Post-Game Show: Eagles Lose In Overtime In Dallas December 9

Cowboys led nine to six. All of a sudden, the floodgates open for both offenses, Eagles outscoring the Cowboys seventeen to fourteen to tie it up to get to overtime, and you felt the momentum there. You thought the Eagles were fine, going to get over the hump, but unfortunately Dallas gets the ball first and never allows the Eagles to get it. You're hoping the Eagles defense could just salvage the drive with allowing only a field goal. Obviously not the case, as Cooper over two hundred yards and

his third touchdown of the day, torching the Eagles defense. Yeah, just a tough game. I mean, when you look at this game, it really boils down the two halves, pretty much like the first game boiled down to and a lot in similar fashion, except that the Eagles lose US for an overtime instead of regulation. Well, when you think back, the Eagles gonna look at this game, man, they're just gonna kick themselves for the slow start offensively. That's really

what this game boiled down to. This defense has been shorthanded over the last month, playing with basically unknowns in the secondary at times, guys that are coming in off the streets. So they've been a little bit hamstrong as far as what they could do on that side of the ball, and they really kept the Eagles in the game as best they could, give this offense a little

bit of time to get going. They got going late in the game, and really a board down to you couldn't get stops when you needed them late in the game. And just a tough, hard faught loss down in Texas for the Eagles today in the game they needed they must have they I would say they played well enough to win this game. They played well enough to give

themselves a chance to win this game. I can't necessarily say they played well enough to win this game because they didn't play for four quarters on both sides of the football. And it's really been their Achilles Hill all year long is that they haven't been able to put four quarters of solid football together on both sides of

the ball very often this year. They played well in spurts on either side of the ball, but having problems being able to put it together for a complete sixty minutes in order to win a game like this against a tough Dallas Cowboy team in their building is the effort. It was going to be needed today, and it's just unfortunately that the Eagles didn't really have it early in the game offensively, and it was just too late in the game, and I think the defense basically ran out

of gas. Dallas dominated time and possession today. That big offensive line Ezekiel Elliott, a physical runner, Jess couldn't stop him from getting those tough yards. They held him down in the second half from the explosive plays, But those tough yards, those three yard games, those two yard games, the fourth and one where he finds a little crease to sort of get in under Malcolm Jenkins. I mean,

that's what he's good at doing. And the Eagles defense in the second half and into that overtime, I thought it just ran out of gas. Limited the explosive plays a Zeke Elliott. But then Amari Cooper took over the game two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, a twenty eight yard reception on a go round against Sydney Jones, who was battling through a hamstring injury certainly was not one hundred percent out there whatsoever, and then a seventy five

yard touchdown. Jones comes out of the game, DeVante Bosby goes in and Cooper takes him down the field for seventy five yards. This is right after Dallas got scored on a three yard touchdown reception to tie the game at sixteen, and then Amari Cooper getting the game winner in overtime for the Eagles. So it's almost like in Tennessee, Corey Davis that was his breakout performance there. It was

Amari Cooper show here. As we always have been debated during the course of the week, who's the bigger weapon you have to zop, Zeke Ellet or Amark Cooper. I will still say a hundred times out of one hundred, it's Zeke Ellett. He's the one who that offense funnels through. He's the one who's the callous to start things off. He was able to methodically move the chains down the field, got the fourth and one conversion to put the Cowboys in position so that Amari Cooper could get them over

the top. Now, this is gonna be, like you said, a lot of what it could have shown us for the Eagles here today. And really it starts from the opening kickoff. Okay, the Eagles looking to set the tone. We're probably forgetting about this play because of the fact that this game had a throwing finish. It went to overtime, but the opening kickoff, Jordan Lewis returns it for the Cowboys, Malcolm Jenkins with the hit lifting him up, forcing the ball out. Here's the play right here. Okay, he's gonna

lift them up. The ball is gonna come out. And by everyone in America, it clearly looks like with five or six Eagles around the ball, it clearly looked like that Commu Gruge Hill had the recovery. Now Commu Gruja Hill and made the comments this week about the Cowboys choking, it seemed like he was backing up his words right from the opening kick to give the Eagles the great field position to get the offense set up. However, initially

the referees declared that I was down by contact. Doug Peterson smartly calls for the challenge flag and the say, well, while there was a fumble on the play, however, it's not clear who recovered it, who recovered or the fact that any Eagle recovered whatsoever. So everywhere in America except at and T Stadium and I guess New York where they're doing the replay office, where're doing the replays from,

those are only places that they couldn't tell. So right from the jump there, the Eagles, you know, kind of not able to get on track there. You thought that they were gonna have that big play to set the tone. That wasn't the case. The other thing that we can't forget here is Jake Elliott missing the extra point was perfect on the ear for extra points coming into this game.

After the Eagles finally get a touchdown, al Sean Jeffrey scores following Corey Graham's interception return which gets them into the red zone. So one pass Wentz to struggle throughout the first three quarters, but lit it up in the fourth quarter, has the easy pitching cast of Jeffrey for the touchdown. Elliott comes out and misses the field goal or misses the extra point, and when you're going to overtime,

that one point making all the difference. It's not like the Boys had to have a two point conversion or something like that to make up the points. So right there, you probably say, if he makes that, maybe this game is not going to overtime. So certainly forces the Cowboys to have to go for twodown. Right, they would have to go for two exactly, so at least to press the Cowboys into that situation. But that's not the case. But this defensive line, Okay, you know you have Tim

Juragan not playing because of the back spasms. Josh Wett, Okay, he's knocked out of the game with an ankle injury, and you might be saying, well, Josh Wet maybe hasn't done a lot. He's at least taking up snaps to give the guys like Chris Long, Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett a breather. Michael Bennet out there playing virtually every step it felt like, whether it was an or tackle. Brandon Graham, Chris Long, Fletcher Cox, they brought as much as they

could throughout the course of the game. In fact, you felt the pass rusher was getting to Prescott more in the fourth quarter than it was earlier on in the game. You know, had a couple of game changing plays, but unfortunately when they needed something in the overtime session, it just wasn't there. But again, a couple opportunities for the Eagles to get off the field. The third and nine to Mark Cooper. That's gonna be the one that fights them more than anything else because you're in a long

yard situation. That's the one where you felt like that that's where you know Cooper is gonna get the ball, and they were not able to defend them on that play. Yeah, I mean that's those are the type of players that as a defense you're gonna be when you when that plane ride back home, you're thinking back to yourself, Man, if we just make that play, we got a chance to win this game. We give our offense to ball and over time to at least give them a chance.

But you know what, I don't think the defense has anything to hang their heads about today. I thought they did as best they could. I would have liked to have seen a better job done on Amari Cooper considering that that's really the only passing threat that Cowboys had. You know, they hit a couple passes to the tight end the day that I thought it was a little frustrating at times, but for the most part, you had to know when they needed a big play, they were

gonna find Number nineteen out there. And I thought we could have did a better job in the coverage. But you mentioned the defensive line. I thought Fletcher Cox and Michael Bennett and Brandon Graham played a heck of a game today. Trying to get after Dak Prescott really made him uncomfortable late in the game. Force some turnovers from Dak Prescott. In this game, you get three turnovers from Dak Prescott, you gotta win this football game. I mean, listen,

they took the ball away from the Cowboys. The Eagles only gave it up once, right on the Wentz sack and fumble. I believe so to force the Cowboys to turn the ball over three times, you win the turnover margin. You got to convert those things into touchdowns. And I just thought, this is a game. When they look back at it, they're gonna say to themselves, we gotta get off to a faster start. We had to get off

to a faster start. The defense gave you what you wanted in the first half of this game, and unfortunately the offense didn't have much going in the first half. Carson Wentz looked out of rhythm, the wide receivers looked like they couldn't get open, the running game was non existent. These are all the things that really ailed the offense in the first a half. Why the deep was really holding on for dear life and really kept them in the ball. Games should have been a three nothing game

going into the locker room, but give Dallas credit. Their kicker knocked down a sixty two yard field goal to make right to make it six nothing, and you got to feel a little comfortable, I mean a little relieve going into the locker room at six nothing, considering your offensive done virtually nothing the entire first half. I think I saw where they had their first five possessions on three of them that were three and outs on those possessions. So it's you look at these numbers and just look

where Dallas just really able to dominate the game. Man, that's that's time of possession. I know you got ten extra minutes almost from the overtime that you add on to the But that's just I mean, man, that's two to one easily. Time of possession are at forty five minutes to basically less than twenty three minutes. Man's it's amazing that they were even in this game. When you look at those type of numbers from an offensive standpoint that Dallas was able to put up today, it's amazing

that they were even in this game. That's the biggest takeaway here is that as badly as the Eagles played in the first half, Dallas should have blown the doors off this Eagles team. Okay, it was six nothing at halftime. You kind of felt like it might have been fourteen nothing, seventeen nothing or so at the half. But the thing is, okay, So you go into halftime down six nothing, You're thinking to yourself, Okay, offense is gonna get the ball back.

