The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles met in the regular-season finale in the NFL in a winner-take-all clash for the NFC East title and a place in the playoffs.
Dallas were looking to avoid missing out on the post-season in the last game for the third year in a row, while the Eagles were eyeing a spot to complete the turnaround under Chip Kelly to make the playoffs in his first year at the club.
It was to be agony for the Cowboys as they were presented with a chance to win the game late on but an interception by backup quarterback Kyle Orton cost them the place in the playoffs as the Eagles advanced with the victory, setting up a meeting with the New Orleans Saints next week.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL winner-take-all clash between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The race for the NFC playoffs has come down to the final game of the season with the Eagles and the Cowboys still battling for the NFC East title and what will be the number three seed in the playoffs.
It has already been an enthralling day in the NFL as the Green Bay Packers won their winner-take-all clash with the Chicago Bears to advance while defeats for the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins opened a way for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get into the post-season. However, a last second miss from a field from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop allowed the San Diego Chargers back in the race after they were trailing in the game and the somehow pulled it out of the bag to claim the sixth seed in the AFC.
In our game this evening though, it's another end-of-season decider for the Dallas Cowboys who are looking to avoid finishing with an 8-8 record and missing the playoffs for the third straight season. However, there is a spanner in the works as they have to do it without starting quarterback Tony Romo, who is out for the year with a back injury.
Romo has often been lamented for his poor play in critical moments and he has had his fair share of those this season against the Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers when he threw two costly interceptions. But, his play last week against the Washington Redskins is the whole reason his side can reach the post-season as he engineered a last-minute drive to secure the win. He will be a big loss to the Cowboys as backup Kyle Orton is not the same player.
Orton has had some mild success as a starter in the NFL when at Denver in the 2009-10 season, but has proven to be inconsistent. Dallas will have to rely on their offensive weapons such as Dez Bryany, Miles Austin, Jason Witten and running back DeMarco Murray to make the plays to get them into the post-season.
Bryant, Murray and Witten are all capable of making those plays and they will need to stand up and be counted in this game in the absence of Romo. The Cowboys defense will also need to improve on their dismal record of late to stop hot shot running back LeSean McCoy, if they can't stop the flow of points and yards from the Eagles, they can kiss the post-season goodbye.
McCoy has been outstanding for the Eagles this season and absolutely shredded the Chicago Bears defense last week along with his side's other running backs. He has the ability to take the game away from the Cowboys and if he can have a big day and live up his performances this season, he'll be playing again next week.
Quarterback Nick Foles will also be tested against a good pass rush from the Cowboys, who will try and get to him with a variety of blitzes. He will need to be alert and ready to change calls at the line of scrimmage to put his receivers in the best possible situations to make plays, and judging on some of the potential matchups, his offense could be in for a big day.
Defensively the Eagles have one main priority and that is to stop Murray on the ground. If they can stop him they will force the game into the hands of Orton and that's where chances for turnovers will come into the game. Although they don't have a good secondary yardage wise, they do have the ability to make interceptions when they need to. This game could come down to what team forces the most turnovers.
As ever in these tight NFC East contests it will go down to the wire and will be decided who makes the least mistakes and that goes not only for players but coaches as well. The East is the most interesting division in the NFL and we're looking for out third different winner in three years. Fascinating stuff!
COWBOYS INACTIVES: Lee, Romo, Webb, Hamilton, Wilson, Sims, Weems.
EAGLES INACTIVES: Barkley, Wolff, Anderson, Marsh, Tucker, Vandervelde, Kelly.
Harris returns the ball to the 23 where Orton will start.
The Cowboys get moving as Orton fires to Bryant on a slant route on second and seven and he is wide open over the middle of the field and sprints with the ball to the Dallas 44 with a 15-yard reception.
Dallas keep moving as the Eagles jump offside on third and two and that hands the Cowboys five yards and another set of downs, after Bryant made a grab for a six-yard reception on a curl route and Murray ran up the middle for two yards.
Another good run by Murray as he churns up the middle of field and through the line for a five-yard gain on first and Orton goes back to him on second with a swing pass for the first down with a 10-yard reception at the Philadelphia 28.
FUMBLE!
