bbgun

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PHILADELPHIA -- That was the most entertaining Cowboys game of the season. There was a pregame scuffle, we saw Jason Garrett call a fake punt, Ezekiel Elliott hurdled a guy and Dallas stunned the defending Super Bowl champions at Lincoln Financial Field, 27-20.

Here are my five thoughts on the Cowboys getting their first road win of the season and improving to 4-5:

1. Playoff hopes are still alive. The Cowboys obviously wouldn't have been eliminated with a loss, but let's be honest, they would've been done. They would've fallen three games back of Washington in the division and two back of Philly. But they turned in their most impressive win of the year with their backs against the wall. Not many were picking the Cowboys. But they won, and they are still in the conversation as they enter the toughest stretch of the season. Now, if you're the type that wants Jason Garrett fired regardless of how this season plays out, Sunday night wasn't good for you. And you're definitely not going to want to read this postgame comment from Jerry Jones.

"This is particularly rewarding," Jones said of the win. "We were being laid to bare. This past week and really building up to this past week, we were being really operated on and looked to see what's there. These guys, these players, and frankly Jason [Garrett] and these coaches, when we really cut really deep in this surgery they came out of here and looked like it's not terminal. Seriously. I'll be real clear about that.

"The criticism and the things that have been pointed to this week, throughout, whether it be the coach, whether it be the quarterback, whether it be any other part of this team, is not terminal. I've looked in the wound, and I like what I see."

2. Dak Prescott didn't get off to a great start. He struggled with his accuracy and decision-making. But he bounced back and improved as the game went on. He finished with 270 yards on 26-of-36 passing with one touchdown and no interceptions. Prescott also had a rushing TD. He takes the heat when they lose, and he deserves credit for how he played in this game. Prescott seems to be building a nice rapport with Amari Cooper. In two games together, Cooper has totaled 11 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. The only thing they've struggled with is hitting on the deep-ball. Prescott was also very good at getting others involved. Allen Hurns had 2 catches for 40 yards, Cole Beasley had 4 for 37 and Michael Gallup caught 2 for 34. The Cowboys won't go on a run without Prescott continuing to play like he did Sunday night.

"I didn't think it was going to be a hard transition of getting on the same page with him," Prescott said of Cooper. "Once we get that [deep-ball connection down], we'll be tough."

3. The defense started strong, and then it began to look like the group that allowed Marcus Mariota to pick them apart and pull away in the second half last Monday. Dallas' defense gave up a field goal and two touchdowns on the Eagles' first three possessions of the second half. But when Philly needed to answer with a touchdown in the final minutes, Leighton Vander Esch, Jeff Heath and Co. made key plays to get the ball turned over on downs. They then took care of business again during the final 40 seconds. Maybe Kris Richard needs to get in more pregame scuffles. Vander Esch was the defensive player of the game, finishing with a game-high 13 tackles and his first career interception.

"I have high expectations for myself," Vander Esch said. "I'm going to put myself in positions to be successful as soon as I need to be and this is just how it is happening. I have to be able to step up."

4. Ezekiel Elliott called Sunday night's game a must-win. It wasn't a startling statement. It was a must-win. But Elliott backed it up. He had his best game and best highlight of the season. He's had several successful leaping attempts, but Sunday night's was his best on a 32-yard run. He then continued to carry the ball at a 10-yard-per-touch pace well into the final quarter. And then there was the TD catch to put the Cowboys up 20-13 early in the fourth and the go-ahead score. He finished with 151 yards on 19 carries. Elliott said after the game that he felt like the Cowboys saved their season with the win.

"We needed it," Elliott said. "It was absolutely mandatory that we went and got this win if we wanted to keep our hopes up for winning this division and making the playoffs. We had to go out there and win today."

5. There's no way of proving it, but I have my doubts about the Cowboys winning Sunday without Zack Martin. Their best offensive lineman -- and maybe their best overall player -- went down midway through the first quarter. Already playing with a sprained left knee, Martin had the back of his left leg rolled up on at the end of a 2-yard Prescott run. Martin was down for a while before being helped to the sideline medical tent. He then went to the locker room to get his left knee re-taped and his knee brace adjusted. He missed only one series as Adam Redmond filled in. Martin played the rest of the way.

"He's a warrior, simple as that," Prescott said of Martin. "He's the best player on our team. When he goes out like that, it hurts. But then when he shows back up in the huddle, you're not surprised. I told him that right there, 'You're a warrior.' He went out and had a great game after coming back."
 

yimyammer

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Yim, why you hatin Amigo?

I'm just beaten down and jaded by years of the same old crap and felt like a loss would have really turned the heat up on Jones and spawn.

The minute they win a game, the playoffs are back in play despite how they've look mostly like garbage thus far. Plus this just gives jeri ammo to keep the status quo and I want him miserable and taking heat 24/7 if all they're ever going to end up doing is going 7-9 or 8-8. I'm virtually positive that's all it will take for jeri to justify no changes this year.

I mean seriously, don't you see this coming:

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Hell, maybe I'm wrong and they've finally figured things out, I just seriously doubt it and have no trust or faith in jeri, etc

Like I said, if all this bunch can do is go 8-8 with an occasional teaser year, I'd rather see the entire house burn to the ground and be bad enough to force some changes or at the very least make jeri miserable
 

Ragnar

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For the life of me I don't know how Garrett manages to pull this off. They played like a team possessed. What brought this on? It can't be Garrett. Is it that they didn't like being embarrassed the week before? That inspired them? We need to keep that kind of intensity level.

LVE made a Sean Lee type play on 3rd and 2 in crunch time. Guy's a beast. I'm looking forward to Sean Lee's return, but his hamstrings are bubble gum. He probably won't be here next year.
 
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