Cowboys-Eagles Sunday Night Football highlights: Dallas gets playoff picture-altering win

The Dallas Cowboys did not score 40 points at home — a seemingly rare occurrence. Don’t mistake that for a lack of dominance. 

Dallas rolled the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-13, Sunday, and all head coach Mike McCarthy could do was smile as he shook hands with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. Dallas jumped ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East standings with the victory. 

The defense kept the Eagles’ offense out of the end zone – rookie Jalen Carter’s 42-yard fumble return serving as the lone Philadelphia touchdown, and quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 271 yards on 24-of-39 passing with two touchdowns. 

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey continued his historic stretch of consecutive field goals to start a career, as the 28-year-old rookie has now drilled his first 30 attempts in the league and was 4-for-3 on the night. He did it in arduous fashion against Philadelphia, connecting from distances of 45, 50, 59 and 60 yards. Aubrey became the first player in NFL history to make two field goals of 59 yards or more in the same game. 

Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson continued his breakout year with a team-high 72 receiving yards on six catches. Receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup caught touchdowns. 

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Three of Philadelphia’s best playmakers — quarterback Jalen Hurts and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — had the ball knocked out of their hands. Each time the pigskin wound up in the hands of a Dallas defender. The Eagles now have 19 turnovers on the season, Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore had a team-high nine tackles and forced one of their fumbles. 

The Eagles still control their own destiny in the NFC East race, but for now, they are the No. 5 seed in the conference with Dallas slotting into the No. 2 spot behind the San Francisco 49ers. — Chris Bumbaca

Winners and losers from Cowboys' win over Eagles

WINNERS

Dak Prescott sharp in win: Prescott continued his hot run passing the football. The Cowboys quarterback is playing some of the best football of his career and is firmly in the MVP mix.

Prescott was accurate and poised as he took advantage of a leaky Philadelphia secondary.

The Cowboys quarterback finished 24-of-39 passing for 271 yards and two touchdowns, resulting in a 99.4 passer rating.

The Cowboys had five players with more than 35 receiving yards in what was a balanced passing attack led by Prescott.

Cowboys defense: The Cowboys defense didn’t give up a touchdown. Philadelphia’s only touchdown came on a Jalen Carter scoop and score. Jalen Hurts and company never found a rhythm against Dallas. When the Eagles had promising drives going, they ended abruptly on fumbles.

Dallas forced three takeaways. The Cowboys forced a fumble on Philadelphia’s first possession and it set the tone for the whole game.

Brandon Aubrey continues to remain perfect: Aubrey is automatic for the Cowboys. He made each one of his four field goals in the win.

The Cowboys' rookie kicker made a 60-yard field goal and added another successful 59-yard field goal for good measure. Aubrey is the first kicker in NFL history to make two 59-plus field goals in the same game.

Aubrey’s easiest field goal was a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter that gave Dallas a 30-13 advantage. He then added another 50-yard field goal in garbage time.

Aubrey has converted all 30 of his field goal attempts this season. He’s perfect for his career thus far.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers (10-3) have the best record in the NFC as a result of the Eagles’ loss. San Francisco also holds tiebreakers over the Eagles (10-3) and Cowboys (10-3) because of wins over both NFC East squads.

San Francisco controls its own destiny in the NFC.

LOSERS

Eagles’ ball security: Jalen Hurts lost a fumble, A.J. Brown lost a fumble and DeVonta Smith lost a fumble as well. A trifecta for three prominent players on Philly’s offense. The Eagles will have a difficult time winning any game when three of their offensive stars lose fumbles.

Eagles offense: Philly's offense went missing in Dallas. The Eagles had ball security issues and went 0-1 in the red zone. The Eagles looked out of sync and couldn’t sustain any drives in the loss. The Eagles offense failed to score a touchdown for the first time since the wild card game in the 2019 playoffs. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys-Eagles highlights

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Brandon Aubrey made four field goals to start his career a record 30-for-30, and the Cowboys pulled even in the NFC East with their 15th consecutive home victory.

Cowboys 33, Eagles 13: Brandon Aubrey adds another field goal

Former pro soccer player-turned-NFL kicker Brandon Aubrey added a fourth field goal to what has been a big night for the rookie.

Aubrey connected from 50 yards out with just over a minute remaining in the game to extend the Cowboys' commanding lead over their NFC East rivals.

