Press Box DFW

Cowboys 29, Eagles 23: My top 10 Whitt-y observations

Richie Whitt

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 09: Amari Cooper #19 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for a touchdown past Rasul Douglas #32 of the Philadelphia Eagles in overtime for a 29-23 win at AT&T Stadium on December 09, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

  1. It’s better to be lucky than and good. The Cowboys did a lot right. And an awful lot wrong. But, more importantly, they were fortunate from the first play to the last. Think about it. They don’t win this game without: Referees missing an Eagles’ fumble recovery at Dallas’ 20 on the opening kickoff, Jake Elliott’s missed extra point after Philly’s first touchdown, Dak Prescott’s inaccurate throw that led to an incompletion that saved time on the clock for Brett Maher’s franchise-record 62-yard field goal before halftime, and, of course, a deflected pass off Rasul Douglas’ left hand that floated perfectly into the waiting hands of Amari Cooper for the walk-off touchdown in overtime. It takes some breaks to win a division championship, and the Cowboys got their quota on Sunday. They just won the NFC East on the “Immaculate Deflection.”
  1. Wait, over the long 10-day break after Thanksgiving did someone – we’re looking at you, Jerry – clone Jason Garrett but tweak him into a football coach? Garrett curiously quashed his over-clapping (is there such thing as Clappers Anonymous?), went for a gutsy fourth-and-1 in overtime and used deservedly salty language after the game. “[Prescott] is a tough son of a bitch.” Bravo, Jason. Er, Jerry?
  1. My favorite thing about Cooper is his precise route-running. My second-favorite thing is his deceptive speed. My third-favorite thing are his muted celebrations and controlled emotion. Marvin Harrison, anyone? Refreshing.
  1. Sloppy? Yup. Successful? Undeniably. Birthed when superstition met desperation, Prescott and Zeke Elliott decided to change their “juju” before the Cowboys played the Eagles on Nov. 11 in Philly. It manifested itself in white, long-sleeved shirts, worn under their jerseys. The Cowboys haven’t lost since. 5-0. Overachieving in undergarments. I once wore the same pair of progressively stinkier socks on 10 consecutive Sundays in 1978 to help the Cowboys, so you will not hear me chirping a single word about the pair’s wardrobe wisdom.
  1. You know how the San Antonio Spurs and their five championships feel about their rival Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 title? Like it was, well, some sort of one-off fluke? That’s how the Cowboys and their five Super Bowls now look down at the Eagles’ title from 2017. A one-hit wonder.
  1. 1989: Eagles beat Cowboys in the “Bounty Bowl.” 2018: Cowboys beat Eagles in the “Bouncy Bowl”.
  1. Prescott continues to confirm he is one of the most maddening, enjoyable, enigmatic players in Cowboys’ history. Again, he overthrew open receivers. Again, he was careless with the ball in the pocket. And again, he seemingly did enough to lose a football game. But, alas, again he threw perfect slants. Again, he extended plays and ran for positive yards with his legs. And again, he hit Cooper with gorgeous bombs you couldn’t have placed any better from six inches. In the span of three plays, he has fans vacillating between wanting him benched and wanting him enshrined into the Ring of Honor. In a game in which he threw two inexplicable interceptions and lost a fumble, Prescott set a franchise record with 42 completions and threw for 455 yards, most ever for a Cowboys’ quarterback in a victory. In the end, he did just enough to win. Again. He is now 30-15 as a starter, but still feels like a 50-50 proposition.
  1. Five straight wins. A sweep of their hated rival and defending Super Bowl champion. 6-1 at home. One victory in their last three games to clinch an unlikely NFC East championship. Where’s that Conor McGregor swag ’n strut when you need it!?
  1. Pleasantly surprised Garrett decided to go for fourth-and-1 at Philly’s 19 in overtime. This, remember, was the conservative coach we all – guilty – wanted to run out of town after he decided to punt on fourth-and-1 from the Texans’ 42 in an overtime loss in October. This time the confident coach trusted his players, and his best play – Zeke running left behind Tyron Smith and a lot of help. How about one, two, three tight ends – Rico Gathers, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz – lined up to the left of the left tackle on one of the game’s most important plays. Not surprising, Dak handed off to Zeke. The blockers did their jobs but, still, Eagles’ veteran safety Malcom Jenkins met Zeke at the 20. Visibly exhausted from a game in which he touched the ball 40 times (28 carries, 12 catches), he somehow dragged Jenkins to the 18 and stretched the ball to the 17 ½ to ensure the first down. Three plays later, ball game.
  1. Hear that? Amidst the exaltation and exhaustion of Cowboys’ fans is the deafening silence of those critics that howled in mockery of the Cooper trade. 10 catches. 217 yards. The first player in NFL history with three go-ahead touchdown receptions in the fourth quarter/overtime of a single game. Yep, that’s enough to shut them up.