Halftime: Eagles 23 Cowboys 7
ARLINGTON, TX (CBS) – The Eagles continue to show an enigmatic side. One moment, they look like dirt, as they did against Green Bay a few weeks ago. The next, they look like they did against Dallas in the first half on Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
The Dallas version looks like it can beat any team in the NFL.
The Eagles scored on their first three possessions and five of their first six drives in taking a 23-7 halftime lead against the Cowboys.
The Eagles, however, with Dallas down and struggling defensively, could have ended the game in the first half—but failed to close by settling for field goals on their last two drives in the half instead of closing with touchdowns.
LeSean McCoy outdueled his Cowboys' counterpart, the NFL's leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, with 83 yards on 14 carries, including a 36-yard run, and a 19-yard carry. Mark Sanchez also looked good, completing 17 of 24 for career-best 202 yards in the first half, and a touchdown.
The Eagles scored on their first two drives—and looked dominant in doing it. The Eagles ran 16 offensive plays in the first quarter, and of those first two drives, the Eagles only had three third-down plays.
Defensively, the Eagles kept a tight rein on Cowboys' explosive Dez Bryant, holding him to one catch for 38 yards. The Eagles held Dallas to seven first downs and an anemic 130 yards of total offense—including 51 yards rushing. The Eagles held Dallas to three-and-out on two of their five drives—one that resulted in a forced fumble by Brandon Boykin, which gave the Eagles its halftime 23-7 lead.
Whether or not the Eagles will be haunted by their failure to score touchdowns instead of field goals will be determined in the second half.
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