My top 10 Whitt-y observations from the Cowboys’ thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles:
- Brett Maher boomed a 62-yard field goal and became the first NFL kicker to have three 60-plus yarders on his resume. He also now has the four longest field goals in franchise history. Problem: I trust Maher more from 62 than I do 42.
- Funny game, football. Your stars show up – Amari Cooper, Tyron Smith, Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence, etc. – and suddenly your team looks playoff-caliber. Your opponent (Carson Wentz) simply drops a snap and gives you a fumble and, voila, you look like a Super Bowl team.
- It’s an easier game when you get good field position. For the first time this season the Cowboys started a drive on the opponent’s side of the 50 and, sure enough, turned it into a 7-0 lead when Kellen Moore drew up a cutesy fake handoff/pitch to receiver Tavon Austin for the team’s first touchdown on an opening drive this season. Short fields are fun fields.
- As the Cowboys went up 30-10 in the third quarter my phone started blowing up. Not with football rejoicing, but rather with weather consternation. The tornado that ripped through northeast Dallas was apparently more riveting than a blowout Cowboys win. Deservedly so.
- How big was the result of this game? 4-3 teams make the playoffs 50% of the time; 3-4 teams only 18%. Despite being only 4-3, Cowboys are 3-0 in the division and in total control of the NFC East.
- After Xavier Woods’ big hit on Alshon Jeffery that momentarily floored the receiver, some Eagles trainer-type rushed onto the field and shoved the Cowboys safety. Now I’m tired of being tired of the referees, but if Jason Garrett gets a penalty for slamming a challenge flag how does a member of a team’s training staff not get penalized for shoving an opposing player on the field?
- Still not sure how good Dak Prescott is. But I know this, which was reaffirmed Sunday night: He’s better than Carson Wentz.
- Eagles head coach Doug Pederson made some headlines last week by guaranteeing his team’s victory. Said Pederson, “We’re going down to Dallas, and our guys are gonna be ready to play. And we’re gonna win that football game, and when we do, we’re in first place in the NFC East.” Afterwards, Lawrence offered his rebuttal. Sorta. “He got his statement today,” said Lawrence, who created a 14-0 lead with a sack-and-strip of Carson Wentz. “We gonna go let ‘em sleep on it.”
- Almost a year ago to the day – Oct. 22, 2018 – the Cowboys were roundly criticized for giving up a first-round draft choice for the decreasingly effective, injury-prone Cooper. After further review: In his first 16 regular-season games with Dallas, the receiver has caught 91 passes for 1,346 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s a pretty good “season.” That’s a pretty dang good trade.
- In my next-level analytics study, I deduct that the Eagles stink, the NFC East stinks and, alas, the Cowboys stink considerably less. Philly was simply hapless, staking Dallas to a 14-0 lead with two turnovers in the game’s first five minutes. Cowboys versus their division: 3-0, averaging 34.3 points per game. Cowboys versus the rest of the NFL: 1-3, averaging 21.7.