Cowboys ship message to remainder of NFC with dominant win over Eagles

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys turned the warmth approach up within the NFC playoff race on Sunday night time with a 33-13 victory over their fiercest division rivals.

Led by quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys by no means relinquished their lead and stifled the Philadelphia Eagles offense all night time. Each groups moved to 10-3 on the season and are in a digital tie with the Niners for first place within the NFC. But when the season ended this week, the Eagles would accept a wild-card spot within the newest playoff standings because the No. 5 seed, whereas the Cowboys are actually within the No. 2 spot. This is a full breakdown of every group’s efficiency:

Dallas Cowboys

Is it time to think about the Cowboys among the many finest within the NFL? Sunday’s win a minimum of quickly has them in first place within the NFC East with 4 video games to go. Nonetheless, if the Cowboys and Eagles win their remaining 4 video games, Philadelphia would declare the division based mostly on a tiebreaker. That story stays to be written, however on Sunday, the Cowboys protection dominated the Eagles, holding them to only two discipline targets, whereas forcing three takeaways and developing with a important fourth-down cease.

Philadelphia’s solely landing got here on a Prescott fumble. The offense won’t have been as finely tuned because it has been during the last month-plus, however Prescott threw two extra landing passes and the run sport was capable of put on down the Eagles’ entrance.

Oh, and rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey simply saved doing what he is completed all 12 months: making discipline targets. He made 4 extra (60, 59, 45 and 50 yards) and tied the group report for many consecutive makes at 30.

The Cowboys have gained 5 in a row and have reached double-digit wins for the third straight 12 months. It is the longest streak by Dallas since doing it six straight from 1991-96. These Cowboys gained three Tremendous Bowls in that stretch. These Cowboys may need simply put themselves in that dialogue.

QB breakdown: Prescott put up two extra landing passes for the seventh straight sport, tying Tony Romo for the longest single-season streak in group historical past. Don Meredith had a 12-game stretch with a minimum of two landing passes over the 1965-66 seasons. However this was not as easy an evening as he has usually had, particularly together with his accuracy. Within the final seven video games getting into Sunday, Prescott had accomplished a minimum of 65.8% of his passes. By three quarters, he accomplished 58.1% of his passes (18 of 31). It is solely the third time this season Prescott has accomplished lower than 62.5% of his passes in a sport.

Promising development: Bryan Anger was compelled to punt for the primary time since Thanksgiving. It was a span of three video games and 18 possessions. Earlier than Sunday, his final punt got here within the third quarter of the Cowboys’ win towards the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys scored on their closing three possessions in that sport and didn’t punt on 11 drives towards the Seattle Seahawks (eight scores). The Cowboys scored on their first 4 possessions towards the Eagles earlier than Anger took off the cobwebs with a 48-yarder within the third quarter.

Silver lining: At 33, Stephon Gilmore is just not displaying his age. After DK Metcalf lit up the Cowboys final week, Gilmore saved him in examine within the second half. Towards the Eagles, Gilmore compelled an A.J. Brown fumble on the Eagles’ first possession of the second half. On the finish of the quarter, he corralled Brown and DeVonta Smith on consecutive third- and fourth-down performs, which the offense than became a Brandon Aubrey discipline aim to up the result in 30-13. — Todd Archer

Subsequent sport: at Payments (4:25 p.m. ET, Dec. 17)

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are abruptly on shaky floor following Sunday night time’s loss to the Cowboys. It’s their second lopsided defeat in as many weeks, as they have been dismantled by the San Francisco 49ers at house, 42-19. They will take some solace in the truth that these losses got here towards top-tier NFC groups, however the protection is leaking oil and the offense continues to be affected by sluggish begins and premature turnovers.

Philadelphia dropped to 10-3 and is in a digital tie with the Niners and Cowboys for first place within the convention. They should rebound in Week 15 to stabilize and hold tempo for the No. 1 seed within the playoffs.

QB breakdown: Jalen Hurts was restricted to 92 yards on 7-of-13 passing earlier than the break because the Eagles dug a halftime gap for the sixth consecutive sport. He misplaced a fumble on Philadelphia’s opening possession to halt a promising drive. Hurts was up-and-down all through the competition, and was definitely not helped by some uncharacteristic miscues from standout receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown.

Pivotal play: Trailing 27-13 late within the third quarter, coach Nick Sirianni opted to go for it on 4th-and-8 on the Dallas 30-yard line. The Cowboys dialed up a blitz and the Hurts needed to do away with it shortly. Smith caught it however was wanting the sticks for a key turnover on downs.

Troubling development: The Eagles have now allowed 64 factors within the closing 2 minutes earlier than halftime this season, essentially the most within the NFL. It took the Cowboys simply 1:28 to march 75 yards on eight performs for a Michael Gallup landing simply earlier than intermission to increase their result in 24-6. — Tim McManus

Subsequent sport: at Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET, Dec. 18)