Dallas Cowboys 'Good, Bad & Ugly' As December Schedule 'Off to Great Start!' With Philadelphia Eagles 33-13 Beatdown

Dallas Cowboys 'Good, Bad & Ugly' As December Schedule 'Off to Great Start!' With Philadelphia Eagles 33-13 Beatdown

The Dallas Cowboys laid a 33-13 beatdown to the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium as they announced their Super Bowl credentials to the rest of the NFL.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones labeled it "the most satisfying win'' of the four-year tenure of coach Mike McCarthy.

And Cowboys defensive leader Micah Parsons chimed in by calling it "a statement game.''

"Sunday Night Football'' was the stage as Dallas vaulted into first place in the NFC East with the win ... and gives us lots of "good'' fodder for "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'' ...

THE GOOD - FAST START: The Cowboys were shot out of a cannon to start the game, as Dak Prescott led a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the scoring, and they never looked back.

Every phase played up to its standards against the Eagles as the defense held Jalen Hurts and the offense to no touchdowns and forced three fumbles, and overall, they played a clean game.

Head coach Mike McCarthy, coming off his appendix surgey, wanted to see what his team was made of against the Eagles in what was billed as a true heavyweight clash.

“I wanted to see us take a step as a football team,” McCarthy said. “It’s about winning, you got to improve down the stretch here; you want to be playing your best football in December, and I think we got off to a great start tonight.”

The "Texas Coast Offense" was rolling in the first half as Prescott and Co. put up 24 points as they scored on every possession to be up 24-6 at halftime.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys torched the Eagles in a 33-13 beatdown at AT&T Stadium / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

But while Dak will get the plaudits, Dan Quinn's defense returned to its "Dallas Doomsday'' best, and Stephon Gilmore time-traveled back to 2019 as he and AJ Brown went toe-to-toe.

The defense didn't allow an offensive touchdown and forced three fumbles (all three were recovered by Dallas this time), as it reminded the NFL of the talent this defense possesses.

For McCarthy, with the fumbles and the fourth-down stop, the Cowboys' Micah Parsons-led defense played at a high level as they stopped Hurts and the Eagles' famed running game in its tracks.

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“Jalen’s such a threat, and their offensive line, you have to defend them," McCarthy said. "To win the down-and-distance battle is a challenge, and obviously, the takeaways is something that we take a lot of pride in. The fourth-down stop was probably the biggest one, especially momentum-wise, that was a huge momentum swing in the game.

“I thought our defense was lights-out.”

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THE BAD: A FAKE PUNT? Special-teams coordinator John "Bones'' Fassel's will have plenty to say this week after his group got punked on a fake punt early in the game. But in an almost literal sense, it was the Eagles' only meaningful gain ... and it maybe spoke to their desperation, their understanding that without taking big risks, this wasn't going to be their night.

And even with the risk, it still wasn't.

And otherwise? Cowboys defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins sustained a high-ankle sprain Sunday evening vs. Eagles, but there is hope that it is "mild'' in nature.

But otherwise? Clean.

THE UGLY: FIRST PLACE, BUT ... It's true. The Cowboys now move to 10-3 on the season and are in first place in the NFC East (by virtue of their 4-1 division record, with the Eagles at 3-1). Yay!

But ... Dallas now will face two road games back-to-back against the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins.

That in theory could be "ugly.''

For now, though? Dallas' December gauntlet has gotten off to a great start. And while Micah Parsons stated earlier in the week that the Eagles matchup is an "ice bag" game, it isn't the Cowboys who are licking wounds, as they were the ones dishing out the punishment.