Instant Reactions: Cowboys overcome 21-point deficit, defeat Eagles in closing seconds of Week 12 matchup

The Dallas Cowboys are alive and well after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of a Week 12 thriller at AT&T Stadium to improve to 5-5-1.

Dallas overcame a 21 point deficit, turnovers, and penalty issues to keep all hope alive in the second half of the season.

Up next, a Thanksgiving battle with the Kansas City Chiefs, who kept their season alive after a 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts earlier today.

Instant Reactions:

Ali Jawad

What we saw on Sunday afternoon was NFC East football at its best. Unpredictable, chaotic, and drama filled.

After trading for Quinnen Williams, welcoming back some new reinforcements, and beating the Raiders last week to keep hope alive, their was a sense of some renewed confidence as the Cowboys returned to AT&T Stadium for the first time since their bye week.

A 21-0 deficit in the first-half seemingly wiped away all hope. That is until Dallas, led by a big second half from quarterback Dak Prescott, climbed back into the game and tied it up at 21 in the fourth quarter and eventually closed out the game 24-21.

George Pickens, who made some of the biggest catches of the season, once again reminded everyone why he must be paid after another 100-yard, one touchdown performance, including a 24-yard catch and run that set up the game winner.

His counter part, CeeDee Lamb had the bad case of the drops again vs. the Eagles with now seven of them between both meetings this season.

However, Lamb still managed to deliver a 48 yard yard reception late in the third that set up a Brevyn Spann-Ford four-yard touchdown, the first of the young tight ends career.

Prescott then tied the game with a rushing touchdown in the fourth.

Dallas had the opportunity to take its first lead lead of the game after a fumble recovery forced by Alijah Clark off a Dallas punt was recovered by long snapper Trent Sieg, but facing fourth & goal at the Eagles one-yard line, Prescott’s pass, which was intended for tight end Jake Ferguson fell incomplete.

Prescott, who passed for 354 yards, found the end zone three times, two through the air, and once on the ground. The star quarterback, also surpassed Tony Romo as the franchises all-time leading passer halfway through the game.

While the defense pitched a second half shut out and forced a fumble on running back Saquon Barkley, the pass rush was non existent for the majority of the game giving Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts too much time to throw. That is until defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, with arguably the biggest play of the game on defense finally was the first Cowboy to get to Hurts that forced an Eagles punt with less than two minutes to play.

When it mattered the most Prescott and Pickens delivered on the final drive to set up a game winning Brandon Aubrey field goal.

The 21-0 come from behind victory, tied the largest comeback win in Cowboys franchise history.

Clarence Hill

Three-time Super Bowl Troy Aikman has said that the proudest he’s ever been was the 1995 championship game loss to San Francisco when they rallied from a 21-point deficit to make it a game in the fourth quarter before losing.

Dak Prescott’s performance against the Eagles reminded of Aikman’s sentiment.

Down 21-0 early in the second quarter, the Cowboys were seemingly left for dead. They had been their own worst enemy with penalties, turnovers and special teams miscues.

That the Cowboys came all the way back to tie and eventually take the lead was a total team effort.

The Cowboys much-maligned defense suddenly became stingy, keeping the Eagles scoreless with punts and a forced fumble by Sam Williams.

No play was bigger than Osa Odighizuwa’s sack with 1:52 to get the ball back to the offense.

The Cowboys also got a forced fumble on punt return.

But this was also about Prescott’s resolve, leadership and poise to keep the team afloat, in addition to his stellar play.

This is why you pay Prescott $60 million because he can keep his nerve when he is surrounded by chaos and discomfort.

It was also fitting that this moment and performance came on the day he passed Tony Romo as the team’s all-time leader in passing yards.

Prescott not only showed up big time in a big game but he was at his best when things looked the bleakest for the Cowboys, overcoming three dropped passes from No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb, an unconscionable fumble from receiver KaVontae Turpin, false start and illegal man downfield penalties that put the offense behind the sticks and his own red zone interception.

Prescott tossed a touchdown pass to George Pickens late in the second quarter to make it 21-7 at halftime. He then tossed a touchdown pass to tight Brevyn Spann-Ford in the third quarter and then tied the game with a diving somersault in the end zone in the fourth.

He then saved the best for last, leading the Cowboys to a game-winning field goal in the final moments to win it 24-21 over the Eagles.

It tied for the largest comeback in franchise and evened their record at 5-5-1

Prescott, who finished with 354 yards and three scores (one rushing, two passing) got help from Pickens, who had a career-high 9 receptions for 146 yards.