Cowboys stay alive in wide-open NFC East race with win over Eagles
The Dallas Cowboys aren’t done yet.
Once written off in the lowly NFC East, the Cowboys scored a critical 37-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. After Washington’s loss to the Carolina Panthers minutes earlier, Dallas enters the final week of the NFL season at 6-9 with its playoff hopes very much alive.
Washington had a chance to lock up the division title and the NFC East’s only playoff berth, but left the door open for the Cowboys and the New York Giants in Week 17. The Eagles, thanks to Sunday’s loss, are the only team eliminated from the race at 4-10-1.
How the NFC East stacks up
Washington remains in control at 6-9 with the tiebreaker edge over Dallas and will clinch the division with a Week 17 win over the Eagles.
If it loses, the winner of next Sunday’s Cowboys-Giants game will be crowned division champion and go on to host a playoff game.
If the Giants come out on top, they’ll clinch the division at 6-10 thanks to holding the tiebreaker over both the Cowboys and Washington.
Dalton torches Eagles secondary
The Cowboys stayed alive thanks to an explosive offense on Sunday that torched the Eagles for 513 yards. Andy Dalton had a field day, completing 22 of 30 pass attempts for 377 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, his best performance in a Dallas uniform.
The Cowboys were in trouble early as the Eagles opened up a 14-3 lead in the first quarter. But Dalton hit Michael Gallup for a 21-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to start a 34-3 run that would keep the Cowboys’ playoff hopes afloat.
It was the first of two touchdowns for Gallup, who led the Cowboys with six catches for 121 yards. CeeDee Lamb added a pair of scores — one on the ground and another on a 52-yard strike from Dalton.
In the end the Eagles didn’t have any answers in the second half and can begin looking to the offseason a week early.
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