The Dallas Cowboys certainly have the look of the best team in the division, even if they have a ways to go to wrap up the NFC East title. Dallas dominated Philadelphia from start to finish in a convincing 33-13 victory that displayed how much better the Cowboys are since they lost to the Eagles six weeks ago.
The Cowboys lead the NFC East via tiebreaker, even though them and the Eagles share the same record. Dallas holds the division lead based on having the best win percentage in division games, but Philadelphia will win the division if the Eagles win out (will hold the tiebreaker based on better conference record).
Dak Prescott threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns as Dallas scored on all four of its first-half possessions, including three touchdowns to build a 24-6 lead it wouldn't relinquish. The Cowboys never trailed in this one as Prescott and the offense put up a clean performance in rolling to the victory. CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup each had a receiving touchdown and Rico Dowdle added a rushing touchdown in the win.
The Cowboys put up nearly 400 yards of offense and went 9 of 16 on third down. Excluding kneel-downs, Dallas scored on seven of nine possessions as the final outcome was never in doubt. Brandon Aubrey kicked four field goals, including becoming the first kicker in NFL history to hit two field goals of 59-plus yards in a game.
Philadelphia failed to score an offensive touchdown and fumbled the ball three times, one from Jalen Hurts and the other two from A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. All three of the turnovers were in Cowboys territory. The Eagles' lone touchdown come via a forced fumble from Fletcher Cox that resulted in a scoop and score from Jalen Carter. The three turnovers were the most for the Eagles in a game since Week 6.
Hurts finished 18 of 27 for 197 yards and was held out of the end zone. The Eagles running backs had 18 carries for 77 yards while Brown and Smith combined for 14 catches for 167 yards -- yet had two fumbles and two crucial drops inside the 3-yard line that cost the Eagles potential touchdowns.
A recap of the game can be found in our live blog below as the Cowboys and Eagles both have the same record through 14 weeks. Here's how the Sunday night showdown unfolded with our takeaways.
Why the Cowboys won
The Cowboys were flat out dominant in all three phases of the game. The offense scored on seven of nine possessions and scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions. The Cowboys didn't even need to score touchdowns in the second half because the game was well in hand. The defense didn't allow a touchdown and forced three fumbles. Brandon Aubrey hit four field goals, including two from 59-plus yards. They could have beat any team in the NFL with this performance.
Why the Eagles lost
Where do we start? Philadelphia scored more points on the defensive side of the ball than on offense, thanks to a scoop and score defensive touchdown from Jalen Carter. This same defense allowed 394 yards and 33 points. They also trailed 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, the fifth consecutive game the Eagles trailed by double digits at some point. The offense fumbled the ball three times in Dallas territory, adding to the frustration. The Eagles were outplayed and outcoached at all levels.
Turning point
Jalen Hurts' fumble on an 11-yard run that took the Eagles to the Cowboys 20-yard line on their opening possession in the first quarter. After Dallas scored on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead, Philadelphia marched right down the field to get into Dallas territory. Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a 30-yard gain two plays prior to the fumble, as the Eagles appeared to get points on the opening drive.
The fumble was the first in a series of miscues for the Eagles on offense. The Eagles just found ways to beat themselves as their star players came up short.
Play of the game
Brandon Aubrey hit a 60-yard field goal in the first quarter -- the first from that distance in the first quarter in NFL history. Aubrey's kick would have been good from 65 yards easily, then backed that kick up with a 59-yard field goal in the third quarter to put Dallas up 27-13. He's the first player to make two field goals of 59-plus yards in a game.
Aubrey hit three field goals of 50-plus yards in the game. He's 30 of 30 on field goal attempts this year, drilling the long ones with ease.
The quote
"He was pissed off at halftime and he was trying to rally the troops. I think Nick feels the same that we all do. We can play a lot better than we're playing right now." -- Eagles center Jason Kelce on the team's performance in the loss to the Cowboys.
Up next
The Cowboys (10-3) travel to Buffalo to face the Bills (7-6) on Sunday while the Eagles (10-3) travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks (6-7) next Monday night.