Eagles’ loss gives Dallas Cowboys’ playoff hopes a little lift
By CHAREAN WILLIAMS
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
PHILADELPHIA -- Somewhere Wade Phillips should have been doing his fist pump, and Terrell Owens should have been enjoying the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss for more than the obvious reason.
The New York Giants’ 36-31 victory at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night was just what the Cowboys needed.
Let’s be realistic: Dallas doesn’t have a prayer of catching the Giants. The New Yorkers are 8-1, three games up on the Cowboys with seven to play, and they already beat our local heroes last week. The Cowboys have to leap frog either the Eagles or the Redskins to have even a chance at the postseason.
Without playing Sunday, the Cowboys (5-4) made up lost ground. They moved out of the cellar and into a third-place tie with the Eagles, who the Cowboys beat 41-37 at Texas Stadium in Week 2. The Cowboys and Eagles are a game behind the Redskins, who host Dallas on Sunday.
Everyone is looking up at the Giants.
“It’s big to be up… in our division when teams are as good as they are,” Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. “It’s big for us to be able to have some separation. But the season is not over. We’re midway through. And we know we’ve got those same teams again coming. Washington is going to be on the road, and Dallas is going to be on the road. It’s going to be some tough games.”
In their victory over the Eagles, New York again established that it is the best team in the NFC East, the best team in the NFC and maybe the best team in the NFL. Only the Tennessee Titans can make a case that they are better, and since the Vince Lombardi Trophy is sitting in a display case in the lobby of the Giants’ training facility, the Giants are the team to beat.
If not for two first-half turnovers by the Giants, which led to 14 Eagles’ points, New York would have had the rowdy Philly fans abusing the home team by halftime. Instead, the Giants had to sweat out three replay challenges in the second half, all of which went New York’s way, and then had to stop Brian Westbrook on fourth-and-one with 1:47 remaining to finally clear out the stadium.
“It’s going to be like this sometimes,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. “…In this division, you aren’t just going to run away from people, especially on the road against a good quarterback.”
The first replay challenge proved that football, indeed, is a game of feet. Or in this case, a foot.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning had every part of his body across the line of scrimmage except his back foot on a third-quarter pass. That was the difference between an illegal forward pass, which referee Terry McAulay initially ruled, and settling for a field goal, and a first down at the Philadelphia 3-yard line. Two plays after Tom Coughlin threw the red flag, and won his challenge, Jacobs followed right guard Chris Snee into the end zone for a 27-24 lead with 5:56 remaining.
On back-to-back, red-zone plays in the fourth quarter, Eagles coach Andy Reid threw his red flag. He argued that Jacobs had fumbled on both. The first wasn’t close. Jacobs clearly was down before he lost the ball. The second, a 3-yard touchdown run, was, but, after watching the replay, McAulay ruled Jacobs had crossed the goal line before losing possession.
Jacobs had not fumbled since Dec. 9 when he lost two in a 16-13 victory over the Eagles here in Philadelphia. Even though he rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, he had a hard time holding onto the ball.
“You pay attention to that too, huh?” Jacobs said. “I don’t know [why the fumbles have come in Philly]. I couldn’t tell you. I just think it was poor ball protection by me, and I’ll just try not to let that happen again.”
The Giants couldn’t have won it without linebacker Chase Blackburn, who met Westbrook in the backfield on fourth-and-one with less than two minutes remaining. The Giants celebrated like they had won the division, and though the fat lady isn’t yet singing, she is warming up her voice.
The Redskins, Cowboys and Eagles are left fighting for seconds.
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
PHILADELPHIA -- Somewhere Wade Phillips should have been doing his fist pump, and Terrell Owens should have been enjoying the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss for more than the obvious reason.
The New York Giants’ 36-31 victory at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night was just what the Cowboys needed.
Let’s be realistic: Dallas doesn’t have a prayer of catching the Giants. The New Yorkers are 8-1, three games up on the Cowboys with seven to play, and they already beat our local heroes last week. The Cowboys have to leap frog either the Eagles or the Redskins to have even a chance at the postseason.
Without playing Sunday, the Cowboys (5-4) made up lost ground. They moved out of the cellar and into a third-place tie with the Eagles, who the Cowboys beat 41-37 at Texas Stadium in Week 2. The Cowboys and Eagles are a game behind the Redskins, who host Dallas on Sunday.
Everyone is looking up at the Giants.
“It’s big to be up… in our division when teams are as good as they are,” Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. “It’s big for us to be able to have some separation. But the season is not over. We’re midway through. And we know we’ve got those same teams again coming. Washington is going to be on the road, and Dallas is going to be on the road. It’s going to be some tough games.”
In their victory over the Eagles, New York again established that it is the best team in the NFC East, the best team in the NFC and maybe the best team in the NFL. Only the Tennessee Titans can make a case that they are better, and since the Vince Lombardi Trophy is sitting in a display case in the lobby of the Giants’ training facility, the Giants are the team to beat.
If not for two first-half turnovers by the Giants, which led to 14 Eagles’ points, New York would have had the rowdy Philly fans abusing the home team by halftime. Instead, the Giants had to sweat out three replay challenges in the second half, all of which went New York’s way, and then had to stop Brian Westbrook on fourth-and-one with 1:47 remaining to finally clear out the stadium.
“It’s going to be like this sometimes,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. “…In this division, you aren’t just going to run away from people, especially on the road against a good quarterback.”
The first replay challenge proved that football, indeed, is a game of feet. Or in this case, a foot.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning had every part of his body across the line of scrimmage except his back foot on a third-quarter pass. That was the difference between an illegal forward pass, which referee Terry McAulay initially ruled, and settling for a field goal, and a first down at the Philadelphia 3-yard line. Two plays after Tom Coughlin threw the red flag, and won his challenge, Jacobs followed right guard Chris Snee into the end zone for a 27-24 lead with 5:56 remaining.
On back-to-back, red-zone plays in the fourth quarter, Eagles coach Andy Reid threw his red flag. He argued that Jacobs had fumbled on both. The first wasn’t close. Jacobs clearly was down before he lost the ball. The second, a 3-yard touchdown run, was, but, after watching the replay, McAulay ruled Jacobs had crossed the goal line before losing possession.
Jacobs had not fumbled since Dec. 9 when he lost two in a 16-13 victory over the Eagles here in Philadelphia. Even though he rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, he had a hard time holding onto the ball.
“You pay attention to that too, huh?” Jacobs said. “I don’t know [why the fumbles have come in Philly]. I couldn’t tell you. I just think it was poor ball protection by me, and I’ll just try not to let that happen again.”
The Giants couldn’t have won it without linebacker Chase Blackburn, who met Westbrook in the backfield on fourth-and-one with less than two minutes remaining. The Giants celebrated like they had won the division, and though the fat lady isn’t yet singing, she is warming up her voice.
The Redskins, Cowboys and Eagles are left fighting for seconds.
posted by The Gryphon at 5:17 PM
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