ARLINGTON, Texas – Wow! What else can you say to begin any sentence, any question, any TV hit and certainly any post-game column like this?
For this game to end the way it did – a walk-off, game-winning field goal by Brandon Aubrey – is just short of unbelievable.
Actually, it's not really short of that because there was no one who believed that was going to happen, especially when the Eagles marched down the field, not once, not twice but three times in the first half to take a 21-0 lead.
Had you told me right then and there the Eagles wouldn't score another point this game, I would've just shrugged it off and said, "Well, then Philly won't exactly blow them out that bad." But in no way would I have thought the Cowboys would score enough to win.
It just didn't have that kind of feel.
- The defense finally gets a stop, and you're called for roughing the punter, although replay officials showed Ryan Flournoy actually tipped the ball, which would've negated the penalty. However, the FOX replays weren't quick enough, and no challenge could occur.
- You hand the ball off to your speedy receiver at running back, and he fumbles the ball by hitting Tyler Guyton's leg.
- You get a free play on offense but negate the play with a penalty. Turns out those 5 yards were huge as Brandon Aubrey actually misses a field goal. So he is human?
- CeeDee Lamb reverts back to his Week 1 matchup with the Eagles and gets another case of the dropsies.
And the list went on and on in the first half. It just didn't look like it would be that kind of day for the Cowboys.
But then, KaVontae Turpin makes a play over the middle as a receiver, which is where he should be playing, and the speedster went to work, knifing through the defense for a huge play that led to a touchdown. That was just enough to keep the Cowboys in the game.
Still, at halftime, I don't think anyone was thinking the Cowboys could come back and beat Philadelphia. Mainly because you knew the Eagles were going to keep scoring. Or would they? Philly had six possessions in the second half and were held to four punts, one missed field goal and a huge fumble.
Did you realize the Eagles entered Sunday's game with just four turnovers against them in the first 10 games. And they were three quarters into this game without committing one until Sam Williams came up with the biggest play of his career, jarring the ball away from Saquon Barkley for a turnover and preventing the Eagles from taking the lead. The Cowboys later got a second turnover on the punt-return hit. Although the Cowboys didn't score on that possession, they did push the Eagles back in their own territory before Osa Odighizuwa made the huge sack on Jalen Hurts.
I knew at the 2:00 warning when the Eagles had a third-and-3 that the next play would decide the game. If the Eagles converted, they were going to keep driving and win it. If the Cowboys stopped them, they would win.
And that's what happened. Credit Osa and this defense for stepping up once again to complete the effort.
So wow, this is the fourth time in Cowboys history they have come back from 21 points down, and I've been here to witness three of them. I won't say this is the most dramatic because the 1999 season opener at Washington – my first game ever as a Cowboys employee – will still go down as my favorite. However, this one could be more meaningful.
But if, and only if, this comeback win is in the middle of an even bigger comeback. The Cowboys were 3-5-1 and are now 5-5-1, back to .500 for the first time since Week 2 of the season.
But they've got a lot of work still to do with the Chiefs and Lions on the schedule here in the next 10 days. As miraculous as this comeback win was, it won't matter as much if they don't continue this march that they appear to be on.
We really won't know the magnitude of this game until we get farther down the road this season. But forget down the road, the Chiefs are waiting for the Cowboys just up there on the next block.
And for all the greatness this Sunday's game provided, I can promise you Patrick Mahomes doesn't give a damn about what the Cowboys did – nor should he.
The Cowboys have no room for error, and no time to think about it. They must quickly move on to the Chiefs.
But you and I don't have to just yet. Let's savor this one because it was a classic!
