The Eagles' Good, Bad & Ugly
ARLINGTON, TX (CBS) — There was not much to like, much that needs to be seriously addressed after the Eagles blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 29-23 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.
The Good
Defensive end Brandon Graham has been a shining light this whole season. He pressured Dak Prescott into an incomplete pass, and then he shot the inside gap and pulled down Ezekiel Elliott for a minus-3 yards. The play forced the Cowboys into a 38-yard Dan Bailey field goal and a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. Graham later hurried Prescott on the Cowboys' last drive of regulation.
Defensive end Connor Barwin's sack on the Cowboys last possesion of regulation.
Running back Darren Sproles was excellent, rushing for 86 yards, including a 19-yard sprint that led to Ryan Mathews' tying 10-10 1-yard touchdown.
Kicker Caleb Sturgis' 55-yard field goal to close the half and give the Eagles 13-10 lead.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks must have some secret, deep-seeded hatred of Dallas. He had a pick-six last year against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium and came up with an interception in the end zone, which led to Sturgis' 55-yard field goal.
Receiver Josh Huff's 63-yard kickoff return after Dallas climbed back to within 20-13.
The Bad
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox floundering down on Elliott's 15-yard run in the first quarter. There have been times this season when Cox has completely disappeared. Players that are supposed to be considered among the NFL's best are not supposed to do that. Cox again was blown out on Elliott's 12-yard gain just before the 2-minute warning in the first half.
Receiver Nelson Agholor (see below for bigger mistakes) pulled up short on a third-and-12 in the first quarter on one of the rare times he did catch the ball.
Receiver Jordan Matthews drop on a first-and-10 at the Dallas 27 in the second quarter.
Guard Brandon Brooks' missed block on Sean Lee's tackle of Sproles for a minus-2 loss early in the third quarter.
Receiver Dorial Green-Beckham's drop early in the fourth quarter on a diving catch he should have made inside the Dallas 5. Instead, the Eagles again had to settle on a Sturgis field goal.
Center Jason Kelce not getting out to reach Sean Lee midway through the fourth quarter, when the Dallas linebacker took down Sproles for a 6-yard loss.
The Ugly
Receiver Dorial Green-Beckham's offensive pass interference call, which pushed the Eagles back to their 10 with 1:07 to play. The next play Carson Wentz was sacked twice.
Running back Wendell Smallwood's fumble that led to Dan Bailey's 49-yard field goal. On that play, center Jason Kelce and guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai were blown up and tossed into the flotsam.
Defensive end Marcus Smith forgetting that his job was to contain Prescott, when he lost it for a 12-yard gain. Two play later, Prescott hit Bryant for a 22-yard TD with 3:04 left to play.
Receiver Nelson Agholor continues to be highly unreliable. On a third-and-six at the Dallas 12, Agholor dropped another pass, blowing an easy slant that could have given the Eagles a first down. Instead, the Eagles had to settle for a Caleb Sturgis 30-yard field goal with 6:39 left in the first quarter. Agholor is the very reason trade rumors keep surfacing when it comes to possible available receivers. He's not a deep threat and can't handle the simplest plays.
Defensive back Leodis McKelvin getting burnt for a 53-yard completion from Dak Prescott to Dez Bryant, which would eventually set up Prescott's 7-yard TD run with 4:41 left in the first quarter. The 53-yard hookup was Prescott's career best—so far.
The Eagles defense on Dallas' second drive. It was the Eagles defense wasn't there at all. The Cowboys needed just five plays to travel 75 yards for a go-aheas 7-3 score.
Defensive back Jalen Mills lost outside contain on punter Chris Jones' 30-yard fake punt that kept the Cowboys in the game. How does a fleet defensive back get outrun by a punter?
