Dallas Cowboys show fight, but sputter again behind rookie DiNucci in loss to Eagles
Not only did the Dallas Cowboys have the will to pull off the seemingly improbable Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field but this seemingly downtrodden team also brought some moxie to the affair for the first time in two weeks.
Ultimately, the skill proved to be lacking with rookie seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci at the helm in a 23-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, extending the Cowboys (2-6) losing streak to three games.
The loss meant that the Philadelphia Eagles (3-4-1) remain in first place in the NFC East.
The Cowboys have now gone eight quarters without scoring a touchdown. But unlike the blowout losses in their two previous games — a 25-3 loss to Washington last week and a 38-10 drubbing by Arizona the week before — the Cowboys showed some fight one week after not even taking a stand to defend quarterback Andy Dalton who was knocked out of the game with a concussion following an illegal hit.
Sunday’s game was decided when DiNucci was attempting to lead the Cowboys down for what would have been a potential game-winning drive. Down 15-9, over 10 plays that spanned six minutes DiNucci led the Cowboys from their 25-yard line and had a 3rd & 6 from the Eagles’ 21 when he was sacked and stripped by T.J. Edwards. Safety Rodney McCloud picked up the ball and returned it 53 yards to the end zone with 5:18 left in the game.
With Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton sidelined by injuries, DiNucci (21 of 40 passes, 180 yards) became the third different quarterback to start for the Cowboys this season, and the 14th rookie to start a game in franchise history.
There were questions as to how conservative the team would play. They did not play conventional football, and the coaches wasted no time in reaching into their bag of tricks.
The second play of the game was a double reverse to receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys also unveiled the wildcat formation for the first time with running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson taking direct snaps from center. There was also a jet sweep to Tony Pollard with Elliott as the lead blocker and a fake reverse to Lamb, gaining 14 yards. And they even called two receiver passes from Wilson, though he wound up pulling it down to run each time.
Sunday night marked the seventh straight game that the Cowboys suffered a double-digit deficit, but their much-maligned defense did force four turnovers — including two interceptions by rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs — one more than in their first seven games combined.
And the unit also showed some pride by registering a season-high four sacks on Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and stopping Philadelphia twice on fourth down. However, he did throw touchdown passes of two and nine yards to former TCU receiver Jalen Reagor and Travis Fulgham.
The Eagles gifted the Cowboys two field goals in the first half with questionable decisions to go for it on fourth down near midfield in the second quarter.
The first one, a 4th & 3 at the Cowboys’ 44-yard-line, resulted in a sack and forced fumble by linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. The Cowboys turned it into a 49-yard field goal, Greg Zuerlein’s second of his game.
The second came with 41 seconds left in the first half when a pass attempt on a 4th & 1, also from the Cowboys’ 44, went incomplete.
An 11-yard pass to Michael Gallup helped set up a 59-yard field goal from Zuerlein with 10 seconds left in the half. The line drive knuckler of a kick was the third-longest kick of his career behind makes of 60 and 61 yards. The Cowboys took a 9-7 lead, their first intermission advantage they’ve held since the season-opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
It also marked the first time the Cowboys hadn’t trailed by double digits in the first half in seven games and hadn’t lost the turnover battle in as many contests. It seemed like Diggs was almost single handedly keeping the Cowboys in the game, in turning back the Eagles with two interceptions of Wentz in the end zone.
Diggs is the first Cowboys rookie cornerback to have two interceptions in a game since Terence Newman had three picks at Washington in December of 2003. Before Sunday, the Cowboys previous interception was made in the season opener by Chido Awuzie.
But Diggs was also burned by Fulgham on a 32-yard reception in the first quarter, which set up the 2-yard touchdown pass to Reagor in which the rookie just managed to break the plane before tapping the ball on the pylon while he was being driven out of bounds. And Diggs was also the defender on the Eagles’ second touchdown, a 9-yard pass to Fulgham in the third quarter. The Eagles took a 15-9 lead on a two-point conversion to Reagor.
The Cowboys showed fight but it ultimately wasn’t enough. The free fall continues and there appears to be no end in sight.
“I clearly understand what this loss does to us,” said coach Mike McCarthy of his squad that now sits in third place in the division, behind idle Washington (2-5) and ahead of the New York Giants (1-6) who host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) Monday night. “We need to rally and get together here and move on for Pittsburgh.”
The Cowboys host the league’s lone undefeated team, the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-0), at AT&T Stadium on Sunday at 3:25 p.m.
This story was originally published November 1, 2020 at 11:03 PM.
