PHILADELPHIA – The Cowboys grabbed a 21-point lead, lost it, but recovered in the second half to outlast the Eagles, 38-27 to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East with two games to play.
Check out the instant reactions from the staff of DallasCowboys.com.
David Helman: That was the game I thought we were going to see on Thanksgiving. With 10 days to prepare, the Cowboys came prepared to deal with this Philadelphia team, and they did it their way. The ground game didn't have a great night, but it pounded away to set the tone. In the meantime, Tony Romo was at his most efficient, and Dez Bryant was absolutely dominant. We all said the Cowboys could take advantage of a suspect Philadelphia secondary, and this time they did it. Hats off to the defense, as well – just a week or so after they were gashed by LeSean McCoy and the Philly rushing attack. They stymied McCoy into a totally forgettable 64-yard night, and they forced Mark Sanchez into the mistake-ridden game we all thought he was capable of. I think the thing I'll remember most from this game, though, is how the Cowboys came out and shut down Philadelphia's 24-point rally, right when it looked like the wheels had come off. One minute, the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field was going berserk, and it looked like the Cowboys were letting the season slip away. Instead, they buckled down and outscored the Eagles, 17-3, down the stretch. This team is tough.
Bryan Broaddus: Going into this contest I believed that the Cowboys offense was going to have to win this football game. What worried me the most was the game plan of running the ball too much against this Eagles 3-4 scheme. Passing was going to be their ticket if they were able to protect Romo which I was also concerned about. I had said all week that Dez Bryant matched up against Bradley Fletcher was an area that they needed to attack and they did. This defense has had its moments where they have looked awful in the way they have played but give them a lot of credit in the second half with their pressure and the turnovers they created. Happy to be wrong about the score but had an idea of how they could win this game.
Nick Eatman: Ok, so I went a little overboard with the final margin of victory, but I'll take it. I really the Cowboys would come into Philly and put the smackdown on the Eagles and they did. For a moment, it looked they were going to completely blow Philly out of the water, but the way the Eagles can score, you know they might make a run. And they did more than make a run, even taking the lead. But the Cowboys showed this is a different team. You don't need more than their 7-0 road record to know this is a mentally-tough squad but Sunday night was another example. That drive to regain the lead was a thing of beauty and might prove to be a season-changer. I thought Murray might have a better game but the Eagles made sure he didn't go off. However, by doing so, they had no answer for Dez Bryant, who torched Bradley Fletcher all night. This was a huge win for the Cowboys, but I can't say I was that surprised. Give Tony Romo at least a week to prepare and so far, the results are going to be favorable.
For the initial gut feeling predictions of the staff writers posted on Sunday morning, click here:
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/12/14/dallascowboyscom-staff-writers-share-their-gut-feeling-cowboys-eagles
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