The Dallas Cowboys viewed helplessly as their competitors declared the NFC East crown throughout an uncompetitive loss to the Philly Eagles in Week 17.
DALLAS– After weeks of playing excellent football, the Dallas Cowboys fell down and were battered by the Philly Eagles 41-7 in Week 17. This had not been the group that had actually stood up off the floor covering and combated to win video games after a harsh very first fifty percent of the period, these were the Cowboys that battled to not obtain shamed for much of the year prior to transforming points about. Ultimately, it was Philly commemorating their NFC East champion.
The Cowboys went into the video game much more undermanned than they had actually been with celebrity pass receiver CeeDee Lamb being the most recent to strike the rack, and his visibility was missed out on. Back-up quarterback Cooper Thrill returned to a pumpkin after a string of strong trips, dooming the group nearly from the beginning.
Week 17 had not been a banner day for the protection either. After appearing like among the most effective devices in the organization considering that pass rush Micah Parsons returned from his very own injury job, Dallas’ protection looked even more like the team that was consistently controlled in the very first fifty percent of the year.
With absolutely nothing to bet other than satisfaction, the Cowboys were outpaced by an Eagles group that intended to win the NFC East on their home area and provide their followers one last Xmas present and leave 2024 with Super Dish ambitions in the coming weeks. Mike McCarthy’s group required, installing nearly no battle.
The beatdown began simply 7 plays right into the video game when Thrill attempted to strike WR Brandin Cooks over the center with a third-and-short pass that was selected off by C.J. Gardner-Johnson and returned 69 lawns for the goal. The pick-six was a very early sign of exactly how the video game was mosting likely to go with the Cowboys.
The grit that McCarthy’s group had actually received current weeks really did not last, however they did leave the floor covering for a minute adhering to Philly’s protective rating. After the interception, the Cowboys responded to with a 12-play 70-yard drive that was topped off by a four-yard goal from Thrill to WR Jalen Tolbert.
The racking up drive was the kind of ownership that had actually presented the willpower of the Cowboys as they had actually won 4 of their last 5 video games entering into Sunday’s competition, however they could not receive their success on either side of the round. The Eagles racked up the following 34 factors, while the Cowboys punted 4 times and transformed it over on 3 even more celebrations on their means to obtaining trounced.
Having fun with 2 back-up QBs of their very own, the Eagles’ crime had little difficulty relocating the round. Yet it was clear what the Eagles’ approach was from the beginning, hand the round off to running back Saquon Barkley and obtain him closer to the single-season hurrying document. The Cowboys, that had actually been much better versus the run lately, were vulnerable to quit the tactical plan.
Barkley ran the round for a season-high 31 times for 167 lawns on his means to going beyond 2,000 lawns on the ground for simply the 9th time in organization background. After doing an exceptional task in the very first 2 quarters versus the professional RB, Barkley cut loose in the 2nd fifty percent. Barkley hurried for 127 lawns in the last thirty minutes, hammering a protection that was overmatched.
When the Eagles did ask their QBs to make a have fun with their arms, they were consulted with little resistance. Back-up signal customers Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee incorporated to toss for simply 197 lawns however they did throw 3 ratings. They likewise seldom required to toss the round, and when they did, they were figured out to obtain their playmakers included. Leading wideouts DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown represented all 3 of the passing goals, with Smith getting his 2nd rating in the 4th quarter to improve the blowout.
McKee, that had actually never ever taken a routine period breeze in the NFL, tossed simply 4 passes, however 2 went with goals. A protection that was tops in the organization in sacks considering that Parsons returned in Week 10 could not tax the back-up QBs or require them right into blunders.
Needless to state, this had not been the Cowboys’ day. Much of the goodwill that they had actually accumulated over the last 6 weeks headed out the home window throughout the embarrassing loss. If the group weren’t currently out of playoff opinion, or if the video game had not been around a time where followers were still commemorating a vacation, the response to this loss could have been even worse for McCarthy, that is still attempting to persuade proprietor Jerry Jones to bring him back for the 2025 project.
RB Rico Dowdle was a brilliant area for Dallas once more, hurrying for 104 lawns, however he likewise shed a fumble for among the 4 Cowboys turn overs. You will not win several video games when driving by providing the round away 4 times, and each time Dallas provided it away, the Eagles placed factors on the board. Philly made the Cowboys spend for the blunders by racking up 24 factors off the turn overs, adding strongly to the humbling loss.
The what’s what is, there’s no genuine embarassment in shedding to the Eagles, a group that appears like among the leading challengers in the NFC this period, however the reality that the Cowboys returned to their earlier worthless methods from this period was a dissatisfaction. The crime transformed the round over while likewise looking bereft of playmakers and the protection obtained battered. Despite that has actually been under facility this year, those have actually been dishes for catastrophe.
In a story of 2 periods, the very early Cowboys turned up to play in Week 17 and the outcomes weren’t surprising.
Do you believe the Cowboys will have the ability to wrest the NFC East back from Philly in 2025? Share your ideas with Ben on X (previously Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.
