PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles were left stunned when the clock finally expired on a 27-20 loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, but they've felt that way too often during a season in danger of escaping them. The Eagles' hopes of turning into a contender during the final two months might have been crushed on Sunday night, when the team returned from the bye week with the devastating loss that might have confirmed what they are this year.
The season is not over with seven games remaining, including two games against the first-place Washington Redskins. But a maddening, inconsistent campaign only continued against the Cowboys on Sunday, and the Eagles spoiled their chance to show that November and December will be different. They fell to 4-5, have not yet won back-to-back games this season, and now travel to play the 8-1 New Orleans Saints next weekend two games behind Washington and looking more like a team that finishes the season in December than one that can play into the new year.
The offense failed the Eagles in the first half on Sunday. The defense failed the Eagles in the second half. The Eagles needed a touchdown to keep pace with the Cowboys late in the fourth quarter, yet they had a perplexing five-yard loss on a screen pass to Corey Clement on a third-and-2 from the Cowboys' 30-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-7, Carson Wentz threw the ball 6 yards to Zach Ertz. The official review only confirmed that they were one yard short. It's been that type of season for the Eagles.
They had a last-ditch shot to try to tie the game in the final seconds, but the game ended with the Eagles on the 9-yard line. The players were left watching in disbelief. Same with the Philadelphia fans who booed at halftime. They had so much reason for celebration last season. This is not last season.
Wentz finished 32 of 44 for 360 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Ertz led receivers with 14 catches for 145 yards and both scores. Golden Tate, playing his first game in an Eagles uniform, had only two catches for 19 yards. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott dashed the Eagles for 151 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown.
There was so much excitement for the second half of the season. It was a prime-time game against a division rival at home, and the Eagles made a big trade to bolster their offense during the bye week. But two weeks between games did little to invigorate the offense. They started the game with the ball, and quickly went three-and-out. The opening drives of games have been a problem all season; the Eagles have only scored twice on those drives.
Their next drive was even worse, lasting only one play. Wentz didn't appear to see Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who jumped in front of a pass to Zach Ertz for an interception. The Cowboys used a short field to kick a field goal, and the 3-0 lead lasted throughout the first quarter.
Doug Pederson bypassed a chance to tie the game early in the second quarter when he kept the offense on the field for a fourth-and-1 from the Cowboys' 20-yard line. Josh Adams was stuffed for a three-yard loss, leaving the Eagles with no points to show for their best drive yet. And though Pederson could have kicked the field goal on fourth down, it was a bad sign for the Eagles defense that they couldn't get a first down despite a second-and-2.
The Cowboys doubled the score with a 14-play drive that included a conversion on a fake punt. Fletcher Cox and Michael Bennett both made big plays near the goal line to limit Dallas to a field goal.
The Eagles' first points came when they were backed up to a fourth-and-10 from the Cowboys' 38-yard line. Pederson initially sent his offense onto the field before changing his mind during a Cowboys timeout. He turned to Jake Elliott for a 56-yard field goal, which broke the Eagles' scoreless drought after more than 28 minutes.
If the Eagles could have gone into the locker room with a 6-3 deficit, they probably would have taken it at that point. They were hoping for a chance to add more points before halftime when Pederson called a timeout after the defense forced Dallas into a third-and-15 with 58 seconds remaining before halftime. But the defense couldn't get off the field, allowing a 25-yard gain for the Cowboys to extend the drive. To make it worse, the Eagles couldn't even limit Dallas to a field goal. Dak Prescott rushed for a one-yard touchdown 13 seconds before halftime to go into the break with a 13-3 lead � and the ball to start the second half.
The defense forced a three-and-out, and the offense responded with a 26-yard field goal to make it a one-possession game. And when the Cowboys missed a 42-yard field goal, the Eagles had a chance to tie the game. The offense that appeared lackluster throughout the first half had suddenly come to life, with Wentz orchestrating a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. The key play was an 18-yard pass to Jordan Matthews on third-and-11 _ it was the Eagles' first third-down conversion of the game _ and that helped set up Wentz's 15-yard pass to Ertz for the Eagles' first time in the end zone all night.
When the defense returned to the field, though, they were missing starting cornerback Ronald Darby. He exited the game with a knee injury. Combined with the absences of Jalen Mills and Sidney Jones, the Eagles were down their top three cornerbacks. And the defense suddenly looked vulnerable.
It was too easy for the Cowboys on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. They only had one third down on the drive, and the Eagles couldn't stop Ezekiel Elliott. He caught a 15-yard touchdown pass to give Dallas a 20-13 lead.
By this point, though, the offense was alive. Nelson Agholor, who left the game in the third quarter with a stinger, returned and caught a 51-yard pass from Wentz to bring the Eagles into the red zone. Three plays later, Wentz found Ertz for a one-yard score. It was again a tie game, although unless the defense made a stop, the Eagles would need to play catch-up.
The Cowboys found the Eagles defense inviting again. They again went 75 yards, but they only needed eight plays this time. One of those plays was a third-and-eight conversion to Allen Hurns, and then the defense later had no answer for Elliott on a one-yard touchdown run.
This time, the offense had no answer. They came up short, just as they had done in five of their nine games this season. And a team that played from behind throughout Sunday night is now playing from behind during a season in danger of falling apart.
