PHILADELPHIA — The Dallas Cowboys revived their season and extended the Philadelphia Eagles’ downward spiral Monday night, pulling away in the second half for a 38-21 road victory.
Dallas snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 3-4, while Philadelphia dropped to 2-5 after suffering its fifth consecutive defeat, ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports reported. The contest featured six lead changes before Dallas took control late in the third quarter behind a relentless ground attack and key plays through the air.
Rushing attack and Lamb spark Dallas
Cowboys running back Javonte Williams produced a career-best performance, carrying the ball 25 times for 155 yards and a touchdown. According to ProFootball Talk, Williams became the franchise’s first 150-yard rusher since Ezekiel Elliott achieved the feat in 2018. Dallas ran the ball 38 times for 204 yards, outgaining Philadelphia on the ground as the Eagles failed to register a single tackle for loss.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed 15 of 27 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb caught two scoring passes, finishing with five receptions for 74 yards. George Pickens added four catches for 57 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown reception late in the second quarter.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey contributed two field goals for Dallas in the first half, connecting from 55 yards out on the game’s opening possession and adding a 27-yard kick on the final play before halftime to give the Cowboys a 20-14 lead, NBC Sports reported.
Mounting injuries plague Philadelphia
The Eagles entered the game severely depleted by injuries. Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts remains sidelined for the season due to blood clots, according to SB Nation, leaving backup Tanner McKee to make his second consecutive start. Philadelphia also played without wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.
Matters worsened for the home team as the night progressed. Running back Saquon Barkley returned to action after missing two games with a hamstring issue, opening the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run. However, Barkley exited the contest after suffering a back injury, ProFootball Talk reported. He finished with 62 yards on seven carries. Backup running back Dameon Pierce, who had scored on a 5-yard run in the second quarter, also left in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury.
McKee completed 23 of 35 passes for 211 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception to Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Philadelphia rookie wideout Makai Lemon provided a brief highlight, catching seven passes for 67 yards and recording his first career touchdown reception on a 4-yard play that gave the Eagles a 21-20 lead in the third quarter.
What comes next
Dallas responded immediately to Lemon’s score. Prescott directed a scoring drive capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass to Lamb, followed by a successful two-point conversion run by Prescott with 1:30 left in the third quarter to take a 28-21 lead. The Cowboys added 10 unanswered points in the final quarter to seal the win.
The victory keeps Dallas within striking distance in the NFC East, where the New York Giants lead the division at 4-2-1, according to SB Nation. The Eagles now face major questions regarding their offensive backfield depth as medical evaluations continue for both Barkley and Pierce.
