Cowboys Explode, Eagles Implode: the Great, the Good and the Not Too Bad
By Richard Ball
The Good
It is safe to say that the Dallas defense has underwhelmed throughout the first six weeks of the 2019 season. The expectations were great for the seventh-ranked defense from the 2018 season with star power and depth on all three levels.
With the Cowboys on a three-game losing streak, the defense garnered plenty of the blame. The unit had only generated two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and fourteen sacks in the first six games.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson was fairly brash leading up the game promising that his team would win the game and take first place in the NFC East. On Friday, Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence emphatically responded to the comment with his own statement essentially telling the Eagles coach that the ‘Boys will be ready.
"“We went through this before,” said Lawrence, a member of the Cowboys’ three consecutive 3-3 squads. “We’ve done seen hell and done dug out the pits of it. We was 3-5 last year. You guys asking the same questions. What is it to fear? We all men, we already know what we got to do.”"
The Eagles won the coin toss and for the first time in 25 coin toss wins, chose to receive the opening kickoff. Lawrence and his teammates were glad they did.
On the fifth play of the game. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz completed an eight-yard pass to his second-year tight end Dallas Goedert. Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch stood up Goedert allowing linebacker Jaylon Smith to strip the ball. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins recovered the ball at the Eagles 45-yard line.
The offense made short work of their advantageous field position and scored a touchdown six plays later for a quick 7-0 lead. This was exactly the start the Cowboys needed.
On the Eagles next possession, Dallas defensive captain Demarcus Lawrence burst around the edge to strip-sack Wentz. As luck would have it, a hustling Antwaun Woods would make the Cowboys second fumble recovery by a defensive tackle.
This time, the offense started on the Eagles fourteen-yard line. The Cowboys scored a touchdown on a fourteen yard run by Ezekiel Elliott on the first play after the fumble recovery only to have the score overturned. Not to worry, Elliott would punch it into the end zone on the next play for a 14-0 lead six minutes into the game.
The Cowboys defense took note of their defensive captain’s words and came to play. For the game, the unit recorded three fumble recoveries, one interception, and three sacks. They also held the Eagles to 283 yards of offense – about 65 yards below their season average.