Giants Country

NFC East Week 12 Wrap: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles Roll

Let's get caught up on the action from the NFC East Week 12 slate of games.

Joe Najarian

NFC East Week 12 Wrap: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles Roll
NFC East Week 12 Wrap: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles Roll /
In this story:

The Cowboys and Eagles continue to dominate the division. Still, things have been perking up of late for the Giants, now winners of two in a row after defeating the New England Patriots 10-7 at MetLife Stadium.

It wasn't a pretty win for the Giants, but the effect of the win is sure to be positive once the team returns from its Week 13 bye.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys and Eagles continue to roll on the winning track, though the Eagles had a close call against the Bills. Let's run down the NFC East action from this week. 

Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; The Dallas Cowboys sideline reacts as cornerback DaRon Bland (26) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half at AT&T Stadium.   / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys 45, Commanders 10

On their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Dallas Cowboys won their 13th straight home game by crushing the Washington Commanders, 45-10.

Already leading 20-10 at halftime, Dallas blew the game open in the fourth quarter by scoring 25 points, capped off by a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown by DaRon Bland. It was his fifth pick-six of the season, setting a new NFL record with six games left.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott continued his stellar play by posting a 142.1 passer rating, completing 22 of 32 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns, each to a different receiver. Brandin Cooks, CeeDee Lamb, KaVontae Turpin, and Rico Dowdle each hauled in a touchdown pass, with Cooks being the leading receiver with four catches for 72 yards. Running back Tony Pollard also had 79 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

The Commanders dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for almost 37 minutes, but their offense could only come away with 10 points. Quarterback Sam Howell completed 28 of 44 passes for 300 yards and ran for the team’s only touchdown. Curtis Samuel was the game’s leading receiver, catching nine passes for 100 yards. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. accounted for 53 of Washington’s 108 rushing yards.

The first three drives of the game ended in punts, but the next five would result in a combined 30 points. Dallas got on the board first by driving 90 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 40-yard completion from Prescott to tight end Jake Ferguson. Dowdle’s 15-yard touchdown reception made it 7-0 Cowboys.

Howell led the Commanders back by completing a 30-yard pass to Samuel and a 12-yard pass to Jahan Dotson to set up a 43-yard field goal by Joey Slye, but Prescott needed just six plays to lead the Cowboys back into the end zone, doing so with a 31-yard strike to Cooks to make it 14-3.

Washington responded with a lengthy 13-play, 75-yard drive that took six and a half minutes; Howell completed 15-yard and 13-yard passes to Dotson and Samuel, respectively, before taking the ball in himself for a 1-yard touchdown run. But with one minute and 51 seconds left in the half, Dallas stormed down the field in only five plays. Prescott completed a 24-yard pass to Jalen Brooks and a 31-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert before Pollard scored on a 7-yard touchdown run. Although the PAT failed, Dallas stretched their lead to 20-10 at halftime.

There would be no scoring in the third quarter, although it did feature a Commanders drive into Cowboys territory that ended with a turnover on downs, as Robinson was stuffed on 4th and 1. The fourth quarter, however, would see plenty of action as the Cowboys’ solid lead turned into a rout.

First, a 25-yard completion to Cooks set up Brandon Aubrey’s 52-yard field goal to make it 23-10 Cowboys. The Commanders were turned aside on another 4th-and-1 on their next possession, with Howell sacked by Johnathan Hankins to give Dallas the ball at the Washington 24. The Cowboys capitalized three plays later with Prescott’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Lamb, who made another catch in the back of the end zone for a successful two-point conversion.

Washington turned the ball over on downs again on their next drive, and Dallas added another score with Prescott’s 34-yard strike to Turpin, making it 38-10 Cowboys. This would be the final offensive play the Cowboys ran in the game, as Washington’s two drives resulted in Bland’s record-setting pick-six and the game ending.

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scores the game-winning touchdown on a 12-yard run in overtime against Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde (23) and cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) at Lincoln Financial Field / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles 37, Bills 34 (OT)

The Philadelphia Eagles improved to 10-1 with a heart-stopping 37-34 home win over the Buffalo Bills in overtime.

In a thrilling, see-saw battle, the Eagles were outgained 505-378 and held the ball for 27 minutes (as opposed to Buffalo having possession for 40 and a half minutes) but still found a way to win. Kicker Jake Elliott drilled a 59-yard field goal through the raindrops to tie the game in its final seconds, and in overtime, quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to end the game.

Hurts finished the game going 18 for 31 with 200 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and one interception while rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. His top target was DeVonta Smith, who caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles also racked up 185 rushing yards as a team, with D’Andre Swift leading the way with 80.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 29 of 51 passes for 339 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception and was also the game’s leading rusher with 81 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs had six receptions and a touchdown; Davis had 105 yards, while Diggs had 74.

After the first three drives ended in punts, Philadelphia got on the board first by driving 73 yards in 10 plays before Hurts ran for a 1-yard touchdown, courtesy of the “Brotherly Shove.” However, Buffalo responded by scoring 17 unanswered points in the second quarter.

First, they drove 45 yards in 11 plays on the way to a 48-yard field goal by Tyler Bass. On Philadelphia’s next possession, Terrel Bernard intercepted a pass from Hurts to give the Bills’ offense a short field at the Eagles 29, and Allen scored on a 9-yard touchdown run four plays later for a 10-7 lead. 

Later in the quarter, Buffalo was turned away after Bass had a 34-yard field goal blocked by Jalen Carter (a controversial Intentional Grounding call on Allen also hurt them), but they got the ball back just three plays later when Hurts fumbled, and Greg Rousseau recovered it. Five plays later, Allen threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Diggs with 12 seconds left in the quarter, giving the Bills a 17-7 lead at halftime.

The Bills threatened again early in the third quarter but came away with no points when Bass missed a 48-yard field goal attempt wide right. This was a major turning point in the game as the Eagles’ offense woke up.

Philadelphia would score three consecutive touchdowns to retake the lead. First, they drove 62 yards in six plays and scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. Buffalo responded with a 9-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Allen’s 16-yard touchdown run, but the Eagles struck right back with a 7-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Hurts’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Smith. With the Bills ahead by three points, 

Allen threw a critical interception to former Giant James Bradberry; this gave the Eagles the ball at the Buffalo 24, and on 3rd and 15, Hurts threw a dramatic 29-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus for a 28-24 lead.

After an exchange of punts, the Bills got the ball back with just over seven minutes remaining and marched 74 yards in 10 plays. Two plays after the two-minute warning, Allen found Davis for a go-ahead, 7-yard touchdown, and Buffalo retook a 31-28 lead. 

But the Eagles answered dramatically; after advancing as far as the Buffalo 34, the offense sputtered and backed up to the 41, forcing Elliott to come out for a 59-yard field goal attempt. Somehow, Elliott could sneak the ball through the right upright on a line, tying the game and forcing overtime.

The Bills won the coin toss and drove all the way to the Eagles’ 22-yard line, but miscommunication between Allen and Davis resulted in a possible game-winning touchdown pass falling incomplete in the end zone. 

Bass still converted with a 40-yard field goal, but the Eagles responded right away by driving 75 yards in nine plays, which included a pair of receptions by Smith for 17 and 11 yards, the latter of which came on a crucial 3rd and 3 in Bills territory. 

Hurts then ended the game by rushing 12 yards untouched into the end zone, as Lincoln Financial Field went into hysterics, and the Eagles became the first 10-win team in the 2023 season.

Published
Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian, a Rutgers University graduate, covered Rutgers Football and Rutgers Baseball during an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News (JSN).

Home/Game Day