The Cowboys sure know how to make the headlines. On Sunday, they dug themselves a 21-0 hole early before scoring 24 unanswered points to beat the Eagles, tying the franchise record for biggest comeback win. Early on, this game felt signed, sealed, and delivered for the Eagles, but these five plays were monumental in bringing Dallas back.
KaVontae Turpin ignites team with huge catch-and-run
Immediately after the Eagles went up 21-0 thanks to their unstoppable tush push play, Dak Prescott threw an interception in the endzone that felt like the final nail
in the coffin. But a three-and-out forced by the defense offered one last shot before halftime to get something going.
On the sideline, the Cowboys looked shell shocked. Players hung their heads and were sitting in silence. They needed a big play to energize them, and KaVontae Turpin – who fumbled earlier in the game – was happy to oblige.
Turpin’s huge play picked up 48 yards and flipped the field, atoning for his fumble while also lighting the spark on the flame that fueled the Cowboys’ comeback. Six plays after this, Dak Prescott found George Pickens for a touchdown, and that proved to be all they needed to fight their way back.
Illegal formation penalty wipes out Eagles first down
The Cowboys’ score right before halftime was huge, but the Eagles got the ball to start the second half. The Dallas defense would need to get a stop in order to build on the momentum from that final minute of the second quarter.
The Eagles’ first play was an eight-yard strike to Grant Calcaterra, and on second and short Jalen Hurts found a wide open Dallas Goedert, who racked up 20 yards total and moved the ball into Dallas territory. However, a flag was on the ground: Philadelphia had lined up illegally, covering up an eligible player.
Not only was the big gain taken off the board, the Eagles backed up five yards. Hurts then proceeded to throw two incompletions and bring on the punt team, but that penalty was the difference between a likely scoring drive and the punt.
That George Pickens catch
You know the one.
Prescott had found Brevyn Spann-Ford for a touchdown, cutting it to a one-score game, and then the Eagles missed a field goal that set Dallas up right around midfield. Itching to make a big play and tie things up, Prescott launched it to George Pickens, the human highlight reel waiting to happen.
The 43-yard shot electrified the team even more than they already were, and it set the offense up just 11 yards away from paydirt. Two plays later, Prescott ran in for six, tying the game. Pickens had a phenomenal night all the way around, but his massive play here almost single-handedly tied the game up.
Saquon Barkley fumbles away sure score
Immediately following the game-tying touchdown, the Eagles offense looked to have woken up. Hurts scrambled for seven yards and then connected with A.J. Brown on a sizable catch-and-run, and before long the Eagles were in Dallas territory with a golden opportunity to take the lead in some way.
A penalty backed the Eagles up to second and 17, but when Hurts found Saquon Barkley leaking out of a collapsing pocket, it felt like a big gain incoming. Then Sam Williams tracked him down and executed a perfect Peanut Punch, jarring the ball loose before Kenneth Murray fell on it.
It was Barkley’s first fumble on the year, and it came at the perfect time. The Cowboys defense had been nails for so many consecutive drives and looked on the verge of breaking, but the clutch move from both Williams and Murray saved it and kept the Eagles scoreless.
The other George Pickens catch
You also know this one.
The Cowboys got the ball with 95 seconds left in the game and needing one field goal to win. After Prescott found Jake Ferguson on a crucial third down, the Cowboys were not far away from being in Brandon Aubrey’s range. That changed in a hurry with a slant to Pickens, who made a massive play with his feet afterwards.
By the time Pickens went down, he had gained 24 yards and positioned his team for one of Aubrey’s easier field goals. From there, all they had to do was kill some clock and send out the man who’s smooth as butter. There were a lot of players who were instrumental in winning this one, but Pickens made play after play and did his most damage in the biggest moments.
