ARLINGTON, Texas — It looked like the Eagles were going to cruise to a win over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Then it all fell apart.
The Eagles scored the game’s first 21 points but then gave up 24 unanswered to suffer an unfathomable and crushing 24-21 loss.
Let’s get to the grades:
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 27/39, 289 yards, 1 TD; 7 rushes, 33 yards, 2 TDs
This was a tale of two halves for the Eagles and that holds true for the starting quarterback. Hurts threw for 163 yards and a touchdown in the first half but the offense really sputtered in the second half and failed to score points. Hurts did some really good things in this game and the Eagles were able get their passing game going. He trusted his top two receivers and they made some big plays for him. Hurts did take a brutal 3rd-down sack on 3rd-and-2 late in the game that lost 13 yards. But he also made some plays with his legs in this game, including when he fought for a 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Can the quarterback play better? Sure. But he’s nowhere near their biggest problem.
Grade: C
Running back
Saquon Barkley: 10 rushes, 22 yards; 7 catches, 52 yards, 1 fumble
The Eagles’ run game just isn’t there right now. Barkley averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in this game. While he did have 7 catches for 52 yards, he fumbled the football away in the fourth quarter when the Eagles were finally threatening to put points on the board in the second half. Barkley publicly took ownership for the lack of a run game but it’s obviously not all on him.
Grade: D
Receiver
A.J. Brown: 8 catches on 10 targets for 110 yards, 1 TD
In addition to Browns 8-catch, 110-yard, 1-TD performance, DeVonta Smith had 6 for 89, including an acrobatic 41-yard catch in the first half that set up a touchdown. Brown was able to find the end zone on a skinny post with the ball a tad behind him for the game’s first touchdown. After having 5 catches in the first quarter, Brown didn’t get the ball again until the fourth. Both Smith and Brown were called for penalties in this game.
Grade: B-
Tight end
Dallas Goedert: 2 catches for 20 yards
While Goedert finished with 2 catches for 20 yards, he had a 20-yarder and an 8-yarder wiped away because of penalties that weren’t his fault. So his stat line is a bit deceptive. Grant Calcaterra had an 8-yard catch; his first catch since the Denver game in early October.
Grade: B-
Offensive line
The Eagles’ OL seemed to pass protect pretty well for some of this game but the Cowboys’ five-man front gave them some fits and they did give up some pressures. The run game is almost non-existent at this point and as much as Barkley keeps accepting blame for it, it’s obviously not all on him. You can’t fault the Eagles for going away from the run in this game but the bigger issue is that they had to.
Grade: C-
Defensive line
Jordan Davis: 6 tackles, 1 TFL
The Eagles’ defensive line seemed to get a bit worn out in the second half but got some early pressure and still did a nice job against the run, limiting the Cowboys to 4.0 yards per rush. The D-line got some pressure but didn’t sack Dak Prescott, although they did hit him a few times. Nolan Smith had a couple hits and Jalyx Hunt had one and also drew a tripping call against Tyler Guyton.
Grade: C
Linebacker
Nakobe Dean: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL
Since returning from the PUP list, Dean has been playing at a really high level and continues to be one of the best blitzing linebackers in the NFL. He absolutely bowled over Javonte Williams for the Eagles’ only sack. Zack Baun recovered a fumble in this game but also dropped an interception. He led the team with 9 combined tackles.
Grade: B+
Secondary
Reed Blankenship: 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU
The Eagles’ secondary ended up getting decimated in this one. By the end of the game, they were without Reed Blankenship, Adoree’ Jackson and Drew Mukuba. That’s especially troubling because the Eagles play the Bears on Friday on a short week. The Eagles were mixing and matching because of those injuries and had some communication errors. The Cowboys also tried to attack Cooper DeJean when he played outside. The pick from Blankenship came in the end zone and took points off the board. Prescott threw for 354 yards and 146 of them went to George Pickens, who made some impressive grabs.
Grade: C-
Special teams
Braden Mann: 5 punts, 50.0 average, 3 inside 20
Eagles punter Braden Mann had a tremendous game. It’s probably not a good thing that he might have been their best player on Sunday but he still deserves credit. Jake Elliott missed his only field goal attempt from 56 yards. That’s not a gimme but you’d like to see Elliott make that indoors. And then the decision and subsequent fumble from Xavier Gipson in the second half was brutal. He fielded a punt at the 1-yard line and then fumbled the ball away and got hurt in the process. The Eagles also had a couple special teams penalties.
Grade: C-
Coaching
Record: 8-3
The Eagles’ offense did some good things early and then failed to adjust when the Cowboys adjusted and that offensive attack completely disappeared. It’s not fair to pin all the blame on offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, but he deserves plenty of it. The offensive structure isn’t good right now and neither is the sequencing of plays. Nick Sirianni also talks about fundamentals and mastering the things that take no talent; the Eagles were penalized 14 times for 96 yards on Sunday.
Grade: F