Aubrey -— who was a first-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC — made field goals from 60, 59, 45 and 50 yards in the game. — Jim Reineking

Cowboys defense forces another Eagles turnover

The game has gone from bad to worse for the Eagles late in the fourth quarter.

Attempting a semblance of a comeback, Jalen Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith for a 22-yard gain inside the Dallas red zone. Except Smith became the third Eagles player to have the ball punched from his grasp against the Cowboys – joining Hurts and fellow receiver A.J. Brown in that unfortunate category.

Dallas recovered all three of the fumbles, and following the latest one, was looking to run out the clock with a 17-point lead.

All Smith could do was wear a blank stare on the bench. — Chris Bumbaca 

Cowboys 30, Eagles 13: Brandon Aubrey pads Dallas' lead

The Cowboys called upon Brandon Aubrey again in the fourth quarter, and he showed once again why he’s becoming one of the best kickers in the NFL.

Aubrey made a 45-yard field goal at the end of the Cowboys’ 11-play drive to give Dallas a 30-13 advantage with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys kicker has converted all three of his field goals Sunday night. He’s a perfect 29 of 29 on field goals this season. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys carry 14-point lead into fourth quarter

The big play of the third quarter was Jalen Carter’s 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown, Philadelphia’s first of the game. That is a major reason why the Eagles are down by two scores going into the final 15 minutes, as the offense has failed to find the end zone.

Brandon Aubrey etched his name deeper into the NFL record books by making his second field goal of the game – this one from 59 yards out, slightly easier than the 60-yarder he nailed in the first half.

Neither team was particularly efficient in the frame. Philadelphia was 1-for-3, while Dallas was 1-for-4. — Chris Bumbaca

Eagles stopped on fourth down 

Nick Sirianni left his offense on the field for a fourth-and-8 from the Dallas 31-yard line. Jalen Hurts' pass to DeVonta Smith only went for 2.

Instead of opting for another Jake Elliott field goal, Sirianni decided to try and make it a one-score game by trying to keep a potential touchdown drive alive with the Eagles trailing by 14. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys 27, Eagles 13: Brandon Aubrey now has 59- and 60-yard field goals

Brandon Aubrey continues to remain perfect.

The Cowboys rookie kicker sliced anther 59-yard field goal right between the uprights to give Dallas a 27-13 lead with 4:49 left in the third quarter. Aubrey made a 60-yard field goal in the first half. According to the NBC Sports broadcast, he’s the first kicker in NFL history to make two field goals from 59 yards out or further in the same game.

Aubrey has converted all 28 of his field goal attempts this season. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys 24, Eagles 13: Jalen Carter scoop and score

Gifted with short field position thanks to an Eagles punt and fair catch interference 15-yard penalty that brought their starting position to their own 45-yard line, the Cowboys had all the making of another scoring drive.

It was. For the Eagles.

Fletcher Cox got to Dak Prescott and forced a fumble that Eagles rookie Jalen Carter picked up and ran 42 yards the other way for the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game with 10:41 left in the third quarter.

Cox bull rushed up the middle and, with his left hand, was able to knock the ball out of Prescott’s grip. Carter was right there and took care of the rest. — Chris Bumbaca

A.J. Brown loses fumble on Philly’s first possession of second half

The second half isn’t off to a great start for Philadelphia.

After catching the football on a slant, wide receiver A.J. Brown had the ball stripped from him by Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore and it was recovered by linebacker Damone Clark on the Dallas 37-yard line.

The turnover was the Eagles’ second loss fumble of the night.

The Cowboys offense, however, went three-and-out after the turnover. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys up big at halftime

The Cowboys were clicking on all cylinders in the first half.

The Cowboys offense scored points on all four of their drives as the team enters the locker room at halftime with a commanding 24-6 advantage.

Dak Prescott was sharp in the first half. Prescott passed for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup each hauled in receiving touchdowns. Running back Rico Dowdle recorded a touchdown on the ground.

The Cowboys offense produced 247 yards in four drives.

The Cowboys defense deserves plenty of credit for their first-half performance, too.

Dallas held Jalen Hurts to 92 passing yards. Safety Donovan Wilson has a forced fumble and linebacker Micah Parsons registered a sack.

The Eagles went 2-5 on third downs in the first half. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys 24, Eagles 6: Michael Gallup gets short TD reception

Dak Prescott found Michael Gallup for a 1-yard touchdown and another Cowboys touchdown to give the home team a 24-6 lead 20 seconds before halftime.

