The scariest aspect of Cowboys' loss won't go unnoticed in the NFL
The Dallas Cowboys might have lost the game on Sunday night but it's hard to feel unhappy about their performance against the still-undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. That's not to say that Cowboys Nation should be content about the team losing. It just means there were a lot of positives even in a 26-17 defeat. Even with […]
The Dallas Cowboys might have lost the game on Sunday night but it's hard to feel unhappy about their performance against the still-undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
That's not to say that Cowboys Nation should be content about the team losing. It just means there were a lot of positives even in a 26-17 defeat. Even with backup quarterback Cooper Rush throwing three interceptions on the night, Mike McCarthy's team remained in contention it until the fourth quarter.
That happened with a strong running game but mostly with yet another dominant defensive performance. That's right, the Cowboys might've accepted 20+ points for the first time this year but that doesn't mean Dan Quinn's unit didn't excel yet again. It might not have been the flashiest of performances but it did.
And NFL teams will take notice.
The hottest team in the league walked into this game with the fifth-most efficient offense in the NFL, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. Plus, they faced a very favorable game script right from the get-go as they got to halftime with a 20-3 lead and were poised to receive the second-half kickoff.
That meant pretty much everyone was aware the Eagles were about to activate cruise control and control the game for the rest of the night. But they weren't able to do that, were they?
The Cowboys' defense simply wouldn't let them. And the Cowboys, trusting them despite being down by 17, were able to stick to the running game and not force things with Rush.
Quinn's unit held the Eagles to only 3.9 yards per play (for context, the Steelers have the worst average in the NFL with 4.8 yards per play this season). Philadelphia only rushed for 3.5 yards per attempt and Hurts passed for 6.2 yards per attempt.
"But what about the points on the board?" you might ask.
Fair. The Cowboys did allow the Eagles to score early and often. But the truth is the defense was put in a terrible spot again and again. Here are the Eagles' starting field positions in their first five drives:
- PHI 29, punt.
- PHI 20, touchdown.
- DAL 44, touchdown.
- DAL 34, field goal.
- DAL 46, field goal.
Not only did the Cowboys' defense start three consecutive drives in their own territory (that were translated into 13 points), but the unit actually held its own forcing the field goal in two of those.
Many had questioned the Cowboys' defense because they had played weakened opponents early in the season. Stopping an Eagles offense led by MVP candidate Jalen Hurts with the worst possible game script should help some people catch up in what has been evident for a while.
This defense makes Dallas a championship contender.
With Dak Prescott coming back next weekend, expect the Cowboys to make a lot of noise in the NFC despite Sunday's loss.
Featured image via Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
