ARLINGTON, Texas – There was so much emotion leading up to Monday night's game, with it being the first home game of the season and Dak's return to AT&T Stadium.
And the game certainly lived up to the hype, with many huge plays, including a pair of defensive touchdowns.
But like always, we've got a handful of plays that altered the game that could be forgotten. Here are five "hidden" plays to remember that certainly played a big part in the outcome.
Dallas:
- Parsons stuffs Hurts – With the Cowboys leading 14-7 late in the first quarter, the game had the makings of a shootout. But the Eagles, after picking up nine yards on first down, were stopped on the next play when Hurts tried to run the read-option and was stuffed by Micah Parsons for a 2-yard loss. The Eagles couldn't convert on third-down and that's when the Cowboys started to build the lead, scoring a touchdown on the next possession.
- Zeke's 10-yard run sets up a TD – In the second quarter, the Cowboys overcame a first-and-20 and then a first-and-goal from the 19 to get into the end zone. A big play occurred on second-and-goal from the 13. Instead of throwing to get it closer, the Cowboys called a draw play to Elliott, who ran for 10 yards to the 3. That made the next play a run/pass option and again, Zeke got the call and bullied his way into the end zone for a touchdown and a 20-7 lead.
- Anger's punt flips the field – With 5:00 to play before halftime, the Cowboys were pinned back to their 6 and never even gained a yard, forcing punter Bryan Anger to stand in the shadows of his own goal post. But a 56-yard punt, and a -4 yard return by the Eagles, coupled with a 10-yard holding penalty as well, put the Eagles back to their own 24-yard line. That was a 70-yard difference in field position. The Eagles couldn't get any points out of the next possession.
- Eagles penalty shifts momentum – Late in the third quarter, the tide was turning back to Philly's side. The Eagles cut the lead to 27-14 and just made a big defensive stop to get the ball back. But on first down from their 11, a 10-yard gain to DeVonta Smith was wiped out by an illegible linemen downfield penalty. That put the Eagles behind the chains and eventually had to punt it back to Dallas, who got the ball in favorable field position, which led to more points by the Cowboys to put the game out of reach.
- Offsides on Philly in red zone – The Cowboys were facing a third-and-goal from the 12 when the Eagles were called for a 5-yard penalty, pushing the ball up to the 7, a more manageable spot to convert. After a third-down run to the 2 by Dak, the Cowboys chose to go for a fourth-down play. Dak scrambled to find Cedrick Wilson for a TD pass, giving them a 20-point lead.