Maybe they could finance rhythm. Remember the first time the Eagles played the Cowboys back in November eleventh, the Eagles struggled on offense in the first half, able to turn up the heat in the second half, but that's when the defense took a step back and regress probably worn out at that point, and by that point the Eagles were not able to get things going and not pull ahead of the Cowboys. A lot of the same things happening here today. We're the first drive of the second half.

It's a three and out, and you can say to yourself, how much more or how much longer can the defense hold on here to try to keep the Eagles in this ball game because of the fact that matters, you know, is zeke ellet and a physical run game. With the offensive line as strong as it is for the Cowboys, they're gonna be wearing down on this defensive line. They're gonna be putting the ball in Elliott's hands to try to make this a short game in the fourth quarter.

And you see the total numbers there, one hundred and forty two yards on the ground, four hundred and thirty four passing yards. And we talk about the defensive line dealing with injuries in the secondary, Sidney Jones getting hurt as to come out of the game. You already have lost Jaila Mills who's put on injured reserve, Avante Max not playing in this game. You know, you go back

to Roald Darby played in the first game. This is the game he got injured in a month ago, he's not on the field, so you're left with Russell Douglas, who held a very strong provide the first game changing play the interception which came in the red zone, which allowed the Eagles, you know, to kind of survive a weather the storm there. But it was an undermanned secondary, a defensive line that you have your top players there

but not allow of depth there. They're fighting and scratching and clawl to try to keep the Eagles in this ball game. They're just looking for some signs of life from the offense because you started to worry that if the defense is watching the Eagles offense go three and out, three and out, three and out, how much what are

they gonna have to do? Okay, I mean they Fortunately Corey Graham got the interception, almost returning it for a touchdown, and that allowed the Eagles to get on the board and the offense was starting to get his rhythm from that point on there to try to get back in

this ball game. The Eagles never took the lead in this game, but we're able to tie it out throughout and then got the game to overtime, and you wondered if they were going to be able to especially coming up the fact that you know, Jake Elliott ties the game at nine with his twenty six yard field goal early the fourth quarter. Then a Mark Cooper gets the first of his three touchdowns. Dallas Cowboys go sixteen and nine.

All right, Dallas got response, You have another touchdown, tie game there, while Mark Cooper goes back down with a seventy five yard touchdown one play seventy five yards, you know, regains the lead. Darrence Browles ties the game, sends it toto overtime, and you felt like they were right there in position. The problem is you lose the coin toss in overtime. Dallas gets the ball and they're able to

go down the field. And even even if the Cowboys didn't score, they had pretty much milked the whole clock that it wasn't gonna be much time for the Deals to do anything. So you were at that point almost looking at either a loss or a tide. Tide was almost going to become your best case scenario there, you know, t Yeah, I mean just you look at this defense and they were basically worn out late, right, Dallas gets the ball late in the game with an opportunity to

try to win the game and regulation. The defense is trying to hold on. They get a big sack to force Dallas out of field goal range, made them decide to go into overtime. We lose the coin toss, Dallas takes the ball, the defenses right back on the field. I mean, that was difficult. I knew we were in trouble. I'm saying to myself, man, we gotta win this coin toss because our defense just got off the field, and so Dallas wins the coin toss. They're able to convert

third downs. You look at the box score, man, when you look at the third down and fourth down conversions for both of these teams, that's the real difference in this game. Combined Cowboys ten eleven for twenty I believe on third and fourth down conversions, the two for ten on third and fourth down conversions. That's your ball game right there. That's how you extend drives. That's how the Cowboys dominate time of possession. They're able to convert third downs,

extend the drives. The Eagles too many, too many three and owns, too many times they couldn't convert third downs, eventually having to punk the ball to the Dallas Cowboys their defense wears down and eventually they get in. It's unfortunate you have that last play that ends the game, the Marii Cooper touchdown Russeu Douglas and perfect coverage does a nice job pass defense, ball just tips up into Marie Cooper's hands. That's that's an unfortunate bounce right there.

Dallas should have been lining up to kick a field goal on fourth down. But that's just the way the ball bounces sometimes. And I tell you, when when you've had enough opportunities that you don't necessarily capitalize on and scenes eventually it's gonna bite you in the end. And that's what happened in the end. There is that is that the Eagles, even though Russell's there to make that play, the Cowboys finally got a fortunate bounce their way. Fortunate. Yeah.

Right from the start of the game they open and kick offsappointed at yes, yes, either way however you want to take a bounced call. Whatever way, it was something that went the Cowboys way. You look at the Dallas got or touchdown that was taken off the board by questionable offensive pass interference. You know, Fortunately the Eagles were able to march back down the field and score the touchdown. It didn't hurt them, but you could argue Eagles score

quickly there. There might have been more time there when the Cowboys, you know, we're trying to get the field goal late in the game. They have to get off the field. Maybe the Eagles have one more chance to go down the field. You don't know, but that's one of those what it could have showd have moments that you're gonna be thinking about. But just another crazy call with that big explosive play taking off the board. You know, credit the Eagles for being resilient coming back because easily

that could have crushed their spirit. Sure, okay, but seeing this team fight. But you know, while we talk about the quarterback here, Carson Wentz first three orders just looked out of sync, just did not look comfortable in the pocket. There was time. I mean, the offensive line protection for

the most part held up well. And you're gonna look at these final numbers here, you're gonna say he could play at sixty nine percent of his passes three touchdowns, did have the lost fumble, But overall, you know from what you've seen from Carson in his first two plus years in the league that this was not the caliber performance you would expect it from him in such a pivotal game here tonight. Yeah, and it's it's hard without looking at the ALL twenty two tape to see what

was the exact issues. He certainly had time in the pocket to throw the ball. But unless you're down there on the field and you're seeing exactly what he's seeing, I don't know if receivers were open, was he missing open guys, was he looking at the wrong guys and there's someone else open in the route? Or is he holding the ball waiting for someone to get open. They'll be able to determine that once they actually look at the film. But you could tell he was not comfortable

in the pocket. I'm with you. I thought he had plenty of time to at least get rid of the football at times. Again, like I said, unless you're looking at the ALL twenty two and you can see all the routes, I don't know if receivers are open, he doesn't see the receivers, or he's sitting back there holding the football waiting on someone to get open. Bottom line,

this this offense struggle today to get any rhythm. There was no true identity in the offense early in the game, they tried to run the ball, didn't have any success. And when you when you're having three and outs early and the imposing team's offense, it's chewing up the clock. Even though the score wasn't out of whack. The fact is the Cowboys had long, sustaining drives and the Eagles

were trying to get big, chunk plays. They were trying to get something going, and they couldn't get anything going in that first quarter. Really in the whole first half, they couldn't get anything going on. When they finally had a little momentum going, you got the sack and the forced fumble on Carson Wentz there right before the half. So, I don't know, man, it's been it's really been the bugaboo of this team all year long. Slow star with

this offense. We've looked at so many different variables as it pertainers to the offense to try to figure out what the exact issue is. And the biggest problem is there isn't one issue, because because if it was one thing, it would be easy to fix. And I have no idea why they aren't clicking the way that they were last year. Give Dallas some credit. This was the number two scoring defense in the league, it's the number two rushing defense in the league, the number seven passing defense

in the league. We saw what they were able to do to the Saints offense all night long, with holding that Saints offense to just ten points. So it's not unheard of that an offense struggles against this Cowboys defense. But you would have liked to have seen the Eagles offense get it going a little earlier in the game, able to get some stuff going through the second half, really in the fourth quarter of the game, when I think the Cowboys kind of loosened up a little bit

on some of their coverage. But just a game where yeah, just I mean, it's it's a game where you kind of say to yourself, opportunities there. But I can't necessarily say that the better team didn't win, right. I mean, the Cowboys are a good football team and they played a very good football game today. It's really that I believe the Eagles found themselves fortunate team and be in

this game late in the game. Credit to their defense and what they were able to do that they almost were able to steal one if they could have got the ball on overtime. I would have liked to have seen what Carson could have did with the ball in overtime, since they had the offense rolling a little bit. But that defense man, that defense just ran out of gas and couldn't get off the field late in the game. First game against the Cowboys, it was the same thing.

