FRISCO, Texas – This one got out of hand in the second half, but for a while Sunday, the Cowboys had a shot to make it a game, particularly because of the defense.
There were some moments, especially in the first half, when things could've been different had it not been for a few plays. Here are a handful that might have made a difference.
Cowboys take the ball to start – Once again, the Cowboys chose not to defer after winning the toss. While that's a strategy that can work for some teams – taking the ball and getting off to a fast start – it's not something the Cowboys have done all year. Not once have they scored a touchdown on their opening possession. Dallas took the ball to open the game, but Cooper Rush and the offense went three-and-out and had to punt. More than anything, it put the Cowboys in an early field-position hole, and they eventually went down with a touchdown on Philadelphia's second possession.
Two short runs after the pick – Down 7-3, the Cowboys defense was trying to give the team a spark, getting an interception by Trevon Diggs in the end zone to stop an Eagles drive. But on the next series, the Cowboys ran Rico Dowdle for no gain and then just two yards on the first two plays. A third-down pass to CeeDee Lamb fell short, and the Cowboys wasted a chance to build any momentum.
Liufau touched down after the recovery – It wasn't by much, but when Marist Liufau scooped up a fumble late in the second quarter, he was nudged by Saquon Barkley's arm when he was on the ground. Liufau got up and rumbled into the end zone, but he was called down by contact from the arm of Barkley. That proved to be big considering the Cowboys couldn't find the end zone.
Second-down incomplete at the 2 – After the Cowboys recovered a fumble at the Eagles' 5-yard line before halftime, it appeared they would take the lead after being down 7-3. But on second down following a 3-yard run, Rush threw a pass to the end zone with both Jake Ferguson and Lamb in the area, and both looked confused trying to locate the ball in the sun. Neither came up with the pass, and it not only forced third down but prevented the Eagles from using a timeout or 40 seconds coming off the clock. The Cowboys were stopped on third down and the Eagles called their first timeout. But the second-down play was crucial. Not only did they miss a chance to score, but the Eagles were left with plenty of time to score a touchdown with the timeouts in their pocket.
Another illegal contact call – Early in the third quarter, the Eagles led 14-6 and were facing third-and-9 after what appeared to an incomplete pass by Jalen Hurts. But on the opposite side of the field, Caelen Carson was flagged for illegal contact, giving the Eagles a first down. Just moments later, Philadelphia was in the end zone on a touchdown pass from Hurts to Johnny Wilson.