Murray undoes all his hard work as he coughs the ball up to the Eagles as Kendricks makes the hit on him as he tried to break over the right side of the line and the ball was gathered at the Eagles' 23 by Fletcher. Not what the Cowboys needed at all.
The Eagles advance into the Dallas half of the field as Polk comes into the game for McCoy and makes an immediate impact as he breaks out on a swing pass and Foles finds him and he speeds upfield and breaks a couple of tackles to get to the Cowboys' 36 with a 34-yard reception.
Philadelphia get stuck on their next set of downs as a holding penalty by Johnson erases a 10-yard gain by McCoy and they can't get the yardage back from third and 19 to get another set of downs with a 17-yard reception to Cooper over the middle of the field. That will force Henery into a 47-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Eagles 3-0 Cowboys
Henery fires his kick between the posts and hands his side the lead.
Orton will start at the 20 after Henery's kickoff sails through the endzone.
Murray is back in the action as Orton fires to him on an underneath route and he makes a grab in the open field and sprints for the first down and a lot more before he gets brought down at the Dallas 39 for a 19-yard reception.
Murray is getting all the play at the moment as the Eagles bring the heat and he initially stays in to block but Orton dumps the ball off to him and he runs for the first down and plows into Thornton and knocks him to the ground before he is surrounded by Eagles defenders and dropped at their 48.
Orton fires two short completions to Witten for five yards and then Bryant for three yards quick throw to the sideline, leaving third and two, but on third down Orton's throw looking for Bryant as the ball falls incomplete as he didn't turn back for the ball. It's clear he wasn't on the same page with Orton there and Chris Jones's punt is collected at the Philadelphia 12 by Jackson.
Foles takes the snap in the pocket and fires deep on an out route for his tight end Ertz who makes the grab at the right sideline for a gain of 17 yards to move his side to the 29-yard line.
On third and seven the Cowboys bring the heat but Foles shows poise in the pocket and finds Ertz again over the middle of the field for a gain of 12 yards to move his side to their 44 after Cooper managed to find four yards on a crossing route on second.
McCoy gets the handoff and finds a huge hole in the middle of the line and surges through it, down to the Dallas 36 with a 20-yard run and only a good tackle from Church is able to bring him down. That was a crucial tackle otherwise he was away.
Foles keeps the Eagles drive alive again despite taking a 10-yard penalty for intentional grounding as on second and 20 he finds Jackson over the middle of the field and he gets behind a good block from Cooper to move the chains with a pick up of 20 yards down to the Dallas 26.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Philadelphia Eagles 3-0 Dallas Cowboys
Foles throws the ball deep when under pressure in the pocket and Avant goes up above Heath in the Dallas secondary to make the grab at the three-yard line with a 22-yard reception. A great grab by the receiver.
TOUCHDOWN EAGLES!
The Eagles extend their lead as Foles fakes the handoff to Jackson coming across the line and then throws across to the right to McCoy who has a step on his man and is left with the simple task of running into the endzone for the three-yard touchdown. Great play design by the Eagles there.
Harris returns the ball to the Dallas 36 from Henery's kickoff.
The Cowboys go three and out as Orton's pass on third and two is dropped by Witten over the middle of the field. They had stolen five yards on third and seven with a jump from Logan for an offsides penalty following a three-yard run by Murray, but it was slim pickings on that drive for Dallas. C Jones's punt is collected by Jackson and taken to the Philadelphia 18.
SACK! Foles goes down on third and six as he tries to escape the pocket but Hatcher drags him down for a loss after McCoy had a six-yard run on first down but took a one-yard loss on second thanks to a good tackle from DeMarcus Ware. Donnie Jones's punt is fair caught by Harris at the 34.
Orton comes up big for his side as he goes deep on third down and finds Williams down the seam on a go route and he makes the catch for the 39-yard reception going above Boykin to haul the ball in at the Philadelphia 29.
Murray comes back strong for the Cowboys as he reels off a powerful run over the right side of the line worth eight yards and it's worth a first down at the Eagles' 19 after he gained three yards on first. Good hard running by the back.
TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS!