It was finally, you know, the defense keeps Eagles in the ball game. Fourth quarter, offense starts to heat up, but unfortunately Zeke Elliott took over in the fourth quarter of that first game. Cowboys get fourteen points and able to close up the twenty seven to twenty win. Tonight it's twenty nine to twenty three in overtime, the Eels going down again, the second time the Eels have lost

in overtime this season. Now following two games behind the Dallas Cowboys in the MC easton with three games to go, Dallas Cowboys really putting the clamps on the division, with Washington getting blown out, Mark Stantons being benched, and obviously the Giants being out of the picture right now, so very difficult way for this game here to end, especially with the spear to come back that the Eagles had

trying to keep this one closed throughout it. It was largely an ugly defense of slug fest for three quarters again nine to six. Going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles able to rally get the things going on offense. You know, you're seeing other guys come to the forefront. I think that's one of the big things areas when this offense has worked well, it's not just say zach Ertz or Alshon jeffer As. You're getting multiple guys involved in the offense. That fourth quarter, Dallas Goddard was the

go to guy. Nelson Aghalore with maybe the catch of the year, maybe the after the year for the Eagles, Darren Sprowles showing that he's not finished just yet. You know, a lot of guys stepping up that point. I thought Carson went with some pinpoint passes. There was a one to Dallas, got her along the sideline where he buzzed it right over Jalen Smith to get themselves in scoring range. So everything started to pick up, you know, even though

they had injuries. Corey Clement going down with a difficult injury that was tough to watch when he was tackled early by Millie Collins. Isaac Samle, who's been playing much better at left guard. He goes out with the peck injury and Stefan Wisnowski has to go in there. So you know, it's very difficult there from the standpoint of seeing them try to rally, see everything start to click, and then just not get like you said, the chance

in overtime to try to get themselves the victory here. Yeah, I mean, and that's that's really been the issue with the team all year long, right, is that they haven't been able to put four quarters a good football together and going into a game like this they needed it. All right, let's send it down to atenc Stadium, Doug Pearson. It was a one point the game. Uh yeah, decision making was to kick the extra point, tied up and then uh I'm talking about the penalty afterwards to be

able to go for it. Uh No, I just I just elected at that point just to go for the kick and tied up. We had a little discussion, but at the time we felt where we were as a team at the time, we felt we felt good about it and kept the points on the board. What was the explanation given on the fumble in the first play

of the game. Um, just basically there was a uh you know, it was a clear fumble and then and then just didn't know exactly who who necessarily recovered at the times a big pile I guess, um, and just unfortunate. Some of the issues for the slow start again, well, I think some of it, Uh, you give credit to Dallas. I mean this is a good defense. We knew that going in. Uh. Some of it is uh, you know,

their design very disruptive upfront. Um, and then just comes down to you know, attention to detail, focus and and uh, things that have kind of hampered us a little bit all season showed up a little bit early in this game, and it was tough, too tough to get things going early. You knew the stakes of this game. What did you tell the guys in there afterwards? Exactly right, we knew

the stakes of the game. Um. I just told him, I said, listen, you know it's one of those games where, you know, proud of the way they fought, proud of the way they hung in there, battled back. We were really never out of this football game at all. And just basically told them that, you know, listen, the way we all felt in that dressing room, you gotta hate

this moment. You gotta hate this feeling. You just you gotta hate losing, and you gotta you gotta learn from it, and you gotta you gotta move forward and pick ourselves up off the mat and get ready to go for another one. Go on that. Sorry, you got to go back to the two point inversion. That's a situation that you typically have gone for in the past when there's been a penalty on the extra point. What was different

about this game than in the past. Yeah, just a fourth quarter, Um, you know, late in the game where it was opportunity, you know, to just keep the points on the board. Um. Nothing other than that. Would you agree that Carson looked a little hesitant to the first three quarters. I think there's enough to go around offensively. I don't think we put it on on the quarterback. Um. I think I think we'll take a look at this film and and um and uh you know, make make

uh make the corrections where we need to. Um. You know this this is a tough game, and he's done some great things, just great things tonight in the second half. So we'll evaluate the film and and uh, you know, everybody will look at it and go from there, I think, what do you think it took three quarters to finally get good things going with him? Well, again, I think I think you give credit to Dallas and their defense. I mean, this defense is playing extremely well, and uh

that's where the credit lies. You all have pretty tough spots in terms of your postseason opportunities. Perhaps, how do you keep those guys from reading the standings and saying it's just not going to happen this year. Right now, we're not focused on that. We're focused on, you know, getting back to Philly, getting ready for the Rams next weekend, and uh take them one at a time, officiating to listen, they gotta they gotta job. They got a tough job,

and I respect everything that they do. And uh again, we'll take a look at it, and you know, if we need to send some stuff, and we'll send some stuff in. But uh, appreciate those guys. I mean it's hard work and uh, you know, they they bust their tail out there for you. You got in the short hand. You guys are shorthand in the second dirty hare's so many injuries. But still if what Amari did to the defense tonight, you know, fourth, especially in the fourth quarter

and overtime. How frustrating is that even though you are shorthanded and it looks like Sydney's hurt still and I mean it's frustrating, but you know, we just gotta continue to push, continue to fight, continue to work these guys. Um. You know, it's obviously it's a great experience for Bobs, but it's unfortunate with Sydney in his situation right now.

But um, you know, we just uh, you know, it is what it is right now, you know, and we just gotta keep working and uh, you know, get everybody ready to play, get everybody caught up and uh and get ready for the next one. But you know, there's there's no quitness in this in this group, and uh, I think you'll see that next weekend. This decision puts the knee back out there and then to pull Yeah, well we checked him on the sideline, you know, and

and felt felt comfortable. Um, and and you know, just uhum, he felt felt comfortable with him going back in there, and um, you know, we'll evaluate it again, you know, tomorrow and see where he's at. But yeah, um, because of the injury or because he wasn't performing, Yeah, it was just it was unfortunate because it started to flare up again. So we decided to risk any further injury, just pull him and put Bossing there. You had a play.

There was small wood in the game pretty importantly where he got to bought enough it's a checkdown to him. Wouldn't putever, but he hadn't touch the ball a good wall. It seemed like an odd spot for him either. Well, when Corey went down, um, it was not so much an odd spot anymore. UM And and so um, you know we had we needed him in a couple of spots and we used him. Yeah, as you get on the play tonight, what part of this games could bother

you the most time? I think, I think the biggest thing is going to disappoint me is just the look in those players eyes in there and and to see the disappointment that that we felt, even even with this close a game it this really was um and still not playing great offensively, um for the defense to come up with some big, big turnovers keep us in this football game and not finish, you know, not finish this

football game. Um. Because we felt at the end, even going into overtime, that that there was some momentum on our side and just needed that one stop. Um. But for me, it's going to be you know, the look of disappointment you know in the players and coaches eyes, that's gonna that's gonna bother me on this right home.

