It was the game that most fans had circled on their calendars as the two top teams in the NFC East battled for first place supremacy. The Thanksgiving day showdown had the Philadelphia Eagles completely dominating the division rival Dallas Cowboys by the final score of 33-10.
Starting on their own 20, the Eagles came out the gate flying high. Quarterback Mark Sanchez spread the ball out well as Riley Cooper, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and Darren Sproles all got their hands on the ball during the fast-paced drive. The opening drive was capped off by a two-yard quarterback keeper by Sanchez for the score.
After a successful defensive stop by the Eagles defense, Sanchez and the offense headed back on the field for another well-played drive. With great running from McCoy, Sanchez was able to connect with his number one target Jordan Matthews for a 27-yard touchdown to extend the lead.
The dominate first quarter also saw Maclin reach 1,000 yards on the season for the first time of his career. Maclin finished the first half with five receptions for 93 yards, including a key 27-yard catch and run.
It would not be long after until the Cowboys finally responded from a two-yard touchdown run by DeMarco Murray set up by a huge 38-yard completion from Tony Romo to Dez Bryant.
For the remainder of the first half, kicker Cody Parkey continued to pile up the points for the Eagles with three field goals. The last of the first half field goals came after Brandon Boykin forced a fumble on Cole Beasley that was recovered and advanced to Dallas’ 11. The forced fumble was a league-high 20th for the Eagles this season.
In the third quarter, the Eagles offense put their foot back on the gas on both sides of the ball. McCoy continued to silence his doubters with an explosive 38-yard touchdown run. McCoy finished the day with a dominant 159 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. Sanchez also had a stunning performance as he completed 20 of 29 passes for 217 yards and ran for a touchdown.
The defense added big plays of their own with a Cary Williams pick and countless stops, causing Romo and the offense to quickly crumble. For the rest of the game, the Eagles blew the Cowboys right out of their own stadium and secured their ninth win of the season.
Next week, the Eagles will head home to take on the defending champion Seattle Seahawks from Lincoln Financial Field at 4:25 p.m.
[Photo: Philadelphia Eagles Official Facebook Page]
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
