Brett Maher kicked a go-ahead, 48-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining to lift the host Dallas Cowboys to a 40-34 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.
The Cowboys (11-4), who trailed 27-17 with nine minutes left in the third quarter, got the ball back one play after Maher’s field goal when Anthony Barr recovered Miles Sanders’ fumble on Philadelphia’s 21-yard line with 2:07 to go.
Maher’s 26-yarder — his fourth field goal in as many tries — made it 40-34 with 1:41 left. The Eagles turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Gardner Minshew’s pass on fourth-and-10 from the Cowboys’ 19-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining. Minshew started in place of Jalen Hurts, who missed the game with a sprained shoulder.
The Eagles (13-2) missed out on a chance to clinch the NFC East and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott went 27 of 35 for 347 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 55 yards and a score on 16 carries. CeeDee Lamb had 10 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns for Dallas, which has won five of its past six games.
Minshew went 24-of-40 passing for 355 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, in addition to rushing for a touchdown. Sanders had 65 yards on 21 carries, while DeVonta Smith had eight receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Leading 20-17 at halftime, the Eagles’ pushed their advantage to 27-17 on Minshew’s 14-yard scoring strike to Smith with 9:00 left in the third quarter. Dallas pulled to within 27-20 on Maher’s 44-yard field goal with 5:01 left in the quarter.
The Cowboys tied the game on Prescott’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Michael Gallup with 2:12 left in the third quarter after Dallas took over at Philadelphia’s 31-yard line following Minshew’s fumble.
Minshew capped the Eagles’ ensuing possession with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Smith for a 34-27 lead with 9:59 left in the game.
The Cowboys tied the game at 34 on Prescott’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Lamb.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 10-0 lead when Josh Sweat intercepted a Prescott pass and returned it 42 yards into the end zone with 9:18 left in the first quarter.
The Cowboys stormed back on Elliott’s 1-yard TD rush with 1:52 left in the quarter before taking a 14-10 lead on Prescott’s 36-yard scoring strike to Lamb with 11:34 left before halftime.
Minshew’s 1-yard sneak on fourth-and-goal gave the Eagles a 17-14 edge with 7:08 left in the half. Maher and Elliott traded field goals in the final two minutes of the half to give the Eagles a 20-17 lead.
–Field Level Media