What'd you see with Dallas Carter what all of a sudden kind of freed him up points Well, you know, yeah, he's a he's a trends tight end um And again we felt going into the game that we could we could do live as our two tight ends and in the second half we'd um, you know, mix them in there really well and it just created some matchups, you know with their base defense that we felt we felt comfortable with. And uh, he did a great job. There was a third down throw that Carson threw pretty well

short of the end zone to zach Ertz. What do you think his decision making was there? Of course it was the one after the small would play was ninety six dollars, you guys settled for a field goal. He slanted to earth, but he was at the five yard line. Third down? Was it after the penalty? It was after the small would run. It was like third and goal from around the nine nine arts had a pushing the back that put you guys back. Then you had a

catch and then Small would run. And then on third down and nine, Carson was to the left, left, left flat and fall short of the goal line. Yeah, it was a chance to catch and run at that point. And then if I do remember the play, um, Yeah, a chance to get a little bit of a pick pick scheme over there with I think him and al Sean, I think that's the one you talk about. Put it in his hands, chance to score, or you're in a situation because we had talked about possibly staying on the

field on fourth down and going for it. In that situation, I had two downs right there. You've been asked about that two point version there. If you had to do it over again, would you have done? If you stand by the decision there, I mean we could sit here in hindsights, you know, but twenty twenty fifty fifty or whatever the deal is. You know, I'd kick I'd kick it. I'd kick it. I mean it's easy to sit in here and go, yeah, let's go for two out there

A little different and I stick by my decision. Yeah, all right, all right, there's head coach Doug Pearson addressing the media from AT and T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. You know, really it's the emotion of the moment more than anything else. Is addressing the players in the locker room, and you know, dealing with the long flight home after such a bitter defeat again Eagles falling twenty nine to

twenty three. Not a lot of answers in terms of why the offense was not able to get going for the first three corps And I think again, I can We've talked about this already. That's really been the storyline of the season. You thought Monday night against Washington, after they got off to early lead, scored on the opening drive for just the third time all season, you felt maybe things were coming into focus. And a lot of people are going to say, well, was that win fool's gold,

because obviously McCoy's that quarterback for Washington. He went he was injured, But the offense was playing well, and that's what you were hoping for because no matter what, you know, a lot of people are going to criticize Jim Schwartz in the defense for the overall performance this season, but really the defense has kept this team in pretty much every game with a few exclusions, but really it's up

the Saints game exactly. For the most part. It's kept the team in every game, and the offense has just not been able to get up to speed and get that spark to get going at least early in games to play that. You know, the Unicorn sixty minute game so speak that we keep looking for. Yeah, for me, it's no question in my mind about when you look at some of the keys to this game and takeaways from this game, I gotta look at the offense, right I'm looking at the offense trying to find some type

of identity early in this game. Listen, I know you're growing up against a better defense in the Dallas Cowboys, So it wasn't gonna be like we saw last week against the Redskins. When you're playing at home, when you're playing a good defense in their building, it's difficult. The crowd is loud, it's loud, it's hard for you to communicate offensively what you want to do. So I thought the offense struggled early in this game, couldn't get the

running game going. Doug had to abort it first five series of the game, three and out on three of those five series. The offense just struggled completely early in this game to find the identity. And then the defense. I thought the defense did a great job of trying to at least keep them in the game. They had some turnovers early in the game, forced the Cowboys to eventually punt the ball, even though they had some sustained drives where they ate up some time on the clock.

The Cowboys were still coming away with field goals as opposed to touchdowns, and there was a six nothing ball game going into the locker room at the half. So the Eagles, even though a man felt like it was worse than six nothing, they had to feel fortunate to be down only six nothing. And then my final thing in this game, my final takeaway from the game, as Carson Wentz late in the football game, talk about, as you will, his early struggles and they are duly noted.

He needs to get off to a better start. We talked about being able to take care of the football. He had to keep fumble early in the game that I don't think that I don't remember if the Cowboys even able to convert points out of that turnover. If they did, it was just three. But he struggled early, finally got it going late in the game. I thought he did a great job bringing the team back, making some key throws late in that game, tying this ball

game up twenty three twenty three. Just unfortunate they lost the toss in overtime. The Eagles offense never had the opportunity to continue that momentum they built in the fourth quarter in overtime because I really believe had the defense been able to hold the Cowboys to at a minimum of field goal attempt and in three points, I think the Eagles would at least gotten the ball and taking it down to at least tie the ball game up, which more than likely they would have gone for it.

So eventually they may have even gone ahead in that game. Because I don't know if Doug plays for a tie in this ball game, I think he goes for a win if it gets an overton. You look at the fourth down conversion the Eagles had in the second football game, where you know you're pretty much feeling at that point

the seasons on the line. Yeah, Okay, this is a playoff game for the Eagles, and Wentz makes the throw in the flats of Darren Sprowles, who you know, jukes up the field and gets them in the red zone. And the the Eagles offense not bad in the red zone. That's actually what kept had to get there problem. Yeah, once they were in there two or three I believe

on the day in the red zone the Cowboys. The only red zone conversion for them was the final drive of the game and overtime Ormark Cooper scores his third touchdown, going for over two hundred yards to give the Cowboys the twenty nine to twenty three victory. And you know, it's interestally because I was talking about this was a

playoff type atmosphere for the Eagles. You know, as ugly as the NFC has been this season, which at the start of the year, we all wondered, you know, we thought this was gonna be a superpower conference with LA and New Orleans. If you're Green Bay's gonna be mixed, Minnesota's on the rise, and then team you know, San Francisco was gonna be the hot up and coming team this year. It's gonna be a very difficult conference to

maneuver this year. The Eagles at six and seven, believe it or not, the wildcard is you know, no one's gonna want to talk about this point, but it's still a possibility for this football team. Yeah, they can find a way to get to nine to seven. And I've always felt this, where I shouldn't say always, I felt this way for the last couple of weeks. Then if they can find a way to get to nine and seven, they're gonna have a chance to get in the playoffs.

Whether they win this division or the bottom of the wildcard comes down to a bunch of tie breakers. And that's the way the Eagles have to look at it. As devastating and crushing as a defeat as tonight was, they have to find a way once they get back here to Philadelphia to put it behind them. Well, it's an ATNT, Carson went standing by, it's a good defense.

That's a good defense, good team. They play hard, and we just couldn't down on the field, and we couldn't down the field, and then uh yeah, we just couldn't established long drives and put things together and just didn't execute. On the second and goal from at the eleven, it looked like, tell me, if the spread, did you check to a run there where you hand the smaller and if so, what did you see on that fudd it was. It was already a run play down the next play

after that, you drew to this on a slant. It looked like what was your decision making behind that? Yeah, they were just playing super soft coverage, you know. I was just trying to get it to him underneath so he could hopefully get in get in from in the middle there, because they just went Shelt coverage and got wide. So when we just didn't hit, it was a crag

where you went. The opening kickoff wasn't reversed the council. Yeah, honestly, I'm not I never even saw it, so I just I just know that that we all went on the field assuming it was that way, and um yeah, I got no opinion on that though. How frustrating is it getting that it seems like every week we sit here and ask you about the slow starts and we're here with thirteen or fourteen death Yeah, it's frustrating. I mean,

it's absolutely frustrating. And with the talent that we feel we have on the offense side of the ball, and um just couldn't execute, couldn't sustain drives and came up short here and there, and um yeah, without a doubt that's frustrating, which really flipped in, you know, down the stretch in the fourth quarter there. What was the key?

Hard to say? Um, you know, I think we just started playing our football, you know, just kind of went back to the basics a little bit and just gave our guys, um, you know, they were playing a lot of one on one on the outside, and just gave you know, Nelson and uh Aj some opportunities there and they were able to make some big place We went to more dual personnel down the stretch in Dallas became a factor that. Yeah. I mean, first of all, Dallas is a great player. You know, he's a great player.

Tough matchup, um, as far as being covered and everything. So, um, you know, I think it's just kind of in a response to how Dallas was playing us defensively, UM, to get Dallas and Hurts on the same on the field together, um, and we tried to take advantage of it a little bit. How do you explain kind of where the teammates at this point? Say it again, you knew the stakes of this game, obviously, how do you explain where the teammates

at this point or I guess rationalise where the teamsiness. Yeah, I mean we're not gonna you know, get anything, do anything crazy. You know, as far as you know where we're at, you know we um, we will never quit, you know, I know that will never quit. And um, you know we're just gonna keep competing our tails off and preparing our tails off and let the chips fallwere than me. There was strip at the end of the first half. What happened on that part? Uh, it's trip sac.

You know, I was trying to get it out and I didn't just feeling more ore here or I mean yeah, I mean it was behind me. I don't know. It's hard and stuff, but ideally I could get that ball out earlier, hopefully. And there was a lot of frustrating moments in this game. And how much of an impact you think the rest had from that opening kickoff to even if they got her teaving coming back. Yeah, I never want to sit and question the rest. I mean, they have a hard job to do, and uh, quite frankly,

I don't ever really see the calls. You know, you can't really see them on the JumboTron from where we're at, so I don't really I'm not gonna stand up here in question, um what they did and how they affected the game at all, Like a stunned silence and a lot your perspective. What were you guys feeling? Yeah, I mean that's a tough loss. It's tough loss. I mean again, we kind of knew the stakes of this game, and uh, you know we were able to uh stay in it.

