ARLINGTON — The win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday sparked hope for the Dallas Cowboys. That, maybe, this team was on a different path, thanks to the additions they had on defense. Maybe, with this newfound hope, the Cowboys could go on a run through a part of their schedule that’s long been considered a gauntlet.
Words are one thing; action is another.
As Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said in pregame on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM), “it’s time to start stacking wins.”
And for the first time all season, the Cowboys did.
Cowboys
The hope that the Cowboys found earlier this week was reignited by a comeback win over the rival Eagles, 24-21 on Sunday.
Brandon Aubrey kicked the game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired.
The Cowboys trailed 21-0 early in the second half. The comeback ties for the largest in franchise history.
The Cowboys (5-5-1) are now back to .500 with six games left.
The Cowboys entered the week with a 7% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN. Sunday’s win will surely boost that — as well as the team’s overall confidence.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
Acting defensive
Remember the hope we talked about after the Raiders game? You know, the one sparked by the defense and its additions? That hope was actually renewed by the Cowboys’ defense, especially in the second half.
The Eagles started fast, scoring 21 points within the game’s first 20 minutes. It looked like a rout was coming. Then, the Cowboys’ defense stepped up.
The Cowboys had seven consecutive stops after the Eagles went up 21-0, if you exclude the one-play drive before the half.
They also contained the Eagles’ running game and Saquon Barkley, which is not something that would’ve been expected a few weeks ago.
The biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter when Sam Williams forced a Barkley fumble and Kenneth Murray recovered.
There’s still room to grow, but after two weeks, it feels like the Cowboys have improved their defense from being one of the worst in the league. Overall, the defense kept the offense in Sunday’s game — not the other way around.
Another big game for Pickens
Set your phone for a reminder on Thursday, Cowboys fans. At about — let’s say — 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Because by that time I’d bet that George Pickens has had another play that reminds Cowboys’ fans of his impending contract situation.
Pickens’ price, it seems, has been going up, and up, and up with each passing week. Sunday was no exception.
Pickens finished with 9 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. He also had a spectacular contested 43-yard catch that set up the Cowboys’ game-tying score in the fourth quarter.
Pickens now has a career high in catches. He has over 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in his career. After this season, he’ll probably have a lot more money in his bank account, too.
Costly miss, by refs
There’s a difference in the NFL between something happening and being able to prove, without a doubt, that something did happen — especially when a call on the field would signal the opposite. That’s what made a pivotal first-quarter play so interesting.
The Cowboys, already trailing by seven, forced a third-down stop and a punt. Ryan Flournoy rushed off the edge unblocked and found himself caught between trying to block the Braden Mann punt, and trying to avoid him. He made a sliding effort while reaching out his hand as he ran into Mann, resulting in a first down for the Eagles. They would go on to score to make it 14-0.
The interesting part: Flournoy was convinced immediately after the play that he blocked the punt, which would’ve negated the contact penalty. Flournoy immediately ran to the sideline and claimed he blocked it. Replay on the Fox broadcast eventually showed evidence that he did tip the ball.
Schottenheimer didn’t challenge the play. He hasn’t challenged a play all season, either. After further review, he probably should’ve.
Even more costly problems
It may not have mattered in the long run, but the Cowboys dug themselves into a hole.
I know the Eagles are their rivals, but the Cowboys were their own worst enemy in the first half. Their opening drive ended on a failed fourth-down attempt at midfield. Dak Prescott and Javonte Williams couldn’t connect. The subsequent drive was an Eagles touchdown.
The Cowboys had another chance to stop the Eagles on the drive with Flournoy’s roughing the kicker, but a third-down stop was nullified by a Jadeveon Clowney offside penalty that kept the drive alive. The Eagles eventually scored on that one, too.
The Cowboys’ offense had two turnovers in the first half, as well. KaVontae Turpin took a handoff in the backfield and fumbled it as he tripped. Prescott had an interception in the end zone one play after left tackle Tyler Guyton had a false start that pushed them from the one-yard line to the six-yard line.
In the second half, even the great and powerful Brandon Aubrey — shoutout to “Wicked” — missed a field goal.
The Cowboys have talked about how they dug themselves a hole by the way the first 10 games went. They did that in the first half on Sunday, too.
They’ve got a chance
Sunday’s win was monumental for the Cowboys — not only because of what it did for their record, but also what it did from a confidence standpoint. Consistency may be one of Schottenheimer’s favorite words, but it’s eluded them so far this season.
Now they have it. And now that schedule that looked so tough — with back-to-back games against the Chiefs and Lions — doesn’t look as daunting.
Could the Cowboys go on a run?
There’s now hope for it.
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