ARLINGTON, Texas – With 74 points scored, including both teams grabbing the lead back and forth, this will be a game remembered for big moments such as highlight-reel touchdowns and diving interceptions.
But games have those plays that can get overlooked but still change the course of the game. Here are five that made a difference.
Dak avoids sack on third down – Already down 10-0 after an interception return for a score, the Cowboys desperately needed a big play to stay in the game and prevent it from getting out of hand. On third-and-5 from the Cowboys’ 48-yard line, Dak Prescott appeared to be sacked in the pocket, but he was able to fight off defenders and gather himself enough to find Michael Gallup over the middle for an 8-yard gain. The drive moved into Philadelphia territory, where the Cowboys kept it rolling and scored on a 1-yard run by Ezekiel Elliott.
Eagles hold Hilton, drive extended – Before T.Y. Hilton made a huge game-changing play in the fourth quarter, he was held by an Eagles defender on a fourth-and-8 at the Philadelphia 45-yard line early in the second quarter. The pass fell incomplete, but the flag extended the drive and the Cowboys were able to score a few plays later for a 14-10 lead.
Fourth-down run opens up big comeback – The nail-biting finish might not have occurred if Dallas doesn’t make key plays earlier in the second half. Down by 10 points, the Cowboys faced fourth-and-1 at their own 34-yard line. The offense called a run around the right side to Elliott, who had his longest rush of the game, going 22 yards to the Eagles’ 44. That led to a field goal that got the Cowboys back to within a score.
Cowboys get the fumble back, pass to Hilton – Yes, the pass to Hilton changed the entire game. The Cowboys were able to convert a third-and-29 with a bomb to the recently signed receiver, who made his first catch of the season. But it doesn’t happen if center Tyler Biadasz doesn’t recover a fumble by Prescott at the Cowboys’ 38-yard line and Dallas down seven. A turnover there would’ve been devastating, but the Cowboys kept the ball and ended up with a third-and-forever. Prescott, though, still had enough confidence to bomb the pass to Hilton, whose catch not only flipped the field but led to a game-tying score.
Wright tackles Pascal in bounds – On the final drive of the game, with the Eagles needing a touchdown to win, they had plenty of time and one timeout. But on first down, the pass in the flat to Zach Pascal had the wide receiver headed out of bounds before Nahshon Wright hit him first. By NFL rules, that keeps him “in bounds” and the clock running. Instead of the next snap occurring around 1:35, the Eagles didn’t get the ball snapped until 1:19. While the Eagles still moved down to the Cowboys’ 19-yard line, those seconds were huge in forcing Philadelphia to be more aggressive at the end of the game.