The Cowboys have scored on four straight possessions – three touchdowns and one (very long) field goal. A pass interference-facemask combo penalty on rookie Kelee Ringo gave Dallas a free 25 yards, and Dallas required just 88 seconds to score its third touchdown of the game.

The Philadelphia defense has now given up nine touchdowns in its last 11 drives. One of those possessions included a kneel down. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys 17, Eagles 6: Jake Elliott adds another field goal

Eagles kicker Jake Elliott snuck a 44-yard field goal between the upright to cut Philadelphia’s deficit 17-6 with 1:48 left in the first half.

The Eagles got within 20 yards of the end zone, but Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons sacked Jalen Hurts on second down for a 7-yard loss. On the ensuing play on third-and-18, Hurts’ pass fell incomplete.

Philadelphia’s hit field goals on back-to-back possessions, but they are 1-4 on third downs. — Tyler Dragon

Who has longest field goal in Cowboys history?

When Brandon Aubrey connected on a 60-yard field goal against the Eagles on Sunday night, it was just three yards short of the longest field goal in Cowboys team history.

On Oct. 20, 2019, Brett Maher connected on a 63-yard field goal — also against the Eagles — to set a team record. That broke a record Maher had set in 2018 when he made a 62-yarder. He also had a 60-yarder last season.

The Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker has the longest field goal in NFL history, a 66-yarder he made against the Detroit Lions in 2021. — Jim Reineking

Cowboys 17, Eagles 3: Rico Dowdle extends Dallas' lead

Dallas doing Dallas things early

The offensive juggernaut that is the Cowboys offense — at home, especially — keeps on rolling.

A replay review determined that backup running back Rico Dowdle broke the plane of the goal line for the Cowboys’ second touchdown of the game and gave Dallas a 17-3 lead. Dallas took six minutes, 20 seconds off the clock and went for 12 plays over 75 yards.

The Cowboys have scored more than 40 points at AT&T Stadium in four straight games. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys 10, Eagles 3: Philly gets on the board

Though not as long, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott answered Brandon Aubrey’s 60-yard field goal with an impressive one of his own.

Elliott put the Eagles on the board with a 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

The Philadelphia drive was kept alive by a fake punt the Eagles successfully pulled off. But the Eagles could not get another first down and Elliott cleaned it all up. — Chris Bumbaca

Eagles pull off successful fake punt

A gamble paid off for the Eagles.

The Eagles successfully converted a fake punt. On fourth-and-2 in punt formation, Eagles punter Braden Mann completed a pass to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. Zaccheaus caught the football and scampered 28 yards for an Eagles first down at the Dallas 39-yard line. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys 10, Eagles 0: Brandon Aubrey hits 60-yard field goal

Brandon Aubrey still has not missed a field goal. Even on attempts that are borderline impossible.

The 28-year-old rookie kicker lengthened the Cowboys’ first quarter lead with a 60-yard bomb of a field goal late in the first quarter to improve his NFL career start to a perfect 27-for-27. Harrison Butker (Chiefs), Jake Elliott (Eagles), Matt Prater (Cardinals) and Joey Slye (Commanders) have all been good from 60-plus yards this season.

Dallas led 10-0 with 50 seconds left in the first quarter. — Chris Bumbaca

Jalen Hurts loses football in Dallas territory

The Cowboys spoiled Philadelphia’s opening drive with their sixth fumble recovery of the season.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had the football stripped loose from him by Donovan Wilson at the Dallas 20-yard line and the ball was recovered by the Cowboys safety.

The fumble ended a promising eight-play, 54-yard opening drive for the Eagles.

The Cowboys have a 7-0 lead with 5:42 left in the first quarter. — Tyler Dragon

Cowboys 7, Eagles 0: CeeDee Lamb scores on opening drive

The Cowboys capped an impressive opening drive of the game with a 13-yard scoring play from Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

Lamb's touchdown gave Dallas an early lead after a 10-play, 75-yard drive. It was Lamb's ninth touchdown of the season (eight receiving, one rushing). — Jim Reineking

'Here we go!': Why Cowboys' Dak Prescott uses unique snap cadence

You don't even have to be an attentive Dallas Cowboys fan to have heard it.

"YEAH! HERE WE GOOOO."

