This is just one sign of how thoroughly the Dallas Cowboys offense was submarined by the Philadelphia Eagles defense: it took 53 minutes and 30 seconds of game time before Dez Bryant caught his first pass.
By that time, the score was 34-7, the refs had put away their yellow laundry, and the only enemy left was the clock. The Cowboys’ top offensive weapons were all taken away by Philadelphia. Bryant and Miles Austin were limited to three catches, and Jason Witten had four. Rookie Demarco Murray was limited — not by the Eagles defense, but by the sheer enormity of the scoreboard deficit — to eight carries.
So the task of keeping the game close fell to Rob Ryan’s defense. Despite a monster game from Demarcus Ware — ten tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble — that unit had no answer for the Eagles either. Philadelphia didn’t punt until their second possession of the fourth quarter. By then, the damage was done.
Late in the broadcast, Cris Collinsworth highlighted one primary reason why: a brilliant blocking performance by left tackle Jason Peters, who tried to single-handedly erase any doubts we might have about their offensive line. He wiped out Cowboys by bunches to clear bus-sized lanes for LeSean McCoy, who had 200 total yards and a pair of touchdown runs.
Peters’ blocking and McCoy’s running wiped out the Cowboys’ swagger on defense. This team was allowing only 69.7 yards per game via the run before this week, best in the NFL. But the Eagles attacked them at their strength and ripped the heart of the defense right out.
Vick had a nice day passing as well, completing 21 of 28 passes, averaging nearly ten yards per attempt and throwing a couple touchdown passes.
The outcome drops Dallas to 3-4, and elevates Philly to the same record, joining the befuddled Washington Redskins. And suddenly, Philly is the team with the best point differential in the division. With three more division games left on the schedule, they won’t have to crane their necks too hard to look up at the 5-2 New York Giants.
Don’t go anywhere folks, the Dream Team has finally woken up.
