By Dwain Price, NDG Sports
Thanks to an unthinkable poor performance in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff hopes are hanging by the tiniest of threads.
Unable to score any touchdowns for the third time this season, the Cowboys fell victim to the Eagles, losing 17-9, and falling one game behind Philadelphia in the race for a place in the NFC East with just one regular-season game remaining. The only way for the Cowboys to advance to the payoffs is to win this coming Sunday’s home game against the Washington Redskins and hope the Eagles lose their game this coming Sunday at the New York Giants.
Had the Cowboys (7-8) beaten the Eagles (8-7), Dallas would have clinched the NFC East, could have rested some starters against Washington and would have hosted a playoff game during the first weekend of January. But now the Cowboys find themselves mired in a dilemma and needing extreme help from the Giants to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.
“It’s very disappointing,” owner Jerry Jones said. “We all expected to leave (Philadelphia) as NFC East champs – we’re not.
“A disappointing setback. . .for all of us, and I know it is for the fans.”
Passing game hampered by injuries and dropped passes
Quarterback Dak Prescott played despite battling injuries to his right shoulder and to one of his fingers on his right hand. Some of Prescott’s throws were off target, and his receivers didn’t help matters by dropping six passes.
“We didn’t get it done,” Prescott said. “We’re too talented of a team and individuals to not make the plays, starting with myself. It’s disappointing, it’s frustrating, but we all take responsibility.
“Like I said, it begins with me, and we’re too talented. We just didn’t execute the way that we’re capable of doing, and they did.”
The play-calling also was suspect at times. Especially on the Cowboys’ final play of the game when they were faced with a fourth-and-8 deep in the Eagles’ territory.
Instead of having receivers Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb in the game, the Cowboys inexplicably went with a heavy tight end package. Ultimately, Prescott’s pass in the end zone to Michael Gallup was broken up.
“Obviously it was a great opportunity for us, but we didn’t get the job done,” coach Jason Garrett said of the game. “Whatever word you want to use, we didn’t get the job done, and everyone understands that.
“Again, it’s not going to come back. We’re going to learn from it, we’ve got to move forward and control what we can control next week.”
Playing with a keen sense of urgency that the Cowboys seemingly didn’t play with, the Eagles darted out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The only points the Cowboys could muster came via field goals of 49, 32 and 49 yards from Kai Forbath.
Prescott was 25-of-44 for 265 yards, and Ezekiel Elliott rushed just 13 times for 47 yards and took himself out of the game on a crucial series late in the second half. With Elliott on the sidelines and the Cowboys driving deep in Eagles’ territory, backup running back Tony Pollard fumbled the ball away.
“I’ve sat here after every game pretty much, win or lost, and said the good part about it is we control our own destiny,” Prescott said. “That’s gone. That’s out of our hands now.”
Cooper was targeted 12 times, but was limited to four catches for only 24 yards as the Cowboys trailed 10-6 at halftime and 17-6 late in the fourth quarter.
“You win this game you control your own destiny and go to the playoffs,” Cooper said. “We didn’t get that accomplished (Sunday).”
It certainly was an odd performance by the Cowboys, who were coming off last week’s impressive 44-21 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Add in the fact that Garrett is coaching for a new contract, and it was surprising to see the talent-laden Cowboys not as energized as the Eagles.
“Talent without a direction is nothing at all,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said. “It’s all about us making sure we don’t lose sight of our direction and bringing that talent all together.”
And if the Cowboys are unable to find a way to punch their ticket to the playoffs, Jones may find the need to go in another direction next season.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done, and we all have to own it,” Garrett said. “I have to own it, the coaching staff has to own it, all the players and staff members have to own it, and give the Eagles credit, and now we have to go forward.
“Unfortunately, we don’t control our destiny anymore, but we do control our opportunity next week against Washington. So we’ll get back in there, we’ll clean up this game, we’ll get our eyes forward, we’ll try to do our part and finish up the season the right way.”
