Eagles-Cowboys: How One Call By Andy Reid Could Have Changed The Outcome

On Monday morning, it’s still hard for the fans to accept the fact the Philadelphia Eagles suffered a 20-16 loss at Lincoln Financial Field to the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s hard to point fingers in a tough loss and point out a specific person to blame. However, it’s hard to ignore the judgement on play calling by Eagles head coach Andy Reid that has left plenty of fans wondering if the team lost because of him.

With the Eagles down 20-13 with 4:33 left at the Dallas 34, Reid decided for David Akers to kick the 52-yard field goal and make it a 20-16 game. In most football situations, this seems like the logical decision to make.

In the football situation Reid was in last night, it was the complete opposite of a logical decision.

It’s easy to understand the logic behind Reid when he wants to cut the lead down and make it a four-point game, meaning the Eagles could win the game with a touchdown on their next possession. However, the Eagles had used all their time outs, losing two of them to challenge attempts that failed.

In other words, Reid was hoping the Cowboys offense would go three-and-out and allow just enough time for the Eagles to march down the field and score a touchdown, despite the fact they had no time outs.

If anything, Reid should have gone for it on 4th-and-11 from the Dallas 34 and at least gone for the touchdown to tie the game. With no time outs and a defense trying to stop running back Marion Barber, who we all knew would get the ball on the Cowboys final possession, the chances of the Eagles actually getting the ball back with enough time on the clock seemed about just as good as Paris Hilton winning an Oscar for her acting.

For the record, I’m not trying to say that the Eagles would have tied the game by this one simple adjustment in play calling. All I’m trying to say is this seemed like the more logical approach to take with the type of situation the team was in late in the fourth quarter.

At the end of the day, Reid has to take full responsibility for the way last night’s game ended for the Eagles. The Eagles may not have ended up tying the game by going for it on 4th-and-11, but it sure would have given them a much better chance of tying the game instead of hoping to win the game by getting the ball back later on.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com