USA TODAY International Edition
Cowboys keep playoff hopes alive
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Cowboys’ NFC East hopes will live another week.
Credit their receivers burning the Eagles more than Philadelphia’s burned Dallas’, as the Eagles’ offense started quickly then sputtered spectacularly.
Credit also the Panthers, whose 20- 13 victory prevented the Washington Football Team ( 6- 9) from clinching the division.
Washington still holds the keys to the NFC East, a Week 17 victory over the Eagles away from a playoff berth. But should Washington lose to Philadelphia, the winner of the Cowboys at Giants matchup will take the division title.
Here are three more things we learned in Dallas’ 37- 17 win:
Receivers light up: Michael Gallup racked up 58 yards after the catch on one tackle- breaking race down the left sideline, CeeDee Lamb took a wheel route 52 yards home and Amari Cooper stutter- stepped his way to a 69- yard reception … and the six- year pro’s fifth 1,000- yard season.
Cowboys’ D holds off again: The Cowboys’ defense is still historically bad. Sunday, the unit broke the franchise records for touchdowns and points allowed in a season. The season- long issues that enabled those records – blown coverages in the secondary, an undisciplined run defense – hurt them in the first quarter. But the defense allowed just three points in the second quarter shut out the Eagles in the second half.
Turnover ratio: For the third consecutive week, the Cowboys’ defense snatched at least three takeaways – and all in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ unraveling.