You know, we were able to stay in it. And you know, we were we were struggling there for a while and then we battled back and we were extremely resilient and we just came up short, you know, and and that's uh, that's never fun. It's never fun. And then to lose on on that play the way it happened, um, where Ursul made a great play and it just you know bounced their way and um, yeah, just kind of you could say, stunned a little bit, but just frustrating

for sure. This part of the journey maybe over for you guys this season. Yeah, we don't we don't look at that at all, you know, I mean everyone, Um, like I said earlier, we're gonna just keep competing and keep preparing, um and not really look at any of that outside stuff and just keep doing what we do and you know, try and get on a role here and like I said, let the ships fall where they may. Did you want to go for them? Two? Um? Yeah, that's coaches call. You know, that's coaches call. And UM

with him one hundred percent. And you know it's always you could always argue it's easy in hindsight to to look at that, but um, we made the decision and went over time and just didn't get it done. That said, after after you guys didn't go for towo and you do get to touch the ball again, So let's go with your mind as you watched the rest of the game on pulled and helpless feeling. You know, it's helpless feeling.

You know, I got a lot of confidence in the defense they were making place today and then you know, we just didn't you know, like I said, it's help was feeling not going back out on that field. But you know, we just didn't do enough early offensively and that cost us as much talent as you guys have. And you kind of mentioned it there with the slow starts, But are you surprised you guys are sitting where you're sitting with three games to go with what you guys

did last year and having so many pieces that. Yeah, I mean, we're absolutely surprised where we're at. You know, we never envisioned ourselves. We never kind of pencil ourselves into be a losing record at this point in the season. We hold ourselves to high standards and high expectations, and um, yeah, this, this is extremely frustrating where we're sitting right now after seventy five yard touchdowns called back? What are you saying there?

What are you doing at that moment? Yeah, I mean, and first of all, everyone was tired because everyone just ran all the way down there and had to come back. But you know, I just said, hey, keep a leaving, keep a leaving, and then let's let's go get this done. And we did. You know, we went down and scored there at the end. But again, it was just too little, too late. It's sort of arbitrary for a coin toss to have such a big impact on the game. But did you but why did you choose what you chose?

Did you consider? Yeah, I didn't make the call. I didn't make the call. And you know that's just over time, you know, that's just the way it happened today. And um, again, it's it's tough. You look back at this game previous twelve. Is the overriding theme that you guys did not being able to get a rhythm game. I mean you could

say that a little bit. You know, we we obviously, um, everyone's seeing what we put out there, you know, and and getting in rhythm and starting slow has unfortunately been a common theme for us, and that's something we got to look hard at. And um, again we believe we have the guys to start fast and just stay on it. Um. But again, that's it's tough, and you could say there's there's a bit of a theme there that's that's frustrating for sure. That's a follow up to that as you

fly back tonight. What's going to bother you the most? The fact that we lost. I mean, first and foremost fact that we lost. You know, there's there's handful of plays that you know, I think everybody wants back. You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna watch the tape and be critical of myself and everything. But it's hard to say one specific thing other than that we just didn't get it done.

Thanks said all right. Quarterback Carson Wentz saying it was a hopeless feeling watching the overtime on the sidelines, not being able to do anything, having faith in the defense that they would get one crack at it, and then uh, while rallying in the fourth quarter against seventeen fourth quarter points after just after just six I should say in the first three quarters, too little, too late there for Carson Wentzon company. Which really is the storyline of the

season for this offense. Yeah, I mean, you know when we're in week thirteen, week fourteen looking at the team and we know the offense has struggled to sort of find this identity, and I think every game it's been a sort of a different reason. You know, whether you're you're trying to fit in a new personnel member, whether it's al Sean back at the week three, Carson coming back out the week two, trading for golden tape, you know,

getting Darren Spros back there. It's been you know, offensive linemen in and out due to injuries or what have you. It's been sort of a an offense that hasn't been able to really rely upon the same eleven guys eleven twelve thirteen guys every week to really build some sort of chemistry and cohesiveness and get a little bit of a rhythm going and like they had last year. You know, last year, you know, other than losing Jason Peters earlier again,

you didn't lose Carson until week thirteen. They pretty much had the same offensive personnel groupings out there every week. And that's what it really allowed that offense to flourish the way that it was able to flourish last year.

This year, we see that they're having issues at the start of games, you know, we see that they're having issues being able to sustain drives picking up third downs a Carson, I don't I don't think Carson is playing the quarterback position the same way he played it last year. Forget about the level in which he played it that

last year. I'm just talking about the way he plays the quarterback position, the way we watched him his rookie season, the way we watched him prior to getting injured last year. The fact that he uses his legs, the fact that he's able to extend plays, he's able to add lib make those all scheduled plays, things that we saw last week versus the red Skins. Now, when you're going to get a defense like the Dallas Cowboys, where they have athletic,

speedy linebackers. Now he's going to be conscious of when he's gonna leave that pocket, and so is Dallas. You know, they're gonna make sure that they have somebody watching him so that he's not able to use his legs. But when I look at the offense, a big part of the reason why they aren't as effective as they were last year, I have to believe that's part of it. Now, I think it understandable. The guy is just a year removed from that reconstructive knee surgery that he had last year.

But that was the sort of the unaccounted for. An element of the offense last year that defenses just can't really scheme for and plan for was the off scheduled plays. It's what makes the quarterbacks like Carson Wentz, Patrick Mahoons, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, all these guys Russell Wilson difficult to defend because when the play breaks down, he still has the ability to make something happen. And so that's

what I believe the offense is missing. You know, you gotta get a defense credit, especially when you're playing against a good defense. Rarely are you gonna be able to put the ball where you intend for it to go, So you're gonna need some of those off scheduled plays, And I just think for this offense this year, that's what's been missing when you add the fact that we took to week ten to find a true back identity, to find a true running identity, So that's part of

it as well. Whereas last year you had blunt a Gie and Corey Clement that you sort of knew you were gonna have every week. I think it made a great point about Wentz and the mobili and the fact that that brings to it. And I think you're a spot on with the fact that Monday night we saw those improv plays, or we saw him early on. We saw him on the two of them on the opening drive, both the Golden Tape, and he sort of felt like, all right, maybe those players are coming back into vogue.

Maybe that's gonna be in his arsenal to be able to use. And they weren't there today. So the reason as to why that's not the case, it's gonna be something that the deals are gonna have to wonder, you know, as they prepared for the last few weeks of the season tell you what it is already. Dallas made sure

they rushed Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence. Why they made sure if Wrentz was gonna escape the pocket, it was gonna have to be up the middle and through that he wasn't going to be able to get out to his outsides. And that's what you do to quarterbacks that have his type of athleticism. You take those speed ins DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, and you make short now

on the outside. The other thing I think the Eels coaching are going to figure out is how come guys like Nelson Agilor, who had a great toe tap reception tonight to get them in scoring raids late in the game. They have not been able to get those plays out of him. You go back to the first House game. He had a fifty one yard reception in that game, stretched the field and he said, all right, maybe Nelly's

coming along here. We haven't seen that. And Scottard Dallascott, it might be the most explosive weapon in this offense. And I'm going across the board. When he has the ball in his hands, he's making things happen how can we see more of that down stretch? Why haven't we seen more of that this season? So those are the different things I think the Eels coaches are going to try to figure out is maximizing the personnel that's available

to him. I thought they've done a much better job in recent weeks, you know, and like you said, they seemed like they had finally got some semblance of the ground game going. Josh Adams was the lead guy. They tried to feed him the ball early. Corey Clement was that change of paceback, but he got injured early in the game. And that's why, you know, rapports were asking Doug Pearson, why is Wendel small Would in the ball

in the red zone? Well, because Windel Smallwood is now your guy with Corey Clement being injured and on the sideline. So we heard from Doug Pearson his press conference, but he's always much more candid and is one on one with Eagles Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Quick. Let's take you to that interview right now. Coach again, how difficult is it when you fought this hard? I feel like I watched a heavyweight fight and not come up

with the win. It's exactly how I felt after this football game and really going into this game from the standpoint of you know, the NFC's Cowboys Eagles, it's always always a fight to the end. Um. Both games this year have come right down to the end. And you know, it's unfortunate that we're on the on the short end of this one again. Um, But but there there is no quit I mean the fact that our guys compete

in battle right to the end. It definitely is a learning opportunity, a moment for our guys, for our coaches, UM, that we're gonna learn from. We'll get ready for the next one and and uh, you know, we'll just keep this team together. We speaking of that battle, the offense didn't get going for a long time, but you really moved the ball well in the fourth quarter. Will was

the difference? I think, I think a lot of things, but I think number one, Um, you know, we we found we found some matchups that we could kind of exploit, you know, uh in on their defense and Dallas made a couple of huge, huge catches. Obviously it was unfortunate though you know the the PI I guess, uh right, that was unfortunate, but he made a couple of nice catches.

