Millions of people saw Sunday night’s Eagles–Cowboys all-timer, but judging by Monday morning’s talking points, apparently just about everybody failed to watch it.
No, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is not an invincible, all-conquering hero, nor is Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz a mincing namby-pamby. (Or, depending on who you talk to, no, Wentz is not Joe Montana reborn, and Prescott is not a handoff specialist hopelessly locked on to one receiver.)
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It’s true, of course, that in the cold light of morning Wentz’s numbers tell an unflattering tale:
Yes, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson called, and Wentz executed, a historically cautious game plan, but it was working; the Eagles led 23-13 in the fourth quarter. In fact, they’d just started a drive on their own 41-yard line when rookie tailback Wendell Smallwood coughed it up, setting up a Cowboys field goal that would put Prescott one play away from tying the game.
It’s apparent that Pederson doesn’t believe his offense can make big plays downfield. But lost in the argument about whether the Eagles need to upgrade their backs and receivers or Wentz needs to up his long-ball game is the fact that they didn’t need to throw deep. For seven-eighths of this game, Wentz was controlling the clock and the ball.
The Cowboys ran ten more times than the Eagles for 90 more yards, but at the end of regulation the Eagles had more time of possession, 33:15 to 26:09 (or 56 percent to 44 percent, for you soccer fans out there). Philly had also converted more third downs (and at a higher rate), were better in the red zone and goal-to-go situations, and, until Smallwood’s fumble, had fewer turnovers.
That the Eagles could maintain a 34/66 run-pass ratio and have more of the ball shows just how hot-and-cold the Cowboys offense ran. Before he went five-for-five on the overtime drive, Prescott was miserable: 14-of-34 for 231 yards, one touchdown, and one pick.
Prescott doesn’t necessarily need to be a completion machine, though, because he has a great ground game. He helped himself to 38 yards and a score on seven carries Sunday, while Zeke Elliott, Alfred Morris, and Lucky Whitehead chipped in 119 yards on 27 carries. Even punter Chris Jones rumbled for 30 more yards on the ground:
But the Dak Prescott Fan Club has to recognize he was flustered by a playoff-caliber defense, and struggled to integrate Dez Bryant into his take-what-the-defense-gives-us passing game. Further, there will be days when the running game isn’t working well, or the other team builds an early lead. As we saw against Philadelphia, Dak can still make rookie mistakes—and relying on the run game leaves no room for errors.
The Cowboys now sit at 6-1, two games clear of the Eagles and the New York Giants, but if they are going to be serious Super Bowl contenders, the passing game has to be more explosive and more consistent down the stretch—even as they play four of their last nine games outdoors in cold-weather stadiums (and a fifth in Minnesota). The case for starting Tony Romo once he’s healthy is stronger than many think.
Meanwhile, at 4-3, the Eagles are hardly out of it; they’re tied with the Giants for a Wild Card spot (and will still play them twice). The Week 17 home rematch against the Cowboys could easily pull the two teams level and nullify the Cowboys’ tiebreaker advantage.
After Sunday’s classic back-and-forth, it’s apparent that these are two playoff-caliber teams, both featuring rookie quarterbacks who are winning because they’re playing within their limitations. But both have work to do to get to the next step, and both need to reach that next step soon if they’re going to lead their teams to postseason glory.
