Notable headlines surrounding America’s team.
Cowboys’ Week 17 effort falls flat as Eagles dominate 41-7- Mark Heaney, Inside The Star
The second matchup this season between these division rivals got ugly.
The Cowboys’ offense set the tone, in a very bad way, on their first possession.
Cooper Rush launched a pass directly at Eagles Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who then returned it for a 70-yard pick-six.
Once that happened, it felt like we had a good idea of the way this game was going to go, but Dallas did bounce back on the very next possession.
The Cowboys tied the game at seven with an impressive 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a Jalen Tolbert touchdown. It was Tolbert’s seventh of the year, and his third straight week with a score.
From that point on, however, Dallas turned it over three more times, scored no points, and Rush threw for just 83 more yards.
Rico Dowdle did continue his strong season, rushing for 104 yards on 23 carries, but a fourth-quarter fumble is what people will remember. In the passing and rushing game, the Cowboys could not stop giving the ball back to the Eagles.
Seven points simply will not cut it. If the Cowboys’ Week 17 upset was going to happen, it needed a game from Rush like last week, and that did not happen.
Game Recap: Turnovers doom Cowboys, 41-7- Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com
A summary of how the blowout transpired.
Second Quarter
The Eagles found themselves back in front, thanks to an 81-yard drive that saw them convert three third downs. The second of those was a circus catch by tight end Grant Calcaterra for a big 34-yard gain with the last being a 22-yard touchdown grab by streaking wideout DeVonta Smith.
But the Cowboys just kept hurting themselves as a pair of turnovers led to 10 more points before the end of the quarter. First, it was tight in Jake Ferguson fumbling after a 6-yard catch that saw Philadelphia defensive tackle Jordan Davis come away from the scrum with the ball. Dallas’ defense kept the damage to a minimum, although Philadelphia still added a 31-yard field goal.
Unfortunately, in a desperate attempt to add more points in the final seconds of the half, Rush threw an ill-advised deep ball to Cooks, who was surrounded by three Eagles defenders. Not surprisingly, the result was another interception for Gardner-Johnson, who returned the pick 25 yards to the Philadelphia 35-yard line.
If the first interception was a brutal body blow, this one may have been the knockout punch.
While there were only 36 seconds on the clock, Pickett completed a 50-yard pass to Smith to the 1-yard line, which was followed by the expected tush-push for the touchdown. With that, the Eagles went into the break with a 24-7 advantage.
5 positive takeaways for the Cowboys in their Week 17 loss to Eagles- Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire
Time to find some silver linings.
Offensive line validity
As a unit, the Cowboys offensive line started clicking late this season. There was concern it was a byproduct of poor competition rather than an indication they improved. Sunday didn’t show them dominate but it showed they can be starters in this league, and that the late season success witnessed wasn’t an illusion as some had feared.
For as dysfunctional as the musical chairs along the Cowboys offensive line has been, it has somehow worked for them. The Eagles, billed as a measuring stick game for the likes of Brock Hoffman, Cooper Beebe and Tyler Guyton, validated the Cowboys young unit. It’s a reason for optimism heading into the offseason.
2 winners, 4 losers from Cowboys inexcusable loss to Eagles in Week 17- Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated
It was a win for team tank.
Winner: Rico Dowdle, RB
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
There was a lot of ugly in this game but Rico Dowdle still found a way to make history. With 104 yards on the ground, he topped the 1,000-yard mark — making him the team’s first ever undrafted free agent to accomplish that feat.
Loser: Mike McCarthy, Head Coach
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Mike McCarthy was proving worthy of a return in 2025 but Sunday might have ruined his chances.
This loss was a reminder of how quickly things can get away from McCarthy, which might be enough to convince Jerry Jones to make a change.
Mysterious Micah Parsons injury adds more insult to Cowboys’ humiliating loss- Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
As if Sunday’s loss couldn’t get worse.
Cowboys star Micah Parsons dealing with mysterious injury after Week 17 loss vs. Eagles
That doesn’t look overly concerning, but Parsons is definitely in discomfort. It seems Parsons is protecting his rib cage, but there is no way to know exactly what he’s dealing with until he or the team addresses it to the media.
Parsons and CeeDee Lamb have led by example for the last two months. With virtually nothing to play for but pride, Parsons has played the best football of his career down the stretch.
Since Week 10 (he returned from injury in Week 10), Parsons ranks first in sacks, pressures, pass-rush win rate and multi-sack games. He didn’t pad the stat sheet on Sunday, but he made his presence felt with a tackle for loss and a hit that knocked Kenny Pickett out of the game.
Parsons’ return had a domino effect on the rest of the defense. It’s no coincidence the defense’s turnaround coincided with his return to the lineup. From Weeks 10-16, Dallas led the league with 15 takeaways and 28 sacks.
It’s possible that Parsons’ injury is nothing serious, but that he is dealing with something leaves the Cowboys with a difficult decision to make for next week’s finale.