The Cowboys are back in this game as Orton fires into the flat for his tight end Gavin Escobar and he makes the catch and runs to the endzone, Allen tries to knock him out of bounds but Escobar somersaults over the goalline for an incredible 17-yard score. A great catch and body control to get the score.
Bailey's kickoff sails into the endzone for a touchback and Foles will start at the 20.
The Eagles come up in a big third and eight situation as Foles sits back in the pocket and drills the ball to Avant over the middle of the field and in tight coverage he makes the grab to move his side to their 39 with a 17-yard reception after McCoy and Jackson had got two yards between them on first and second.
McCoy powers through the middle of the line on a second down carry and churns out 16 yards on the ground to move his side to the Dallas 46.
SACK! Jairus Wynn brings down Foles on first down for a seven-yard loss and it turns out to be a drive killer as the Eagles can't get the yardage back as the quarterback's pass deep for Avant on third and 14 falls incomplete. D Jones's punt is collected at the 10 but a fair catch interference penalty adds on 15 yards, so Orton will start at the 25.
Murray gets the ball again for the Cowboys and he makes another surging run over the right side of the line for seven yards to move the chains after Witten collected a three-yard pass on first down, the Cowboys have another set of downs at their 35.
Witten makes an important catch right at the two-minute warning as he stops over the middle of the field and Orton drills the ball to him and he makes the grab low at his feet for an 11-yard gain at the Dallas 47.
INTERCEPTION EAGLES!
Orton drills the ball to Witten who tries to make the grab but it bounces off his hands and falls into the grasp of Kendricks, who takes the ball to the Dallas 49.
Foles goes deep immediately and finds his tight end Celek down the seam and he makes an incredible grab over linebacker Holloman for a 35-yard gain to move his side to the Dallas 14. What a play by the tight end.
TOUCHDOWN EAGLES!
Foles goes straight back to Celek in the flat as he is wide open and he makes the grab and sprints unchallenged into the endzone for the 14-yard score. Just like that the game turns on its head, clinical from the Eagles to capitalise on the turnover.
Henery boots the ball out of the endzone so Orton will start at the 20.
Dallas get moving as Orton finds Witten on a short out down the right sideline for a eight-yard gain on first and then on second he takes off himself up the middle of the field and slides down at the 37-yard line for a eight-yard run. A score here is a must for the Cowboys.
Orton goes deep with a late developing crossing route to Witten who is on the right sideline before the quarterback finds him for a 28-yard reception and he gets pushed out of bounds by Allen at the Philadelphia 36.
Orton goes over the middle of the field this time to find Witten and he gets another first down with an 11-yard reception as he gets hauled down by Ryans at the 25-yard line.
Dallas don't get the touchdown as Orton goes deep for Bryant on second and overthrows him and then Witten is pushed out of bounds for a loss of one yard on third, leaving a 44-yard field goal for Bailey.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Eagles 17-10 Cowboys
Bailey makes no mistake dispatching the kick between the posts.
Bailey's kickoff sails out of the endzone and Foles will begin at the 20.
Foles just takes a knee to end the half.
HALF-TIME: Philadelphia Eagles 17-10 Dallas Cowboys
A good first half for the Eagles but they're a long way from reaching their goal as they lead by just one score at the break.
The Cowboys have done a decent job against the rushing threat of McCoy has they have limited him to just 51 yards in the first half but they've allowed Foles to run riot throwing for two scores and 197 yards and a completion rate of 75%. They have pressured the quarterback with a couple of sacks but they'll need to do a lot more than that to keep their side in the game.
Orton has done well for the Cowboys so far but they have been let down by senior players Witten and Murray who have turned the ball over thanks to excellent defensive work by Mychal Kendricks, who has an interception and a forced fumble in the first half. The Eagles have got what they wanted in terms of turnovers but they have been gashed on occasions by Orton in the air and Murray on the ground, if they want to reach the post-season, they will have to put the clamps on the Cowboys' offense.
Foles will start at the 20 after Bailey's kickoff sails out of the endzone.
SACK! Holloman decks Foles for a nine-yard loss on first down on a play-action pass and that kills the drive for the Eagles as McCoy gets 16 yards back on second but on third Foles is pressured again and he just throws the ball away. D Jones's punt is taken to the Dallas 34 by Harris with an 11-yard return.
