Late reversal of fortune rescues Eagles, but Philly has much to ponder during bye week

The Philadelphia Eagles edged the Dallas Cowboys by way of a thrilling Week 9 win, but they have tons to think about as they enter and enjoy their bye week.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

You'd never believe it had you not seen it for yourself. The Philadelphia Eagles took a 28-17 lead over the Dallas Cowboys with one minute and 13 seconds to go in the third quarter. There may have been this feeling that Philly had things under control by most of the Birds faithful. Who are we kidding though? NEVER is it that easy.

The momentum created by a dominant third quarter wouldn't last for the remainder of the game. That's when it happened. The Cowboys came roaring back and sent shockwaves through Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles' offense went silent in the fourth quarter and allowed the Cowboys to narrow the margin to five points. Multiple three-and-outs by the Birds attack set the Dallas up, and they took the field for two potential game-winning drives.

Dallas entered Eagles territory with less than two minutes remaining in the game. That ended with a turnover on downs. All three of their timeouts were exhausted on Philly's final offensive drive.

Perhaps we should have known that we were set up for an anti-climactic finish. A fumble on Philly's final offensive play gave the Cowboys yet another opportunity to induce heartbreak. Thankfully, Tyler Steen would recover the fumble. Things only got more stressful from there.

Fortune swings the way of the Eagles, but they have much to think about during their bye week.

A 55-yard punt by Braden Mann set the Cowboys up on their own 14 with just 46 seconds left in the game. Dallas was out of timeouts, so the Eagles only needed to find one more stop.

As is often the case, they wouldn't make it easy on themselves.

James Bradberry was called for defensive pass interference (and he was injured). A ten-yard gain followed. 15 additional yards were tacked on due to a roughing the passer call on Haason Reddick. An encroachment call on Jalen Carter came moments later.

Philadelphia did all that they could to give this one away. Thankfully, the Cowboys had similar plans.

Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good, and Philly got lucky. Dallas began to self destruct.

Offensive lineman Tyler Smith was flagged for a false start. Eagles defensive lineman Josh Sweat followed that up with a sack on Prescott moving them back 11 yards and taking valuable time off the clock. An incomplete pass and delay of game penalty gave the Cowboys a third and goal from the 26-yard line.

A final throw from Prescott to Lamb nearly got them into the end zone, but the Eagles finally stopped their rival. Finally, Birds fans were allowed to breathe a little easier.

Mistakes nearly doomed the Eagles, but they didn't cost them. Philly still owns the best record in the NFL at 8-1. Now they get to enjoy a much-needed bye week.

The Eagles were called for a whopping 56 penalty yards on the final drive alone. Overall, they gave up 98 penalty yards thanks to ten infractions. As the focus now shifts, there's much to be proud of, but despite being lucky, there's still work to do.

Week 9's performance isn't a recipe for success, but we know that Philly will figure this out. They are home to one of the NFL's top coaching staffs. They're loaded with talent. The only team that can beat Philly IS Philly.

More from Inside The Iggles

manual