This is the start of the cadence quarterback Dak Prescott uses before he initiates offensive plays for the Cowboys. And, with the precision and clarity of sideline microphones and with the booming nature of the way Prescott yells the cadence, you also don't need to have the volume on your TV cranked up to hear it. — Lorenzo Reyes

Playoff picture: Massive stakes for NFC powers

The Eagles (10-3) might be the NFC East leaders now, but the Cowboys (9-3) have won four straight and can claim first place in their division by beating Philadelphia on Sunday night. — Nate Davis

What time is Cowboys vs. Eagles?

• Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

The Cowboys and Eagles are set to square off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday night in Week 14. The Eagles travel to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the matchup.

Cowboys vs. Eagles TV channel

• TV channel: NBC

Per usual, NBC will broadcast the "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the Cowboys and Eagles. Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will be on the call, with Melissa Stark adding reports from the field.

Cowboys vs. Eagles live stream

• Live stream: Fubo

For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, Fox, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.

Cowboys vs. Eagles predictions, picks and odds

The Cowboys are favorites to defeat the Eagles, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023, including the new ESPN BET app.

• Spread: Cowboys (-3.5)
• Moneyline: Cowboys (-175); Eagles (+145)
• Over/under: 52

Here are the USA TODAY Sports' staff picks for the game:

• Lorenzo Reyes: Eagles
• Tyler Dragon: Eagles
• Safid Deen: Eagles
• Victoria Hernandez: Cowboys
• Jordan Mendoza: Eagles

Cowboys vs. Eagles betting tips

Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds, Sunday Night Football odds and/or Monday Night Football odds.

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Dak Prescott at home 

The Cowboys have made themselves mighty comfortable within the home confines of “Jerry World” aka AT&T Stadium. Dallas is undefeated at home in 2023 and went 8-1 during the 2022 regular season. Dating back to 2021, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is 17-4 at home and has thrown 50 touchdowns in 20 games, while averaging 269.8 passing yards per game. — Chris Bumbaca 

What is Dak Prescott's primetime record? 

Entering Week 14, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has a career record of 70-39 as a starter. Prescott is 23-11 during his career in regular-season primetime games, including an 11-8 record on "Sunday Night Football."

Here is a breakdown: 

• NFL Kickoff Game: 0-1 
• "Thursday Night Football": 6-1 
• Saturday night: 1-0 
• "Sunday Night Football": 11-8 
• "Monday Night Football": 5-1 

What are Dak Prescott's MVP chances? 

As the 2023 NFL season enters the home stretch, conversations surrounding the league MVP are ramping up. 

The Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson are dominating MVP talks, but Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons says another candidate should be in the mix — his quarterback Dak Prescott. — Cydney Henderson 

Eagles' Tush Push is unstoppable. Will it be banned next season?

The Philadelphia Eagles' go-to fourth-and-inches play is extremely successful, but some critics call the "Tush Push" a rugby play, not a football one. — Cydney Henderson

Eagles-Cowboys inactives: Dallas Goedert returns for Philadelphia

Eagles right end Dallas Goedert (forearm), who hasn't played since his team's win over the Cowboys in Week 9, will return to the field on Sunday night.

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons was listed on the team's injury report with an undisclosed illness, but the team's leader in sacks will play.

Eagles' inactive players:

• QB Tanner McKee
• RB Rashaad Penny
• DT Moro Ojomo
• OG Sua Opeta
• TE Albert Okwuegbunam

Cowboys' inactive players:

• QB Trey Lance
• CB Noah Igbinoghene
• CB Eric Scott
• RB Duece Vaughn
• OT Asim Richards
• WR Jalen Brooks

CeeDee Lamb chasing Michael Irvin

CeeDee Lamb already has posted his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. However, the fourth-year receiver out of Oklahoma is on the brink of a historic Cowboys season.

Lamb's 98.5 receiving yards per game (entering Week 14) currently stand second behind Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin's 100.2 yards-per-game average from the 1995 season, which is the last season in which the Cowboys won the Super Bowl.

At 1,182 yards (entering Week 14), Lamb has a great chance to post the highest single-season receiving yardage total in team history, topping Irvin's 1,603 yards from 1995 (Lamb does get an extra game now that the NFL plays a 17-game regular season).

Here are the top five receiving yardage seasons in Cowboys history:

• Michael Irvin, 1995: 1,603
• Michael Irvin, 1991: 1,523
• Michael Irvin, 1992: 1,396
• Dez Bryant, 2012: 1,382
• CeeDee Lamb, 2022: 1,359

Enter Week 14, Lamb already ranks eighth on the Cowboys' career receiving yardage list. — Jim Reineking

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