Dallas battled the Eagles all game long but, in the end, DeSean Jackson (10) and the explosive Philly offense was too much to handle. (AP Photo/Canon, Bob Malish)With two flicks of the wrist, Philadelphia Eagles' (9-4) quarterback Michael Vick made a statement to start the game against the Dallas Cowboys (4-9), and set up wide receiver DeSean Jackson yet again to finish it in the fourth quarter to vault the Eagles to first place in the NFC East.
It's the Eagles first win at Cowboys Stadium and, with the loss, the Cowboys are now officially eliminated from playoff contention.
"It doesn't feel good," Cowboys' owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "They made a couple of big plays that we weren't able to make, but I liked the way we got after Vick, I really did. I like the way that we responded when we got down each time, a whole bunch of good things."
While the Cowboys were able to contain Vick in the pocket, while also putting pressure on the speedy QB, the Eagles quarterback and his favorite target still shredded the Dallas defense.
Philadelphia opened up the game with a play-action fake that completely fooled the Cowboys defense. Vick rolled out to the other side of the field on a naked bootleg before launching the ball 55+ yards in the air to Jackson down to the Cowboys 13-yard line. The Eagles quarterback handled the touchdown himself, scoring on a 1-yard run up the gut just five plays later.
Vick finished with 270 yards through the air (a season-high 210 yards receiving by Jackson on only four catches) with three total touchdowns and two interceptions. It's the fifth straight game Vick has passed for at least 250 yards, but the lowest rushing total (8 carries, 16 yards and a TD) this season.
"We didn't want Vick to get out of hand just running all over the place," said Dallas linebacker Bradie James, who had one of the interceptions. "The front seven did a great job of kind of containing him, but you've got to put it all together."
Dallas rallied to take a 20-14 lead in the second half after Felix Jones punched in a 3-yard score with 11:44 left in the third quarter, but the Eagles rebounded quickly. Philadelphia scored 16 unanswered points after the Cowboys took their one and only lead of the game, punctuated by the play off the game - a 91-yard pass and catch for a TD from Vick to Jackson.
"I put the ball in a perfect spot, but I didn't know he was going to go 91 yards," Vick said. "He's a very dynamic player."
Jackson caught the ball down the left sideline, weaving in and out of the Cowboys' defense before cutting across the field and outrunning a diving Orlando Scandrick to score a touchdown to put Philly up for good 27-20. The enigmatic wide receiver decided to stop just before getting into the end zone to face the Cowboys defense and fall in backwards for the score. Jackson appeared to injury himself on the celebration and, to add insult to injury, was flagged for a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as well.
On the ground, Philly kept a low profile in the first half before unleashing running back LeSean McCoy in the second to close out the contest. The speedy McCoy reeled off 134 yards in the second half, after gaining only 15 yards on the ground in the first, finishing with a season-high 149 yards on only 16 carries (9.3 yards per carry).
The Eagles rode McCoy at the end of the game to seal the win as the running back ran for four first downs and rushed for a whopping 50 yards on the final possession to run out the clock.
"I like what we did at the end," Eagles' coach Andy Reid said. "We pounded it, kept the ball and played good physical football down the stretch."
The Cowboys offense did it's best to battle back all game, doing it's part to give the team a chance to pull out the victory. Quarterback Jon Kitna (like Vick) had two touchdowns through the air along with two interceptions, and the running game racked up over 100 yards for the fifth straight contest; but it wasn't enough as the Dallas defense continues to fall apart at the most crucial times. Philadelphia scored 13 points in the fourth quarter alone with the Cowboys unable to stop the run or the pass when the team needed it the most.
"We fought hard," Cowboys' coach Jason Garrett said, "it just wasn't good enough."
What's Next:
The Washington Redskins visit Cowboys Stadium next Sunday afternoon for the second and final meeting between the division rivals this season. Washington beat the Cowboys on opening night 13-7, but have struggled to a 5-8 record up to this point of the season.
Kickoff is scheduled for Noon central time next Sunday (Dec. 20) and can be seen regionally on Fox.
News and Notes:
- Dallas honored former quarterback Don Meredith with a video tribute and a moment of silence before kickoff Sunday night. Meredith led the Cowboys to two NFL championship games in 1966 and 1967, but Dallas came out short against the Green Bay Packers in both contests. The former starting quarterback and Monday Night Football broadcaster died late last Sunday night at the age of 72.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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