The Cowboys get a first down as Orton gets the Eagles with a hard count for the third time of the game and gives them five yards on third and seven and on third and two Murray gets the toss over the left side of the line for a six-yard gain and another set of downs at their 48.
Witten comes up big for the Cowboys again as he collects a pass over the middle from Orton and turns it into a 19-yard gain taking his side to the Eagles' 27, after Austin got a six-yarder on an out-route on first.
Boykin makes a huge play for the Eagles as Orton lofts the ball into the endzone on third down looking for Bryant and duo battle one-on-one for the ball and the cornerback makes the play to knock it down. A big moment in the game that forces to Dallas to go for three points rather than the seven. Bailey will attempt a kick from 43 yards.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Eagles 17-13 Cowboys
Bailey fires his kick through the posts and we have a four-point game.
Foles will start at the 20.
Foles is forced out of the pocket on first down but he throws on the run to Ertz on a crossing route and he makes a grab at the Eagles' 34 for a 14-yard reception.
SACK & FUMBLE!
Hatcher gets to Foles on third and 11 and he brings him down and manages to knock the ball loose. Ware jumps on the ball and gathers at the Eagles' 20. What a chance for the Cowboys and what a big moment in the game.
The Eagles hold firm as the Cowboys can only muster two yards following the interception on three attempts as Witten gets one yard on a reception on first down, and on two attempts Murray can only add one more yard to leave Bailey with a 36-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Eagles 17-16 Cowboys
Bailey fires his kick between the posts to bring his side within one point.
Bailey's kickoff again goes for a touchback and Foles will start at the 20.
The Eagles go three and out as McCoy gets stuffed on first and then Foles tries a deep shot for Jackson on second that falls incomplete. On third the Cowboys bring the heat and they force the quarterback to throw the ball away. D Jones's punt is collected by Harris who drops the ball but dives on it to gather at the Dallas 30.
Dallas go three and out as Murray gets stuffed for a one-yard gain on first by Kendricks, then Orton's deep shot to Williams falls incomplete. On third he finds Witten but he gets dragged down for a gain of only one yard and Jones is forced to punt and Jackson takes the ball to the Eagles' 46.
McCoy moves the chains for the Eagles as he bursts over the right side of the line for a gain of 13 yards, he first meaningful contribution in a while for Kelly' side but he has them moving.
McCoy gets the handoff again and he runs over the right again and finds 10 yards for the first down to move his side to the Dallas 28.
Foles sits back in the pocket and has time to find Celek over the middle of the field on a crossing route and he gets his side inside the 10-yard line with a 22-yard reception before he gets pushed out of bounds.
The Eagles get repelled on first, second and goal but on third Foles throws to Jackson and he gets to the one-yard line but he gets stopped on the one-yard line by a combination of Scandrick and Carr, but the Eagles are going to go for it on fourth down.
DALLAS GET THE STOP! Foles goes for a quarterback sneak up the middle but the Dallas defensive line hold firm to make the stop on their one-yard line. How important will that be!
Orton gets his side off their goalline as he fires to Bryant on a post route over the middle of the field and he makes the grab for the 18-yard reception to take his side to their 19-yard line.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Philadelphia Eagles 17-16 Dallas Cowboys
Orton gets his side moving again with a throw to Witten over the middle of the field and he makes the grab for a 16-yard reception to take his side to their 35. One problem for the Cowboys is that the tight end limped off the field, that could be disastrous.
Austin comes into the game and makes a reception over the middle of the field to move the chains with a grab worth 16 yards to take his side into the Philadelphia half of the field.
The Cowboys can't move any further as they get stuffed on on third and three as Murray tries to break over the left side of the line but he gets stopped by Cole for a two-yard gain, leaving fourth and one. Dallas are going to go for it.
THE EAGLES GET THE STOP! Orton goes under center and collects the ball looking for Murray in the flat but Barwin jumps up to knock the ball down and the Eagles will take over at their 40.
Foles gets his side into the Dallas half of the field as Cooper makes an incut over the middle of the field and then makes the grab for the 19-yard reception to move his side to the Dallas 41.
