The Cowboys made a case for being the best team in the NFC East with a 33-13 win over the Eagles, but they still will need help to win the division.
Dallas and Philadelphia, which split the home-and-home series this season, both are 10-3. Both teams lost to the 49ers convincingly. The Cowboys, though, have a loss to the Cardinals, while the Eagles have a loss to the Jets, giving Philadelphia a better conference record. For now anyway.
The Cowboys left no doubt who was the better team Sunday night after coming up inches short in Philadelphia earlier this season.
They led from start to finish, scoring on the opening drive and leading 24-6 at halftime.
The Eagles thought about making it a game after Jalen Carter’s 42-yard return of a Dak Prescott fumble cut the Cowboys’ lead to 24-13. Philadelphia had a chance to get within 27-20, but on fourth-and-8 from the Dallas 30 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter, the Cowboys sent the house.
Hurts’ throw was rushed, and DeVonta Smith caught the ball for a 1-yard gain before Stephon Gilmore brought him down. Gilmore had a team-leading nine tackles and a forced fumble.
The Eagles’ best offensive players — Hurts, Smith and A.J. Brown — each lost a fumble, losing the ball at the Dallas 31, Philadelphia 49 and Dallas 35. The Eagles also turned it over on downs at the Dallas 30, and they settled for Jake Elliott field goals after reaching the Dallas 34 and 26.
Hurts was 18-of-27 for 197 yards and ran for 30 yards on five carries, while Brown caught nine passes for 94 yards.
The Eagles now have lost back-to-back games by a combined score of 75-32.
The Cowboys made a statement with a 15th consecutive win at home, beating a team that currently has a winning record for the first time.
They scored on seven of nine possessions, with rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey connecting on field goals of 60, 59, 45 and 50 yards. He is 30-for-30, an NFL record to start a career.
The Cowboys punted in the third quarter, their first punt since the third quarter of Thanksgiving Day.
They gained 394 yards, with Prescott completing 24 of 39 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns and putting his name firmly in the MVP conversation.
Jake Ferguson caught five passes for 72 yards, and CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 71 yards and a score. Michael Gallup and Rico Dowdle had the other touchdowns for the Cowboys.
