New York (AFP) – Dak Prescott passed for three touchdowns and 212 yards as the Dallas Cowboys bounced back with a 38-21 thumping of the injury-ravaged Philadelphia Eagles, who plunged to a fifth straight NFL loss. The Cowboys, whose offense had misfired in back-to-back losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, pulled emphatically clear of their NFC East rivals in the second half to move to 3-4. CeeDee Lamb made two superb touchdown catches and George Pickens added a third, while the Cowboys also ran for 204 yards spearheaded by Javonte Williams, who had a touchdown and a career-high 155 rushing yards.
With their first win in Philadelphia since the 2021 season, Dallas remained in pursuit of the division-leading New York Giants (4-2-1). Meanwhile, the Eagles suffered their fifth straight defeat, having lost starting quarterback Jalen Hurts for the season due to blood clots. The Eagles’ woeful injury record worsened as star running back Saquon Barkley, on his return from a two-game absence with a hamstring issue, left the field with a back injury.
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In an even first half, two excellent catches by Cowboys receivers helped Dallas fight back after the Eagles’ rushing game had put Philadelphia ahead twice. After an early Dallas 55-yard field goal, Barkley exploded 29 yards for a first down—breaking a tackle and then appearing to grab his troublesome hamstring—but soon after rushed wide to the pylon for an eight-yard TD. The Cowboys hit back. Prescott sent a touchdown pass to Lamb, who took a spinning catch in the far corner of the end zone.
In the second quarter, running back Dameon Pierce rushed five yards around the Cowboys defense to put the Eagles back ahead 14-10. On the kickoff return, Tyler Goodson appeared to have done sensationally to run 99 yards for a touchdown, slaloming left and right to avoid tackles, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty. Still, Dallas again responded, going into halftime ahead as Prescott sent a 21-yard corner-pocket TD to Pickens, who managed to tap his toes barely in bounds.
After the break, backup Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee found Makai Lemon for the rookie wide receiver’s first NFL touchdown to briefly retake the lead. But that was as good as it got for Philadelphia. Prescott launched a second touchdown pass to Lamb, who claimed it over his shoulder, followed by a successful two-point conversion. “That’s a guy that gets open, I just have to give him a chance, and he’s going to go make the play. And so, credit to him. He makes my job easy,” said Prescott, who completed 15-of-27 passes with no interceptions or sacks.
Williams rushed into the end zone with barely two minutes remaining to ensure victory. Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni, whose team sank to 2-5, said he was not about to give up on the Eagles’ playoff hopes despite their latest loss. “We’ve got 10 more games, and then we’ll see after that,” he said. “No one’s writing off anything. I think the division is wide open.”
© 2024 AFP