Alshan made a couple of nice catches, and you know, and we were able to do some things with the play action game in the second half that really sort of even though we were running the ball very well, it's still sort of UM kept their d line you know at Bay and and uh just opened up a couple of windows. Force. Do you think when you got into the the overtime, the fact that your defense was on the field for so long, do you think that

hurt in the overtime? I think it can, um, you know, quite frankly, they're they're on the field so long and and and it's tough, and especially a team that you know it's gonna run the ball at you. It's it's it's hard, um. But but we were just looking for for any stop, one stop we you know, not even right there before the end of end of regulation, you know, a couple of sacks and they just dug down and dug deep and found a way to make a play.

And we just needed that and overtime and just unfortunately we didn't get it. We've got three games to them. How do you handle this team moving forward? This week? Going out to La well, um, you know, number one, we gotta we just gotta get back to work. Um, we're still not necessarily out of out of the postseason, even though you know, we know people are probably gonna, uh kind of rite us off, but um, it is what it is right now. But but we've we've got

to focus on next week. We gotta get ready for next week. We got our long trip again, and and just quite frankly, um roll up our sleeves and go to work, you know, and and and just just continue to grind, all right, Thanks coach and Mike Quick and you know, talk talking about the resilience of this football team.

And it's gonna be interesting to see can the Eagles dig deep once again, because a couple of weeks ago, after they were badly in New Orleans, a lot of people thought at that point four and six at the time, this team might throw in the towel. And then they fell behind nineteen to three against the New York Giants at home, and I think many of us thought, are they just gonna get steamrolled right of the building. And that's gonna be how the twenty eighteen season, for all

intents and purposes, comes to an end. But the team fought back and route they got the win Monday night, they put themselves in position to take first place in the division. They come up short and overtime, and as Doug said, look, things are not over yet. You know, the division a long shot at this point, but they're still gonna be in the wildcard mix. And I totally get fans don't want to hear that right now whatsoever.

But still you're gonna have to go on the road primetime Sunday and eight to face an outstanding La Rams team, a RAMS team that's gonna want revenge for losing that game to the Eagles. That was the critical turning point game last year when Carson Wentz got injured, Nick Foles led the fourth quarter rally, Eagles won the division and set themselves on toward the Super Bowl run. The three seed.

Yeah huge Sports didn't have to play the opening week, Yeah, forcing to play the Falcons, and then they end up getting knocked out by the Falcons. So so much of that history is going to be brought up here. But nonetheless, it's gonna be interesting to see how deep can the guys go in the emotional reserve in the tank there to find what they've got because there's still three games left. Okay,

two of the teams are in playoff contention. Okay, the Rams may have the division all but secured, and may they may have home a first round by security effect with a win tonight over the Bears. They're playing right now in Suddnight Football. But Houston is still in the playoff mix. You know, we're we gotta find out a lot about the players in that locker room over the next couple of weeks. But you wonder what are they gonna have left after giving so much emotionally these last

couple of weeks. Yeah, I think the players, the players feel a lot like we as observers feel right now and the fans felt going into this game. It really was about this game. And now you're gonna have to pretty much um wait your fade out with some other teams as well as overcome the difficult task that you have in front of you when you look at the next two weeks talking about the Rams and the Houston Texas to division leading teams that still have a lot

to play for. So uh, it's a difficult one today to swallow this. This feels like, um, this was a huge punch in the gut, big opportunity missed. And I'm pretty sure the players feel that. And and it's going to take a lot for them to really put this from behind them and really focus in on that game next Sunday in Los Angeles. These guys are human, These guys are human, and they knew and they know what was this at stake with this game, right, Winning your

division is always the easiest path to the postseason. Yeah, that's that's your first goal. And so because they didn't take business, take care of business after the bye week against the Cowboys at home, this was a must win. Today's game was a must win for him. Now they aren't eliminated, and they have to get back on the horse Tuesday when it's time to get ready for Los Angeles next week. But right now, and this one hurts.

I've been in this position, man, this one, this one hurts, and this one hurts in that locker room because they fought. These players fought. They fought today. Man, they fought, and this thing didn't look good early in the game. And uh, this defense kept them in the game as long as they could. They came up with turnovers, they came up with stops to get this offense an opportunity to get back into the game. Um, this is a tough one,

this one. This is a tough one that when these guys coming back, it's gonna hurt because they know that they left it all out there tonight and they really did. They left it all out there. And this is an under man team. This is an under man team. And as much as it pains me to say it, and I didn't want to say it, now you have to se say it because they've beaten you twice. Cowboys are a better team. They just they just yeah, they just yet you look at both games, they never let Yeah,

they're not leading either Cowboys games a great point. That's a great point. Even though they were one score games, they were close games. The fact that the matter is the Eagle. I mean, the Cowboys pretty much dominated both of these games here in Philadelphia and down there in Texas, and the Eagles had opportunities and this was one that they needed to find a way to steal. And man, Um, it just just it just stinks that they came up a little short. It just they just stinks that they

came up a little short. Man, because they really fought. They fought their butts off to get this when it's just it stinks at the offense. They didn't get get an opportunity in overtime. So latest gut punch in a season full of them, here for the Eagles, We're gonna take our first break here on the post game show presented by Rico, We're gonna go inside the film room as friend Duffy and Great Hotel for breakdown. The All twenty and two are some of the key plays from

tonight's game. If you are watching us on Facebook or Twitter, you're gonna need to come on over to Philadelphi Eagles dot com or the app to watch the rest of the show. We'll see you after these few messages. When I'm trying to gain but it feels like another lie, Yeah, I'm trying to stay. Sometimes I realize that further right, the more that I know, and I want to go home. When you and your money are treated with respect, your prosper and at fantand bank, respect adds up. What's the jogie?

Are you seriously asking me that what you gotta have a good bread crispy like you confute it? Can I take a bike? Latins Tomato on you for me, It's to stop. It's all about to me. Pepper Turkey, it's for me, proSP generalist, Salami, capcol astromy It's to me. Fam Come on in. We'll feed you like family. I did say cheese, right, Swiss, pepper Jack Sharp. How when I think my mom, my manager, my babysitter, little girl Damie River is ready and I nice to think about Dogwalker.

It feels like a big win when you get a deal like this. Introducing the new six dollars Classic Meal Deal. Make a meal with one of these favorites for just six dollars at Santon dair Bank. We want you to prosper. That's why we treat you and your money with respect. Learn more about how respect adds up at Santon dair by visiting Santondairbank dot com. McDonald's proud partner of the Philadelphia Eagles. All right, welcome back to the postgame show

presented by Rico. We were talking there off camera there Ike and it felt like death by a million paper cuts in overtime, or to the point where the Cowboys almost could have just ran the clockdown until no time was left and then kicked the game winning field goal instead of Mark Cooper scores from fifteen yards out to give the Cowboys to six point win in overtime. Now, before the show, we try to list a couple of things like Ike's big takeaways, the turning points, plays of

the game, things of that nature. Turning point we kind of were going back and forth because so many things were happening throughout the course of the game. But certainly Corey graham interception there in the second half looked like it was going to prove to be a big one for the Eagles, not only getting the turnover, the second interception for the Eagles there, but putting the Eagles in prime scoring position, and they were able to finish things

off with the Alshon Jeffrey touchdown. Yeah, nice play there from Corey Graham, the old guy, you know, made some plays out there today. I thought. Great pressure by the guys upfront forced Dak to sort of you know, elbow didn't get it tucked in, so he releases that ball high,

overthrows this receiver Corey Graham Johnny on the spot. Nice interception there, and like you said, and even better return setting up the Eagles in scoring position because quite frankly, it was difficult up until that point for the Eagles to get in scoring position and been in scoring position, so that return yardage was greatly needed and sort of

got the ball rolling for the Eagles offense. All Right, we're gonna send it into the film room the RICO whiteboard for the Rico Review, where fran Duffy and Great Sell from NFL Films are going to break down Graham's interception followed by Jeffrey's touchdown. They get the Eagles on the board. Well, in the third quarter of the Eagles

got another big turnover and this one was big. Greg They're down nine nothing here and they have the Cowboys backed up and they get a huge interception from Corey Graham. Let's take a look at this play and it starts really the bad throw from Dak Prescott. Yeah, that's really what it is. But you'll see that here's Corey Graham right here, right now. He looks like he's a deep

middle defender, but look at his body position. He's clearly facing to his right and that tells you that he's going to move in that direction at the snap of the ball, and basically he's just playing over the top. And what you're gonna get here is a dig rout by Michael Gallup, who'll come into the screen. And as you said, Fran, this is an overthrow. You could argue that Gallup was open, but and we can run it and you'll see it. Dak Prescott just overthrew an open

receiver here. But hey, in a game like this where one play could mean a big deal, that's exactly what happened. And Corey Graham actually made a nice interception because the ball was tipped by Gallop on the high throw. Yeah, a lot of people have asked where are the turnovers out with this Eagle's defense, and Jim Schwartz has said, you got to just make the plays when they come to and that's Corey Graham making the play when it

comes Exactly what happened right there. Absolutely so big play here and at least to this touchdown catch by Alshon Jeffrey. So after that interception by Corey Graham, we now have this touchdown throw from Carson Wentz to al Shan Jeffrey and it's all a play greg that we've seen earlier in the season. Eagles scored touchdown against the New York Giants a couple months ago on this very same play, same part of the field, right inside the two yard line.

