One Step Closer
Eagles clip Cowboys 17-9 for NFC East lead
PHILADELPHIA >> It wasn’t an Eagles-Cowboys classic.
For a few moments it looked like the Eagles might get wrecked by a booth review of a non-pass interference call in their end zone with 1:15 remaining.
But referee Tony Corrente, who stumbled through the first half mistakenly calling this and that, would have of none that, as he let the incompletion stand, Sidney Jones breaking up a throw to Michael Gallup.
The Eagles killed the rest of the clock to inch within one victory of reaching the playoffs for a third straight season with a 17-9 triumph over the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial
Field.
Carson Wentz threw for 319 yards and one touchdown, Miles Sanders contributed 156 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown and the defense detailed its work with a huge turnover after the Cowboys marched within range of an easy field goal that would have given the visitors the lead late in the third quarter.
A win over the New York Giants (4-11) Sunday at MetLife Stadium and the Eagles (8-7) are in the playoffs. A loss by the Cowboys (7-8) also gets the Eagles in. If the Eagles and Cowboys finish 8-8 the Cowboys are in based on division record. The Cowboys host the Washington Redskins Sunday.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott kept it close by missing field
goal attempts of 55 and 53 yards.
Fletcher Cox forced a fumble from running back Tony Pollard with the Cowboys trying to convert on thirdand-one from the 25-yardline of the Eagles. Initially Corrente ruled down by contact. Doug Pederson won the challenge, Malcolm Jenkins recovering the ball for the Birds.
Wentz promptly marched the Eagles 80 yards in 10 plays for the touchdown staking the home team to a 17-6 lead with six seconds left in the third quarter. Greg Ward caught a career-long 38-yard pass and Sanders did the rest, eventually running through a hole the size of Head House Square to whip the crowd at the Linc into a frenzy. Already short of experienced bodies, the Eagles lost starting cornerback Ronald Darby (hip) and wide receiver JJ ArcegaWhiteside (foot) to injury. Cox (groin), tight end Zach Ertz (ribs), cornerback Jalen Mills and defensive tackle Tim Jernigan (leg) exited but returned to action. The Eagles got off to a big start, the practice squad imports showing their guts early to rev up the Lincoln Financial Field crowd. Wentz finalized a sevenplay, 63-yard drive with a six-yard scoring pass to Dallas Goedert, who established a new career high with eight catches. Wentz looked off the coverage and threaded the ball between three Cowboys to stake the Eagles a 10-0 lead after just two possessions.