The Philadelphia Eagles give up four turnovers in error-prone Sunday night performance but the Dallas Cowboys can't capitalise with rookie quarterback Ben DiNucci making his first NFL start and are held scoreless after the break
Monday 2 November 2020 10:08, UK
Carson Wentz threw a pair of touchdown passes to overcome four turnovers, while Rodney McLeod returned a fumble 53 yards for a TD as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 23-9 on Sunday night.
Wentz completed 15 of 27 passes for just 123 yards, while the Eagles QB fumbled the ball twice and threw two interceptions that takes him to an NFL-worst 12 on the season.
But, touchdown passes to Travis Fulgham and Jalen Reagor helped the Eagles (3-4-1) edge ahead of the toothless Cowboys, with their defence then icing the win in the fourth quarter.
Rookie Ben DiNucci was 21 of 40, passing for 180 yards, with a longest gain of just 15 in his first NFL start for Dallas (2-6), who lost a third straight since losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a season-ending ankle injury in Week Five.
Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals for the Cowboys, helping them into a half-time lead at 9-7 as the Eagles continuously coughed up the football. But the visitors were held scoreless after the break, and they have now managed only 22 points in the past three games Prescott has missed.
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 63 yards on 19 carries and Michael Gallup had seven receptions for 61 yards; Dallas outgained Philadelphia 265 to 222 but, crucially, converted just four of 16 third-down tries.
Dallas drove the ball down the field effectively on the opening possession of the game and Zuerlein kicked a 49-yard field goal to put them into an early 3-0 lead.
The Cowboys then had an excellent opportunity to extend that after Donovan Wilson strip-sacked Wentz and recovered at the Eagles 25-yard line. But Brandon Graham stripped DiNucci on second down and recovered the ball back for Philly.
Wentz then tossed a two-yard TD to Reagor - his first in the NFL - for a 7-3 lead, before two further Zuerlein kicks put the Cowboys up at the break, the latter nailed from 59 yards out.
The Eagles edged ahead for good in the final two minutes of the third quarter when Wentz hit Fulgham on a nine-yard touchdown pass.
Dallas reached the Eagles' 21-yard line in the fourth quarter, but DiNucci fumbled the ball when sacked by T.J. Edwards and McLeod then returned it 53 yards for a score.
A short time later, the Cowboys were backed up on their own 11-yard line, and long snapper L.P. Ladouceur was instructed to snap the ball out of the end zone to set up a free kick. The safety extended Philadelphia's lead to 14.
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