Tell us what we're seeing here on this play. It's a really good play down here because what you get is normally you can't really get true press man where they're right up on the receivers. So what you're getting is a natural rub element or a natural pick. And here's alshon Jeffrey right out here, and here's Nelson Aglar in the slot. But now, in order to create this, what they do here is they take Jeffrey and they're going to motion him tighter to the formation so they

can really use Aglar's release as a natural rub. And that's exactly what they do. And plus, when you do send a receiver in motion like this the corner, he can't work forward. He has to either work laterally or even take a step back. That's the way it works. So now let's run this and just see exactly what we mean and then freeze it right about there. You see exactly how this is set up. Okay, there's Byron Jones, look where he is. He is in no position to

play this. There's Jeffrey right behind Aglar, So you get the natural rub element. Simple basic concept. Let this run and you'll see it play out and it ends up being a touchdown. But just really well designed, well executed. Yeah. I like what they did too by putting three receivers to the boundary on the other side. That helps RaSE some traffic there, direction space absolutely, so the Eagles get into the red zone there are gett into the end zone there for the first time in the game. Makes

it nine to six. They missed the extra point. That's the score going into the fourth quarter. Thanks Fran and Greg. Like house twitter out there, let's see your tweet away. Not good right now, not good right now. The Natives are restless, and but uh typical. You know, it's it listen, it's it's it's still wrong. It's right after, right after

the game, and you know, fans, uh, it's it's. It's a little different this year, right obviously, coming off the Super Bowl win and with the season going the way that it's gone this year, where it's been up and down, there have been some fans that have really been one foot in, one foot out over the last couple weeks. Really after they lost to the Saints at four and six. You know, you had some people thought that this isn't doesn't feel like a special year, so they've been sort

of bracing for the end. But I think most people after the last two weeks felt like this was the last ditch effort. Yeah, this was the last ditch effort. But um so what you're getting is not as much outrage and and people being upset and mad, but more or less, you get some frustration and you get you probably get more u It's ironic because you kind of

get more of relieve people that's relieved. I'm getting more people saying on Twitter, well, now we have to worry about the next three weeks and season is over with and we kind of know what the fate is of the team. That's the most difficult part is for me, you just keep keep this train rolling. We're still in

this thing. Yeah, the thing but that's the thing is you want to keep everyone on board because you kind of had a sense that if they lost today, they would be like, you know what, like you said, maybe this is not gonna be the year for this football team, and they look the next two weeks and they know the next two weeks are tough. So you look at losing this game and then you're saying well, man, we lost in Dallas. How we're gonna go to Los Angeles and win and then how we're gonna come home and

beat the Houston Texas SOUM. But like I always tell my listeners, it's not over until it's actually over, until they are mathematically eliminated. UM, I'm gonna keep I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed, and I'm gonna keep hopes high because after what they did last year, when I still believe that was more improbable than anything once Carson Wentz went down, Um to do what they did even with the playoff birth locked up and most backup quarterbacks can't

go in and win the Super Bowl. Believer, I'm surprised you. But but I don't know. I'm just saying the circumstances. Circumstances. When you look at most teams that they lose their starting quarterback with two or three weeks left to go in the season, most teams would think they aren't winning the Super Bowl. Um. But the Eagles were able to do it in the fashion and they did so in my opinion because of that, UM, they get the benefit of the doubt for me. So until they are mathematically eliminated,

for good. Then I'm still riding with them. I'm still you know that it's still possible, still possible with this team. Yeah, it's still possible. And this NFL is crazy. You see some of the way these games end of the day. You see how the Patriots lost today to the Dolphins. Uh, this has been a crazy NFL year. When you look at teams and then some of the improbable performances that we're getting from some individual players and some teams. Um, until you're actually out of it, you're still in it.

You're still and that's all it matters. Anything can happen, that's all it matters. And I'll tell you even if I were to look at the Cowboys situation, right, I can go this deep. The Cowboys have the Coats next week in Indianapolis. They got Tampa at homes, a Tampa team that just went toe to toe with the Saints. They can score some points. And then a hot Giants team with an offense that can put up points. When you look at eli Odell Beckham, you missed today, say

Kwon Barkley went off. The Redskins don't have a lot to play for. Giants put up forty plus points on them. So that last game of the season for the Cowboys in New York. New York's not gonna lay down for the Cowboys. So who knows what the Cowboys record is gonna be. They may be looking at this thing like they've won, uh, the NFC East tonight, that they've clinched the playoff spot, when when in all actuality, they've done neither. They didn't clinch the playoff spot today, and they didn't

clinch the NFC East. They're closer to doing it, but they can all collapse, right and they still, like I said, they still have the Coats to play the Bucks at home and then the Giants on the road, So that's obviously a little easier of a road to toe than what the Eagles have looking at the Rams, the Texas and then finishing up in Washington. But like I said, stranger things have happened. Minnesota still has Seattle to play tomorrow.

They still play Chicago late in the season. Seattle has Minnesota tomorrow, and they to play the Kansas City Chiefs, I believe, and Arrowhead. So you know, it's a lot of football left to be played. You know, the Eagles are gonna have to sort of use this plane ride back home to sort of lick their wounds. And then you know, Tuesday, who knows what this thing is gonna look like Tuesday when we all wake up. Who knows what the NFL standings are gonna look like when we

wake up Tuesday morning. You remember it's ten years ago, two thousand and eight, forty six, Yeah, where you go into the last day of the regular season needing a whole litany of things that happened to even have a chance to get into the playoffs. I remember that day vividly because the Eagles and the Cowboys had the late afternoon start. Yeah, And I said it would be just like the Eagles for everything to fall right, for them to put themselves in position for that game to matter

and then lose it to Dallas. But instead Brian Dawkins had you know, it was his last home game as an Eagle, and he went he went off as the Eagles rounded the Cowboys forty forty six, one of the rate Eagles Cowboys games of all time. From Philly's perspective, I actually watching the overtime, Mike, you know, the fourth and one was Zeke Elliott. I had Merrill's fourth and one from ninety five where they stopped Emmett Smith again, that iconic call. I had that ringing in my head, thinking,

is this gonna be it? Going from you know, you know Zeke Elliott being the franchise back for them like Emmett Smith was back then. You know, big game, this one of course in Dallas. You know, still I thought maybe this was gonna be the fourth and one for this generation this decade so speak, And unfortunately it didn't come to fruition today. But you know, still a few weeks left down the road here, so we showed you the big plays there again the All twenty two review

with Fran and Gregg. The complete version would be available tomorrow morning on Philadelphia dot com. We're gonna get into the Toyota players of the week are and then look ahead to these final three weeks here after this final break on the postgame Show presented by Rico, how many think my mom, my manager, my babysitter, look girl, damn thing about dog Walker. It feels like a big win when you get a deal like this. Introducing the new

six dollar Classic Meal Deal. Make a meal with one of these favorites for just six dollars, come see what's happening at your local acmee. Better sale prices, superior service and great quality products. Cleaner, friendlier, fresher like fresher meat and seafood and fresher produce including organic and our butchers could our USDA choice Lancaster beef in store every day.

So stop in shop and see for yourself why Acmee it is just better shop on game day and say five percent of ACMEE when wearing your Eagles apparel, Well, I'm trying to get but it feels like another lie. Yeah, I'm trying to stay strong. Sometimes realize and the mold and I go. When you and your money are treated with respect, you prosper and at fontand bank, respect adds up.

