Eagles dominate Dallas, seize control in NFC East

ARLINGTON, Texas - LeSean McCoy did not know what the point spread had been for the Eagles' Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Dallas Cowboys, but he was correct with his presumption that the Eagles entered the game as underdogs.

"Were we underdogs today? For sure, right?" McCoy said. "Dallas gets a lot of hype. I'm sure everybody took them in the game. They've got good players. But we've got good players, too."

After the Eagles' 33-10 win, they appeared superior. The gulf between coach Chip Kelly's team and the rest of the NFC East widened in a statement game that could resonate when the playoff bracket is determined next month.

"We're not into statements," Kelly said. "We've given ourselves an opportunity to play meaningful football in December."

If they play the way they did on Thursday, the meaningful football can extend a few games past December. Kelly's offense overwhelmed the Cowboys, and it was outdone only by an Eagles defense that neutralized Dallas' attack.

They improved to 9-3 and remained undefeated in the NFC East, where they have outscored their rivals, 97-44, in three games. The Cowboys are 8-4 with two divisional losses. The two teams will play again at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 14.

"We're 9-3, we're No. 1 right?" McCoy said. "That's what I'm talking about."

Although Kelly did not consider it a statement game, the sentiment among the players was that they sent a message. That was especially the case for a defensive line that bullied the Cowboys' acclaimed offensive line and limited running back DeMarco Murray, the NFL's leading rusher, to fewer than 100 yards for just the second time this season. He totaled 73 yards on 20 carries.

McCoy was the superior rusher on Thursday, finishing with 25 carries for 159 yards, one touchdown, and one fumble. Quarterback Mark Sanchez had perhaps his finest game since replacing Nick Foles, completing 20 of 29 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown. He did not turn the ball over and was efficient with the tempo.

"We really wanted to start fast," Sanchez said. "We wanted to keep our tempo going, and we got to establish that. I'm really proud of the way we started the game for the offense, but across the board, just an amazing team win."

The Eagles opened the game with one of their best drives of the season, going 80 yards on nine plays in just more than three minutes. Both McCoy and Darren Sproles carried the ball, Sanchez completed four passes to three receivers, and he kept the ball for a 2-yard score.

After the Eagles forced Dallas to punt, Sanchez tried to outdo the opening drive. He led the Eagles 88 yards on seven plays in about two minutes, passing on six of the plays. Sanchez found Jordan Matthews for a 27-yard touchdown strike and a 14-0 lead.

The only time the Eagles allowed the Cowboys into the end zone was the first play of the second quarter, when Murray's 1-yard touchdown run cut the Eagles' lead in half. Dez Bryant beat Bradley Fletcher for a 38-yard reception on the Cowboys' lone big offensive play of the game.

"We didn't respond as well as we needed to when we were on offense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "We were never able to kind of keep ourselves in this game, and certainly that's a disappointment."

The Eagles took three trips inside the 20-yard line during the second quarter and settled for a field goal each time, which is a recurring problem that was raised by a few players after the game. The lead could have been 35-7 if they had cashed in with red-zone touchdowns.

It didn't matter - especially with the way the defense played.

Even when McCoy fumbled to give Dallas possession at the Eagles' 13-yard line early in the third quarter, the defense was able to make a critical stop. Fletcher Cox stuffed Murray for a loss on second down, an example of how Cox might have been the most dominant player on the field. Casey Matthews sacked Tony Romo on third down to keep the Cowboys to a field goal.

"That's huge," Kelly said. "That's what we talk about all the time. Just because you turn it over doesn't mean that you've got to give up points, and I think when your defense can hold them to three instead of seven, that's a little deflating for them."

"They made things a little bit tougher," Romo said of the Eagles defense. "I missed a couple of throws that I normally won't miss. They pushed the pocket and did things that make things a little bit more challenging."

McCoy made up for his fumble on the ensuing possession when he ran for a 38-yard touchdown. McCoy topped 100 yards for the fourth time this season and topped 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career, which is the most in franchise history. He credited the offensive line, which Kelly said played its best game of the season.

"I think that, as a unit, this was probably absolutely correct," center Jason Kelce said. "I think we finally starting jelling. We finally started to see the cohesion."

The Eagles appear to be hitting their stride as they enter the final four games of the season. Sitting atop the NFC East, they control their own path to the playoffs.

With the way the Eagles played Thursday, they might be contenders for more than the division crown. They'll have a measuring stick for where they stand in the NFC when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks visit Philadelphia on Dec. 7.

"We're just getting better," Kelly said. "Our approach is good because we're going to play meaningful football in December."

The Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo were no match for the high-powered Eagles offense, led by quarterback Mark Sanchez, on Thursday.

Comp.   Att.   Yards   TD   Int.   Rating

Tony Romo   18   29   199   0   2   53.7

Mark Sanchez   20   29   217   1   0   102.2

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