Open Thread: Eagles vs. Cowboys


Photo by: Jeff Fusco

Photo by: Jeff Fusco

It’s an early-season NFC East showdown as the Cowboys pay a visit to the Linc in the Eagles’ home opener. We’ll pop in with some updates and thoughts from time to time during the game. Feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.

7:37 – Final score: Cowboys 20, Eagles 10. The Eagles finish with seven rushing yards.

7:33 – Jordan Matthews catches a six-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford with 1:21 to play. The Eagles trail the Cowboys, 20-10.

7:24 – Terrance Williams catches a 42-yard pass from Brandon Weeden to put the Cowboys up, 20-3, with 4:13 to play. Byron Maxwell was the cornerback in coverage on the play.

7:17 – Sam Bradford throws his second interception of the game and fourth of the season, a deflection off the hands of Zach Ertz. The Eagles trail, 13-3, with 4:29 to play. Bradford is 16-of-29 for 140 yards and two interceptions.

7:06 – One play after the Eagles force a fumble and recover the ball in Dallas territory, Sam Bradford is unprepared for a snap and Dallas regains possession after the Eagles’ own fumble. Bradford has now thrown an interception in the end zone and fumbled a snap in Dallas territory. Dallas leads, 13-3, with 7:15 to play.

The Cowboys have more than doubled up the Eagles in time of possession, leading 36:31 to 16:14.

6:55 – The Eagles get on the scoreboard thanks to a 46-yard field goal from Cody Parkey. Another drive stalls after an impressive DeMarco Murray hurdle over a Dallas defender.

Sam Bradford misses Nelson Agholor on a corner route on the right on third down before the kick. Bradford’s numbers, after just over three quarters: 14-of-27, 116 yards, one interception.

6:52 – Status update on Tony Romo’s injury.

6:39 – The Eagles’ first productive drive of the game ends in the end zone as Sam Bradford throws an interception into the gut of linebacker Sean Lee. Bradford was looking to pass the ball to Zach Ertz in the middle of the end zone, but Ertz was situated behind Lee.

6:26 – Tony Romo is sacked by Jordan Hicks and fumbles the ball, which is recovered by Fletcher Cox. The Eagles will get the ball at their own 39-yard line.

Also, Romo is shaken up on the play and stays down for a half-dozen minutes after the play. He seems to be favoring his shoulder as he comes off the field.

6:20 – Something to keep an eye on.

6:18 – Another Eagles drive ends in a three-and-out, as a third-down pass deep on the left sideline to Riley Cooper goes through the veteran wideout’s hands. The Eagles didn’t pick up a yard on the drive. They have now run 23 plays and picked up 33 yards.

6:12 – After Nelson Agholor picks up a first down with a 12-yard reception, the Eagles lose 11 yards on run plays and can’t pick up a first down.

Donnie Jones’s subsequent punt is blocked by the Cowboys, and Dallas returns the ball for a touchdown. Jones appears to be injured on the return. The Cowboys lead the Eagles, 13-0, with 12:35 to play in the third quarter.

6:09 – The second half begins with more discouraging linebacker news for the Eagles.

5:55 – Halftime: A 15-play, six-minute drive from Dallas ends with a 28-yard field goal to end the first half. The Cowboys lead the Eagles, 6-0, halfway through the game.

5:47 – More Eagles linebacker injury news.

5:43 – From Josh, Kiko Alonso won’t be returning to the game this afternoon: https://www.phillymag.com/birds247/2015/09/20/kiko-alonso-will-not-return-against-cowboys/

5:27 – Five drives, 16 yards for the Birds after another three-and-out.

And more bad news for the Eagles.

5:15 – Fans at the Linc have started to boo the Eagles, just ever so slightly.

After four drives, the Eagles have run 12 plays for 17 yards and four punts. Their only first down came on a pass interference call.

5:06 – It’s been another slow start for the Eagles’ offense, as Paul Domowitch points out.

5:00 – End of the first quarter. Another possession, another three-and-out for the Birds. A third-down pass to Miles Austin is nearly caught for a big gain, but he drops it as he heads to the ground. Donnie Jones has punted for 140 yards, while the Eagles’ offense has picked up 15 yards.

4:54 – Tony Romo and Joseph Randle engineer the Cowboys’ first extended drive of the afternoon, but the Eagles come up with an impressive goal-line stand at the one-yard line to hold the Cowboys to a field goal.

Dallas marched 79 yards in 12 plays and 6:04. The Eagles’ defensive line stuffed a run play on first down, before breaking up two potential touchdowns on out routes in the end zone. Dallas leads, 3-0, on a 20-yard field goal from Dan Bailey.

4:52 – DeMeco Ryans has looked vulnerable in the first quarter, and T-Mac sees a bad matchup for the veteran linebacker.

4:43 – After another three-and-out from Dallas, the Birds pick up a first down thanks to a pass interference penalty on the Cowboys. But Sam Bradford & Co. can’t crack the 50-yard line, and Donnie Jones punts again. Scoreless, halfway through the first quarter.

4:32 – The Eagles answer with a three-and-out of their own. A run from DeMarco Murray and a crossing route to Nelson Agholor pick up nine yards, but an incomplete pass on third down leads to Donnie Jones’ first punt of the afternoon.

4:28 – Dallas goes three-and-out on its first drive of the afternoon, losing four yards over three plays. Connor Barwin picked up his first sack of the season, and the Cowboys lost five yards on a false start. The Eagles take over on their own 40-yard line.

4:25 – The Cowboys win the toss, and elect to receive. The Eagles will get the ball first after halftime.