was a back-and-forth contest between division foes, and with two seasons likely hanging in the balance, the coin again landed on the wrong side for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The first half was a low-scoring defensive showdown, as the teams went to the half tied at 7-7. The second half was a completely different story, as the teams scored 20 points each, with the final three coming via a Dan Bailey field goal that deflected off the upright and through the goal posts with two seconds left on the clock to force overtime.
But the Eagles won the overtime coin toss, as the coin hit the ground with tails facing up (although some believe they heard the Eagles captains call heads), and they drove 80 yards to win the game, capped by a 41-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Jordan Matthews after Byron Jones slipped to the turf.
At 2-6, there are still plausible scenarios that could lead to the Cowboys reaching the playoffs, but at this point, the outlook has become bleak for a season that started with as much promise as any in recent Cowboys history.
Read on for all the grades, notes and quotes from the game.
Position Grades for the Dallas Cowboys
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Position | Grade |
QB | B- |
RB | A |
WR | A+ |
TE | B+ |
OL | C |
DL | D |
LB | D |
DB | D |
Special Teams | A |
Coaching | B- |
Quarterback: Matt Cassel made his third start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and turned in his best performance in the role. The offense ran smoothly under Cassel's direction, and the ball moved well throughout most of the game. He pushed the ball down the field several times and completed passes to six different receivers. He was intercepted once, which was returned for a touchdown by Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks, but was able to lead the team on back-to-back game-tying drives in the fourth quarter, first with a Tony Romo-esque escape from the pocket and throw to a leaping Dez Bryant, and second on a one-minute, 44-second march for the game-tying field goal at the very end of regulation. But he never got a shot in overtime to go for the win. Cassel finished 25-of-38 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Running Back: Darren McFadden was the lead back again and was the only running back to carry the ball all night. McFadden had his best game as a Cowboy running the ball, although the numbers won't match his 152-yard performance against the Giants. McFadden gained tough yards when the team needed them and provided an explosive play or two as well. McFadden finished with 27 carries for 117 yards.
Wide Receiver: This game was the coming-out party for the Dallas wide receivers. Led by Bryant, they made multiple plays in crucial situations. Cole Beasley made his return to the Cowboys game plan in a big way, leading the team in catches with nine while going for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Terrance Williams contributed a clutch play or two among his three catches for 27 yards, but it was Bryant who stood out as usual, making the highlight catch of the year for the Cowboys as he skied above multiple defenders and two of his teammates to come down with the game-tying touchdown with 11:04 left in the fourth quarter. Bryant finished the game with five catches for 104 yards and one touchdown. Lucky Whitehead also contributed one catch for eight yards.
Tight End: Jason Witten returned to form in Week 9, as he made multiple catches in key situations late in the game to extend drives and give the team a chance. Witten finished with six catches for 43 yards, while Gavin Escobar and James Hanna continued to be nonfactors in the passing game.
Offensive Line: The offensive line had more than its share of struggles, Tyron Smith was beaten at least twice on edge rushes by the Eagles' Brandon Graham for sacks, while the interior trio of La'el Collins, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin were up-and-down in both the run and pass game.
Defensive Line: The defensive line was probably the most disappointing group for the Cowboys on the night. The Eagles played this game with a patchwork offensive line and without their best blocker, but the Cowboys rushers failed to take advantage. They did register a sack late in the third quarter to end a Philadelphia drive, but they were otherwise unable to impact the game in a meaningful way. The Eagles ran for 172 yards on 35 carries, many of which were on the edges of the Cowboys defense, which often is the responsibility of the defensive ends. The exception on Sunday night was David Irving, the rookie signed from the Kansas City practice squad earlier this year, who showed up often in a good way in the game.
Linebackers: Sean Lee got a concussion, Anthony Hitchens replaced him and twisted his ankle, and Rolando McClain had yet another game that failed to live up to expectations. McClain totaled only three tackles, and the biggest hit he delivered all night was the one that knocked Lee out of the game.
Defensive Backs: The top five tacklers for the Cowboys defense were defensive backs, which undoubtedly says more about the failures of the Cowboys front seven than the quality of play from the back four. Rookie Byron Jones played a great game but slipped and fell down on the most crucial play of the game, and J.J. Wilcox's poor angle from the middle of the field opened up the lane for Jordan Matthews to go 41 yards for the game-ending touchdown.
Special Teams: The Cowboys once again got a big play from their special teams unit in the game, as Whitehead finally got loose on a kickoff return, giving the Cowboys great field position to get back in the game after the Eagles scored on the interception. Dan Bailey was perfect as usual, and Chris Jones averaged almost 44 yards per punt without giving up a single return yard.
Coaching: Overall, most of the criticism for this loss falls on the players who failed to execute on defense in key situations. However, the Cowboys coaches don't escape all of the blame. McFadden was averaging 4.3 yards per carry, and in a game that was never far out of reach, his last carry came with 5:29 left on the clock. On the series that led to the Bailey field goal to tie it at 24, McFadden carried twice for 14 yards, as the Cowboys moved the ball 39 yards in four plays to get to the Eagles 41-yard line. Five consecutive passes for a total of 18 yards later, the team settled for a 41-yard field goal and gave the ball back to Philadelphia with 2:53 on the clock with the score tied, and the rest is history.
Important Note No. 1: The Defense Falters Without Sean Lee
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The Cowboys defense has put up several good performances over the last month, but Sunday night was not one of them. At the point in which Sean Lee was injured, the Cowboys had forced four Eagles punts in five possessions, giving up only one second-quarter touchdown. However, after Lee's injury, the Eagles scored two touchdowns and two field goals on five possessions.
This type of drastic decline has become typical for these games where Lee leaves midgame with an injury, and often times, it results in a Cowboys loss.
Important Note No. 2: Dez Does Dez Things
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It was Cole Beasley who led the Cowboys in catches, yards and touchdowns, but it was Dez Bryant who stole the show. From his 51-yard catch-and-run on the opening possession to his acrobatic touchdown catch and his clutch 12-yard reception to put the team firmly in field-goal range, Dez came up big all night.
If this season is going to go anywhere for the Cowboys, Bryant will be a huge piece of the equation.
Quote No. 1: Jerry Jones on What Comes Next
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talked about his thoughts regarding his team following the game, via DallasCowboys.com:
"The one thing we can do is put our heads down and try to go forward and try to get better over the next few days as we get ready to play Tampa Bay. We have a tough game against Tampa Bay. We understand – we can add and subtract – the job we have ahead of us. I'm proud of the effort our team gave. We just have to figure out a way to get a win.
"
The ever-optimistic Jones is no longer talking about playoff scenarios or making runs. He has succumbed to the reality that for this team, at this point, the only goal is to find a way to win a single game.
Quote No. 2: Jeremy Mincey on the Six-Game Losing Streak
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Defensive end Jeremy Mincey talked about the team's mindset while being mired in a six-game losing streak, via Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
"It's frustrating, it's definitely frustrating. Six in a row is too much. We are way better than that. That's what's frustrating about it. We still got hope. We will get this thing fixed. We just got to figure out how to win. We are not going to give in. I get tired of saying that every week. But I'm going to keep saying it until it becomes actuality. We will fight to the end.
"
Everyone seems to be at a loss as to how the team can correct the issues that has caused it to come up short six times in a row. But the frustration is mounting, and the team needs a win soon or the season will in actuality be lost.
That is, if it isn't already.
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