Eagles vs. Cowboys: Score and Twitter Reaction for Sunday Night Football
October 31, 2016
After overcoming a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Dak Prescott led the Dallas Cowboys to a 29-23 overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
The rookie quarterback threw a game-tying touchdown to Dez Bryant with three minutes remaining in regulation and followed it up with a scramble and game-winning touchdown pass to Jason Witten to clinch the win in overtime.
The NFL provided a look at the game-winning score:
ESPN's Adam Schefter argued Prescott shouldn't lose his job to Tony Romo when the veteran is healthy:
The victory was the Cowboys' sixth in a row, extending their lead in the NFC East.
Prescott had an up-and-down day, struggling with accuracy and decision-making for stretches but coming through in clutch moments. He finished 19-of-39 for 287 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Bryant also came up big in his first game back since suffering a knee injury in Week 3, finishing the night with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Ezekiel Elliott ended his run of four straight games of over 100 rushing yards, but he still totaled 96 yards on 22 carries to go with 52 receiving yards on four catches.
Darren Sproles did his best to help the Eagles as their de facto No. 1 running back, finishing with 15 carries for 86 yards on the ground. He also passed LaDainian Tomlinson for the eighth-most career all-purpose yards in NFL history, per the team's official Twitter account.
Though Carson Wentz also performed well for the Eagles with 202 passing yards and a touchdown, he didn't do enough to help the team win.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports highlighted what helped Prescott lead the comeback win:
The Cowboys' rookie duo was big at the start of the game, helping the team get out to an early lead.
After an Eagles field goal, Dallas drove 75 yards on just five plays to take a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. While Prescott's arm strength and accuracy were on display with a 53-yard pass to Bryant, his legs were key for the game's first touchdown, courtesy of the NFL:
Dallas then added a field goal behind some great running by Elliott, who had 75 yards from scrimmage in the first quarter.
The Eagles bounced back from there, tying the game a few drives later with a Ryan Mathews touchdown. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com summed up the state of affairs with just under four minutes until halftime:
The Cowboys quickly marched down the field looking to regain the lead, but Philadelphia linebacker Jordan Hicks thwarted the drive by picking off a pass in the end zone. Bleacher Report's Jason Cole took a bold stance on Prescott after the errant throw:
Prescott's mistake was exacerbated when the Eagles kicked a field goal just before halftime to go up 13-10.
Adjustments were key for Philadelphia in the third quarter, as Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com described:
The offense utilized a lot of no-huddle to score a touchdown on a 12-play drive that lasted only four minutes, 10 seconds. A five-yard pass from Wentz to Jordan Matthews gave the Eagles a 20-10 advantage, although a Dan Bailey field goal trimmed that lead to 20-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
While Wentz and the offense did its job, the defense showcased its ability to slow down a red-hot quarterback, per ESPN's Trey Wingo:
Elliott also struggled to get much going after his huge start.
Even after a Wendell Smallwood fumble gave the Cowboys great field position in the fourth quarter, a quick three-and-out forced them to settle for a field goal, keeping the score at 23-16.
However, a defensive stop kept it a one-possession game, allowing Prescott to finally come alive. The rookie signal-caller methodically moved the ball down the field for a 90-yard scoring drive, ending with a jump-ball pass in the end zone to his best target, via the NFL:
Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus gave plenty of credit to Bryant for the game-tying catch:
Both teams had chances to win the game in regulation, but the defenses held up to ensure overtime.
The Cowboys got the ball to start overtime and never gave it back, driving 75 yards while converting a key fourth-down attempt. Prescott then found Witten in the end zone to finish off the come-from-behind victory.
The Eagles will have to shake this one off quickly as they face another divisional opponent next week. Philadelphia will travel to face the New York Giants on the road Sunday.
Dallas will go on the road as well, but its matchup against the winless Cleveland Browns shouldn't pose much danger.
Postgame Reaction
Prescott earned plenty of praise after coming through with big plays in clutch moments.
"Dak had his challenges," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the game, per Mike Leslie of WFAA. "But when it really mattered, he came through."
It also led to more discussion about who will be the starter when Romo is healthy. Jones compared the duo in his own unique way.
"I know that Romo can make chicken salad out of whatever, but so can Dak. He did it all," Jones said, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
Despite the strong showing, however, Prescott wanted to keep the focus off himself.
"The defense won this game," the quarterback said, per Matt Mosley of DallasNews.com.
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