McCoy gets the chains moving on the next set of downs on his own as he churns eight yards on first down, then comes back with a tough yard on second. On third and one, he gets the handoff over the left side of the line and runs for three yards to go over 100 yards for the game.
The Eagles are advancing slowly as the earn another set of downs as Foles hits Avant short for a six-yard gain and then Brown comes into the game for McCoy and rips off five yards on second down over the left side of the line. A solid drive here by the Eagles and taking a lot of time off the clock.
McCoy does it all on his own again as he churns out three yards on first and and then gets six up the middle of the line on second, leaving a third and one situation. He doesn't disappoint in short yardage as he powers through to the get the first down with a three-yard carry to move his side to the Dallas six.
TOUCHDOWN EAGLES!
Brown comes back into the game for McCoy and he gets the handoff on a sweep play over the left side of the line and he gets behind blocks to find the edge and then runs into the endzone unopposed for the six-yard score to hand his side a crucial eight-point lead. Dallas have it all to do now.
Henery kicks the ball out of the endzone so Orton will start at the 20.
Bryant gets the first down for his side as he comes over the middle of the field on a crossing route and makes the grab and avoids the tackle to get 13 yards on the reception to move his side to the 33-yard line.
Orton makes a brilliant throw down the seam for Witten who goes above Kendricks to make the grab for a 34-yard reception to take his side to the Philadelphia 33.
OH BOY! A real screw up by the officials could cost the Cowboys here. When Witten went down they should have had 40 seconds to set up a new play but instead of setting up at 40 it was 25 and the Cowboys received a five-yard penalty. Dallas couldn't get the yardage back and that has forced them to go for it on fourth and nine.
TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS!
Forget that clock penalty now, as the Eagles bring the all-out blitz called cover zero, leaving all their defensive backs manned up against Dallas's receivers and Orton gets the ball out to Bryant quickly and he beats the tackle of Chung to run and he sprints into the endzone for the 32-yard touchdown. What a moment in the game! Dallas can tie the scores with a two-point conversion.
TWO-POINT CONVERSION NO GOOD! Orton takes the snap in the shotgun and he goes for the one-on-one matchup for Bryant but Williams bats the ball away to make the crucial play.
Smith returns Bailey's kick to the Eagles' 16 where Foles will begin.
The Eagles go three and out as Foles rolls out on third down and four and doesn't have an open receiver to throw to so he just falls to the ground as McCoy was knocked over as he tried to get out on his route. Huge moment in the game as Dallas will get the ball back, knowing a field goal will win them the game.
Jones punts to Harris and he takes the ball to the 32. Orton will need to drive his side at least 40 yards down the field to have a shot of winning the game.
INTERCEPTION!!!!!!
OH BOY! It's not Tony Romo this time but it's another Dallas quarterback throwing an interception at the worst possible moment and Boykin makes the pick as Orton tried to Austin down the seam. That will send the Eagles to the post-season and Dallas are out of the playoffs yet again!
McCoy moves the chains with carries of five yards and six yards to get the first down and that should allow the Eagles to kneel out for the win.
Foles knees out for the win. What a moment for Kelly to savour taking his side to the playoffs in his first season in charge.
FULL-TIME: Philadelphia Eagles 24-22 Dallas Cowboys
Hang on a second, I've seen this film before. Dallas with the chance of reaching the post-season against a NFC East rival and their quarterback throws a game-losing interception. It's not Tony Romo this time but the situation has somehow repeated itself for the third year in a row, that is incredible. Dallas miss out on the playoffs in the last game for three years running to three different divisional rivals. Their supporters must be pulling their hair out, as well as owner Jerry Jones.
The Eagles will be rejoicing after undergoing a turnaround this season under Chip Kelly. Last year they were 4-12 and in complete rebuilding mode but they are now 10-6 and in the playoffs and gold the NFC East title. They will host the New Orleans Saints at Lincoln Financial Field next week in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Nick Foles has proven himself to be a reliable quarterback and the receivers can make plays at the drop of the hat. But the real star of the team is LeSean McCoy, how he goes in the playoffs will decide how far this team can go. It will be interesting to watch next week.
That's it for the regular season. When you join us next it will next Saturday and playoff football, which we're all looking forward to. Until then though, have a Happy New Year, and we'll see you next time.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
