Cowboys Country

'The Throw': Inside Dak Prescott's 1 Dallas Cowboys Play That Beat the Philadelphia Eagles

The best throw of quarterback Dak Prescott's night squashed any idea of the Philadelphia Eagles mounting a comeback against the Cowboys. ... and fortified the Dallas' star's MVP push.

Tim Kelly

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For a moment in the third quarter Sunday evening, it looked like the Philadelphia Eagles might make things interesting against the Dallas Cowboys. Eagles defensive linemen Fletcher Cox and Jalen Carter had just combined to force a fumble from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and return it for 42 yards for a touchdown. 

And on the next drive, the Eagles defense -- perhaps about to fully seize the momentum -- had the Cowboys at third-and-six on their own 40-yard line. 

And then, on the way to Dallas' 33-13 win, Dak made ... "The Throw.''

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.  :: Tim Heitman/USA Today

First-year Philadelphia coordinator Sean Desai sent an all-out blitz, and for whatever shortcomings the Eagles have in their back seven, there's some bad dudes on their defensive line. When they get assistance, it's scary. 

Except to Prescott, apparently. Now the leading candidate for NFL MVP, Prescott stood in the pocket and fired a strike to second-year tight end Jake Ferguson, an emerging star. Ferguson -- who has wrecking ball qualities when he gets the football in his hand -- took a throw just beyond the sticks and turned it into a 32-yard gain. 

Ferguson, of course, deserves credit for what he did with the ball after the catch. But at a minimum, Prescott, with pressure bearing down on him, made sure the Cowboys would get a first down. The drive didn't end with a touchdown, but star rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey did hit his second 59+ yard field goal of the night, extending Dallas' lead to 27-13. 

Perhaps a comeback for the Eagles wasn't in the cards regardless, but that completion from Prescott to Ferguson let some air out of Philadelphia's balloon. The Eagles didn't score another point the rest of the night, with the Cowboys ultimately grabbing a crucial win that Prescott talked about the importance of postgame. 

"Yeah, it was big. We needed it. Let's not sugarcoat that. We needed that," Prescott said after the victory. 

This is all about confidence now. You can feel it. You can see it. Dak's decision-making inside the new "Texas Coast Offense'' as orchestrated by coach Mike McCarthy is making opponents like the Eagles have to deal with it.

'All About the Division!' Dak Prescott - New MVP Leader - Eyes NFC East Title After Demolishing Philadelphia

Said Prescott: "It's about grabbing a huge chunk of confidence and moving forward.''

Even with the win, the Cowboys still need help to usurp the Eagles and win the NFC East, let alone surpass both Philadelphia and the San Francisco 49ers to capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC. But the door is at least open after Sunday evening's resounding victory, and the role of Prescott's third-quarter throw to to Ferguson is securing that win shouldn't be overlooked. 

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Tim Kelly
TIM KELLY

Tim Kelly is a contributor to SI's NFL team sites. Additionally, Kelly covers the Philadelphia Phillies as the Editorial Director for PhilliesNation.com. Previously, Kelly has been a producer at SportsRadio 94 WIP and a content producer for Audacy Sports, with written content syndicated to WIP, WFAN, WEEI and some of the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Kelly also has contributed to Bleacher Report, Just Baseball, Sports Talk Philly and Section 215, FanSided's Philadelphia affiliate. Kelly is a 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in political science. 

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