USA TODAY International Edition
Eagles take control of NFC East, dash Cowboys’ hopes
PHILADELPHIA – The Cowboys are still the NFL’s biggest tease.
A week after clobbering the Rams with their best performance of season, it was apparently set up too perfectly for Dallas.
All the Cowboys needed was to beat the battered Eagles and the NFC East title was theirs again.
Not here.
Not now.
The Cowboys proved again that they are not ready for the playoffs after all, falling 19- 7 at Lincoln Financial Field to blow the chance to claim a division crown.
Now this whole trying season is set to go up in smoke.
The only way Dallas ( 7- 8) wins the NFL’s worst division now is by defeating Washington next weekend at home while the Eagles ( 8- 7) lose at the Giants on Sunday.
No, it was never supposed to come to this for Jerry Jones’ team, which came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations and started 3- 0.
The Eagles, with problems of their own, responded with a gritty effort Sunday to keep hope alive for another lateseason rally to the playoffs – and it was especially sweet as they claimed first place while preventing their divisional nemesis from celebrating in South Philly.
Philadelphia’s defense carried the day.
The Eagles prevented the Cowboys from scoring a touchdown, limited running back Ezekiel Elliott to 47 yards on 13 carries and pestered quarterback Dak Prescott ( 74.5 passer rating) into one of his worst games of the season.
Now the clock ticks on embattled Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.