Eagles Pull Off 33-27 Miracle Over Dallas In OT
ARLINGTON, TX (CBS) — The good version showed up Sunday night, and for another week, the enigmatic Eagles will hold your attention after a 33-27 overtime win against the hapless Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Sam Bradford's 41-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews was the game-winning score in overtime, and DeMarco Murray had a nice return to Dallas, picking up 83 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.
The victory gave the Eagles a 4-4 record and probably spelled the end of the Cowboys, who dropped their sixth-straight game and fell to 2-6.
The Eagles amassed 459 yards of total offense, a far cry from the 226 yards the Eagles were able to get against Dallas when they met back in September.
Bradford, behind a revamped offensive line, was 25 of 36 passing for 295 yards and the game-winning TD toss to Matthews.
"Our guys battled, they battled to the last minute and they had a great week of practice," Chip Kelly said. "I've always had confidence in Sam. We executed and blocked well up front. (Beating Dallas) means absolutely nothing. We have to go right back to work on Tuesday. Our mentality is every single week we have to go out and play and if we have enough wins to get us in the playoffs, it's okay. Every single game is important"
A slow-moving game was given a jolt when exhaustion took over in the fourth quarter. The teams combined for 26 points in the quarter, with Caleb Sturgis and Dan Bailey exchanging two field goals each that led to a 27-27 tie in regulation.
Rookie linebacker Jordan Hicks made what looked like the play of the game, when he stepped out in front of a Matt Cassel pass for a 67-yard pick six, giving the Eagles a 21-14 lead. But Dallas came right back, when Lucky Whitehead returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards and the Eagles somehow let Dez Bryant come down with a 18-yard moon ball amid three Eagles' defenders for a touchdown.
The teams went into halftime tied 7-7. Dallas took its first possession 93 yards over 11 plays, making Cassel look like Tom Brady. In the Cowboys' 13-12 loss to Seattle the previous week, Cassel threw for 97 yards. In that drive alone, he threw for 70 yards, shredding the Eagles for a 51-yard completion to Bryant and converting two third downs and a fourth down.
The Eagles answered early in the second quarter. They found that elusive rhythm on offense that has been so inconsistent this year, traveling 80 yards over 13 plays, converting a fourth down for a DeMarco Murray 1-yard touchdown.