This season, the Eagles High School Football Showdown, presented by Rothman Orthopedics at Jefferson Health, celebrated local high school football coaches and their teams. Visit Philadelphia Eagles dot com Slash Showdown to check out the weekly results and videos and to find out which coach will be selected as the Coach of the Year. Now is your chance to vote

for the Toyota Player of the Week. Go to Philadelphia Eagles dot com slash Toyota player the week to cash your vote and get a chance at a brand new Toyota. So we broke down his big one of his big plays earlier. Let your cocks there starting things off here, here's a number for you. The Cowboys ran with the overtime ninety plays. Ninety plays. Once you once you're getting into seventies, you're already high for a game. They ran

ninety players to forty six. Yeah, that's a lot of plays. Yeah, that's a lot of plays for any defense to be out there. And that's why I said to the Eagles to find themselves even in this game late in the game, with the with the way the Cowboys offense basically dominated the game from a time of possession standpoint, from a yardage standpoint, really is nothing short of just miraculous that the defense were able to come up with key stops

late in this game. So yeah, no surprise to me that when Dallas won that coin toss that the Eagles were really plan on fumes going into that to that overtime. And then give give give Jason Garrett some credit, man, he didn't take the field goal, he went for it on fourth down and overtime. So they played, they played the win, they knew, they knew what they could do

to the Eagles in that situation. And plus if they saw that the Eagles offense was also moving the ball, and I also would say they knew they could pretty much knock the Eagles out of the division contention there. And if I have Zeke Elliott and a mobile quarterback in Dak Prescott, Anna Mark Cooper, I'm probably with that offensive, I'm probably going four on fourth down as well. So our second nominee there, Fletcher Cox, our first one, number

two safety Corey Graham. Uh, you know, stepping up with the big time play. You needed a game changing player two in this in this one, and Corey Graham not just getting the interception because the offense struggle to move the ball at this point in the game. Getting the Eagle putting the right on the doorstep and then Carson Wentz following up with the two yard touchdown pass alshon Jeffrey. But Corey Gram there ten total tackles on the day,

a pass deflection in the course that interception. Yeah, and I thought that was the big play in the game for the defense. Really gave the offense, uh, some momentum right there, set up the first touchdown to Ali Sean Jeffrey in the game. So, you know, Corey Graham had struggled a little bit, uh this year, probably probably playing a lot more than he had anticipated playing this season, not only him, the coaches had anticipated him playing. But good to see the veteran come up with a good

football game today. All right, last, but not least, defensive end. Michael Bennet. I mean, look, I just have a lot of respect for the job the defensive line did here today with the amount of pressure that was put on them. No one that from a death standpoint. You again, no, Tim Jernigan, Josh what knocked out during the game. These veteran guys, you know, playing like I said, ninety snaps. Most of these guys, Chris Long branding Graham as well.

We're on the field for virtually all of them. It seemed like, you know, obviously Bruce Hector, Traylons, those those guys are able to rotate in a bit. But still hello, not as well. But Michael Bennett, you know, from end tackle was the one creating pressure on Dak Prescott throughout the entirety of the game. Yeah, let's let's let's face it, you know, this guy needs to be given his credit

for what he's been able to do. Started off the season really splitting reps there, you know, Derek Barnette getting a lot of those defensive in reps on third down. But really, since Derek was injured and lost for the season, Michael Bennett has really been a savior for this defense. I honestly believe you know, he and Fletcher Cox have by far been the two best defensive lineman all year long. And then having my Michael Bennett really pick up his play over the last six seven weeks of the season

has been huge. He really has been a nice addition to that room. And the fact that Brandon Graham has struggled to come back from that ankle injury is great to see Michael Bennett making the most of his opportunities. All Right, So those are your Toyota Player of the Week nominations again. You can vote for that award right now and to get a chance at a brand new Toyota. Before we close up shop, we talked about the jumbled NFC picture, So let's take a look at how things look.

You know, through week fourteen, and you have your division leaders again. The Rams and the Bears are playing right now. The Rams can clinch a first round by with a win. It's a three to three game there on Sunday Night football. Cowboys in control of the nfcas winning today, the Saints escaping the Bucks. You look at the teams in the hunt though, six and seven. Yeah, depending on what Minnesota

does tomorrow night, that's gonna be. That's really gonna be the big one for the Eagles is Minnesota plays Seattle. If Seattle can win, you're knocking the Vikings down the peg, and you're really murking up that sixth seed there in the conference because again the roads to the NFC East, it's gonna take a collapse by the Cowboys at this point, plus the Eagles surging down the stretch for them to come back and win it, because they would have to win all three. Cowboys have to lose all three. They

are playing some good teams. Okay, so it's not all the realm of possibility, but you know that's where the Eagles are that you need help from everyone else. That's the most disappointing thing of this one is you're not in control anymore that you need these other teams to step up to get the job done. So I get to hear you tomorrow in the airwaves two pm, you know, Marksiri Show. We'll get through it. Yeah, we'll get through it.

And listen it's it's uh well, I laugh because you know, I you know, sometimes and this team means everything to us, to this city. It just does. And immediately after loss, it feels like it's the worst feeling in the world. And I get it. I get it, and that's why there there there is no fan base like the Philadelphia fan base, and particularly when it pertains to their Philadelphia Eagles. So we'll get through. We'll talk about it, We'll we'll console each other, you know, we'll be uh therapy for

each other, you know, and uh um. But you gotta remember, man, when in the end, when you're filling the most gloom about this team, just think back February fourth right there. That's the ring that they will always be there. We got that that will always be there. So it ain't that dark around here. No, it's not that dark around here,

you know what I mean. Still you but you're enjoying the most basically wait all year for these twenty weeks or so, you know, especially coming off the Super Bowl run and Carson Wentz coming back and getting some of the guys back in the line who missed that run. You figured, there's there's no way that you're gonna have any kind of setback because or step back this year, because of the fact that all these guys are going

to make sure they get back there again. But it's very similar to you know, I was around the team in two thousand and four going to the two thousand and five and obviously you had left after that run to the Super Bowl to design to deal with Atlanta. I think everyone assumed we cruised to the NFC, we're gonna be right there in the mix next year. It took him until two thousand and eight to get back to the championship game, just in the Championship game, and then to last season to me to get to the

Super Bowl. It is very, very difficult, And the biggest thing is the Eels took advantage of the opportunity in February when it was That's the most important thing is once you got there, that you want it and you have that ring, you have that championship, and now I'll never be taken away from you. So it's hard to win in this league, Chris, It's hard to win footballs

in the football games in this league. And to me, the best franchise of the modern generation, after they won their first Super Bowl over the Rams, and I'm talking about the New England Patriots, they went nine and seven the following year and missed the playoffs. So before they learned how to deal with the success after winning the Super Bowl. They even struggle the very next year after

they won their first one. So, um, just understand we're going through a little bit of a transitional period here dealing with success at that level, something none of us are accustomed to the following year. But the Eagles haven't thrown in the towel on the season. We just aren't getting the ball to bounce our way as as frequently as we did last year. Right. But but but the players and the coaches didn't take the season. They didn't throw in the towel in on the season. They're still

out there putting forth their best effort. We just aren't getting the bounces to follow our way, uh this year. And so um um, I know you got full confidence and so do I in them that they will continue to fight until this thing is over with. We've seen it so often in the last couple of weeks where the Eagles could have thrown in the towel, given up on this again. I will just go back to that

Giants game down ninth tea three yea. That right, there was a moment where you said this could be it, and they fought and then one there on the Jake Elliott field goal to escape, and then they get to win against Washington and he thought things were wrong. Not the case. Okay, So they stumble today against the Dallas Cowboys, losing in overtime twenty nine to twenty three. They're gonna be back at it primetime next Sunday night, and it's gonna be Monday morning, but Ike and I will be

here for the postgame show presented by Rico. You can watch him on Eagles Game Plan to preview that game against the Rams. During the week head coach Doug Pearson. He'll be addressing the media at noon after the team arrives back from Dallas. Will have complete live coverage then and throughout the week here on Philadelphia Eagles dot com. So for Ike reason all office here at the Eagles, I'm Chris McPherson. You've been watching the postgame show presented

by Rico. Everyone try to relax and try to enjoy the rest of what is this Eagles night. Thanks everyone,