Down in Dallas

Bogged down by turnovers and penalties — 14 was the final tally — the Eagles were unable to put a resilient Dallas Cowboys team away despite opportunities, losing 24-21 in dramatic fashion and picking up their third loss of the season.

The Eagles, carrying a 21-7 lead into the break, were blanked in a second half that was plagued by self-inflicted wounds and executional lapses. Instead, it was the Cowboys who rallied, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 27 of 39 pass attempts for 289 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 33 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. WR A.J. Brown led the way in the receiving game, hauling in eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed 22 of 36 pass attempts for 354 yards and two touchdowns. He added nine yards and a touchdown on the ground. WR George Pickens pulled in all nine pass targets for 146 yards and a touchdown, while TE Jake Ferguson (5-60) factored prominently late in the contest.

Inactive for the Eagles were QB Sam Howell (3rd QB), CB Mac McWilliams, RB A.J. Dillon, T Lane Johnson and DT Ty Robinson.

Let’s get to the observations.

GETTY IMAGES: Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown recorded 110 receiving yards on eight catches in the team’s 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

*It was a strong opening offensive series for the Eagles, withHurts completing 5 of 6 pass attempts for 47 yards and a touchdown. The drive covered 50 yards on seven plays. Great play design on the touchdown, a 16-yard Hurts strike toBrown. RB Will Shipley cleared the flat, pulling the safety in, creating space for Brown to maneuver over the middle. Brown, by the way, generated 31 yards on three receptions (three targets) on the drive. Through two drives, Brown reeled in 5 of 6 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown. It’s also worth pointing out that through those first two drives, every Eagles wide receiver yielded snaps.

There was some variety from an offensive standpoint, even if some creative designs didn’t manifest due to execution miscues, such as the nifty 20-yard completion to TE Dallas Goedert that was wiped away by an illegal formation penalty called on OL Matt Pryor and an eight-yard completion to start the fourth quarter that was negated by a DeVonta Smith offensive pass interference. Smith made one of the game’s biggest highlights where he soared over CB Caelan Carson to secure a 41-yard deep shot down the right sideline. Impressive play strength and body control from Smith.

*With regards to the offense, an oft-discussed element that’s been largely absent had been exploiting the running ability of Hurts. If you can recall back to Week 1, Hurts was the equalizer on the ground, carrying 14 times for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Based on how the Cowboys rushed, opportunities to accelerate through sizeable creases were evident. While Hurts didn’t exactly burn the Cowboys on the ground in the rematch, his 7-yard second-quarter touchdown scamper further exemplifies the threat he poses as a runner.

*It’s difficult to beat the Eagles playing even a perfect game, but self-inflicted wounds make it near-impossible (this was a first-half observation). The Cowboys dug themselves an early hole with six first-half penalties (including a 15-yard rough the kicker that extended the Eagles’ second drive) and a pair of turnovers. WR/RS KaVontae Turpin fumbled on a second-quarter 1st-and-10 and Prescott tossed an egregious interception to Eagles S Reed Blankenship in the end zone on a 2nd-and-5 at the Eagles’ five, halting a well-executed drive that had covered 64 yards in 10 plays. It felt like the turning point in the moment at the time, but momentum shifted several times thereafter. The Cowboys showed resilience, rallying on both sides of the ball and finally taking advantage of a favorable opportunity that presented itself when DT Osa Odighizuwa dropped Hurts for a 13-yard loss on a 3rd-and-2 with two minutes remaining.

*Speaking of momentum, the Eagles had a chance for an interception — with Prescott’s attempt over the middle in a tight window finding the hands of LB Zack Baun — but the All-Pro defender was unable to corral it. It’s worth noting that it was Baun who pounced on the Turpin fumble. On another occasion, a Nakobe Dean interception was negated for having too many men on the field. It proved inconsequential, however, as K Brandon Aubrey missed a 51-yard field goal two plays later. Dean, by the way, picked up his third sack of the season, steamrolling RB Javonte Williams en route to Prescott. Last week, it was Lions RB David Montgomery whom Dean blew up. The fourth-year LB packs a punch.

*The Cowboys entered Week 12 ranked 24th in the NFL in run defense. Enticing as the matchup appeared on paper, however, it wouldn’t translate into much success for the Eagles via the ground game. For perspective, RB Saquon Barkley managed just 22 yards on 10 carries. In a game that figured to favor both the Eagles’ run and pass game, it was the passing game that answered the bell, delivering early haymakers. Still, after compiling a quick 21 first-half points, the Eagles’ offense stalled coming out of the break and were blanked as the Cowboys rolled up 17 unanswered points.

*The early lead skewed Dallas’ offensive approach, but the Eagles provided swarming run support, mostly bottling up Williams to the tune of 87 yards on 20 carries (4.4 average). In a game the Cowboys were unveiling a healthy, and high-quality, offensive line, it was the Eagles’ defensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage. Namely, DTs Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo generated consistent interior penetration. Carter, in particular, was a menace throughout.

*When Eagles CB Adoree’ Jackson exited early with a head injury, the Eagles opted to deploy versatile DB Cooper DeJean at right outside corner when in nickel, bringing on veteran Michael Carter II to man the inside. Prescott tested DeJean covering WR CeeDee Lamb down the right sideline, with DeJean surrendering a 48-yard reception to fuel the Cowboys’ second scoring drive. While there was considerable hand-fighting on both sides, DeJean was called for defensive pass interference, which Dallas obviously declined. Looked more like offensive pass interference from my view, but I digress.

*Both kickers in this game pushed kicks of 50-plus. Aubrey, who connected earlier this season from 64 yards out, pushed his 51-yard attempt wide left. Jake Elliott on his 56-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter, pushed his wide right, giving a resurgent Dallas offense optimal field position. Prescott orchestrated a 3-play, 54-yard drive to knot the game at 21, the highlight of the drive an acrobatic 43-yard reception from Pickens, who skied above DeJean and a converging Sydney Brown.

*The Eagles struggled with ball security late in this one, with Cowboys EDGE Sam Williams peanut-punching the ball loose from Barkley following a catch-and-run. Hard to fault Barkley on the play, with some many defenders enclosing. Sound football play by Williams. The other occurred during a punt return, with Xavier Gipson fielding a punt inside the five and then absorbing a shot from rookie DB Alijah Clark that jarred the ball loose. The Cowboys recovered at the Eagles’ eight-yard line, but credit the Vic Fangio-led defense for keeping them out of the end zone over a four-down sequence.

*P Braden Mann was outstanding on Sunday, booming five punts for 250 yards and dropping three inside the 20. Mann’s placement, and excellent coverage downfield, rendered the always-dangerous Turpin a non-entity. Mann, exceptional since he arrived in Philadelphia in 2023, is a weapon. From a coverage perspective, rookie LB Smael Mondon Jr. had an active outing, flying around and swarming returners for multiple stops.

*The Eagles were officially charged with 14 penalties for 96 yards.

*Rookie WR Darius Cooper, who caught a pair of passes for 7 yards, logged his first NFL catch in the first quarter,

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com