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National media and local outlets joined forces to dunk on the Dallas Cowboys during Sunday night’s 23-9 defeat at Philadelphia.
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Game Recap
Judging by the box score, the Cowboys were thoroughly outclassed by their hated rival in the first-place NFC East battle, right? Wrong. This was a 15-9 affair late into the fourth quarter until rookie quarterback Ben DiNucci was strip-sacked and the football returned 53 yards for the cementing score.
DiNucci, making his first NFL start in place of Andy Dalton (concussion), went 21-for-40 for 180 yards (4.5 YPA), no touchdowns, and no interceptions — a passer rating of 64.6. He was regularly under siege by a relentless Eagles pass-rush that totaled seven QB hits and four sacks, causing two fumbles.
“I thought he did some good things. It was a tough contest for the young man. A division game, Sunday Night Football,” head coach Mike McCarthy said in his post-game remarks on 105.3 The Fan.
Predictably, Dallas’ skill-position players felt Dalton’s absence. Running back Ezekiel Elliott collected 63 yards on 19 carries while Michael Gallup led the wide receiver corps with 61 yards on seven catches. WR1 Amari Cooper was held to just one grab for five yards.
The 2-6 Cowboys, losers of three straight, failed to reach the end zone for the second consecutive game. They’ve scored only one (1) TD since franchise QB Dak Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury in Week 5.
“I think like anything in life, the game of football will teach you humility,” McCarthy told reporters, via The Athletic. “It’s part of the course of the season. It’s part of our challenge. I clearly believe we’ll be better off in the future because of these hard times.”
Surprisingly, however, the Cowboys’ league-worst defense fared much better than anticipated against Carson Wentz and company. Wentz finished 15-of-27 for 123 yards, two TDs, and two INTs, taking four sacks and logging an ultra-pedestrian 61.2 rating. Altogether, the unit tallied four sacks — including one by extension candidate Aldon Smith — and six hits on Wentz, adding five pass deflections.
It was a sight for sore eyes, those on the defensive side, some highly-paid, forcing turnovers, restricting explosive plays, and consistently buzzing around the ball. It’s not saying a lot (anything, really), but this was embattled coordinator Mike Nolan’s best showing of 2020.
“I feel like we took another step tonight,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said, via The Athletic. “We did a good job taking the ball away. I feel like we’re doing a better job understanding our coaches and understanding each other. … We just got to bring that same energy next week.”
Records were also set by the Cowboys on both ends of the spectrum. Per the Dallas Morning News, they became the first team in franchise history to allow three safeties in the same season; that’s the bad. Here’s the good: Trevon Diggs is the first rookie Cowboys cornerback to notch two picks in one game since 2003 (Terrence Newman vs. Washington).
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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