Eagles Fall out of First Place with a 20-16 Loss to the Cowboys

Last night's loss to the Cowboys came down to two simple factors that have plagued the Eagles in recent history; the ability to convert third and short yardage opportunities on offense, and the ability to shut down opposing team's tight ends on defense. Against Dallas they failed miserably in both categories and it cost them the game.

Not only couldn't the Birds convert some short yardage plays when they needed them the most, they wasted two timeouts in the second half challenging the spot of the ball that would have given them the first down. While I admit, from the replays it appears that both of these spots did cheat the Eagles out two much needed first downs, getting the refs to actually change the spot is much easier said than done. The decision to challenge both these plays proved to be costly as it left the Birds without any time outs at the end of the game when they needed them the most.

As far as stopping the TE, Jason Whitten once again broke the backs of the Eagles has his five yard catch for a first down with two minutes left in the game was all they needed to run out the clock and seal the win. Whitten ended up with seven receptions for only 43 yards, but it seemed like every one of those catches were for a first down to keep a Cowboy's drive alive.

I will give credit to Tony Romo for coming into a hostile environment like the Linc and managing the game well enough to get the win. I was not overly impressed with the Cowboys as a team as I do believe this loss was more of the Eagles not executing properly in key situations, rather than Dallas completely out playing the Birds.

The second half should prove interesting for both teams as the NFC East is still very much up for grabs. Along with the Giants, all these teams will find a way to make this a very close race with some great wins and dramatic losses over the next eight weeks. Once again these two teams will meet the last Sunday of the season in a game that will most likely have major playoff implications for both. While last night's loss still stings as it was a game they should have won, something tells me January 3rd's game will be the true test of which team will be tops in the NFC East.