The Eagles played much better in other games this season, but they found a way to win their most important game of the season and that’s all that matters. Good teams find a way to win even when they’re not playing their best football. The Birds found a way to beat the Cowboys on Sunday night, not because of what they did, but because of what they didn’t do.
The Birds only turned the football over one time all night, but the Cowboys turned the ball over three times and those turnovers proved to be the difference in the game. The only statistic that affects who wins and who loses more than the turnover statistic is the score on the scoreboard. Chip Kelly has drilled that into his football team. It’s one of the main reasons, Nick Foles is the starting quarterback and Michael Vick isn’t.
Think about it, the Cowboys outplayed the Eagles on both the offensive and defensive lines by recording five sacks, while not allowing the Eagles defensive front to get to Kyle Orton at all. The Birds were out gained by 51 yards, 417 for Dallas and 366 for the Eagles, but they won the game because of the three to one turnover margin. Let’s take a close look at the turnovers and what happened after them.
On the first Cowboys turnover, Eagles inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks hit the football with his shoulder pads and dislodged the ball from Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. It looked like the other Eagles inside linebacker, DeMeco Ryans pushed Kendricks into the play. The mistake cost Dallas at least three points and probably seven because they were marching the ball against the Eagles defense and already in position to kick a field goal when Murray put the ball on the carpet. Dallas jumping off to a quick lead would have made a difference in the game, but the Birds were able to grab the lead and play the entire game on top.
On the second Dallas turnover, Kendricks picked off a Kyle Orton pass, which was intended for Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, but it was behind him on his back shoulder. The ball hit Witten and bounded into Kendricks hands. The second-year linebacker forced his two turnovers in the night and clearly he was the team’s best defensive player in the game.
Immediately after that turnover, Chip Kelly went for the jugular with Nick Foles executing a throwback pass to Brent Celek, which we haven’t seen since the first New York Giants game. Celek did a great job of screening the linebacker off the ball and putting himself in position where only he could catch the football.
On the next play, Celek got free on the backside where Dallas blew the coverage with two linebackers blitzing. Kelly’s aggressive mentality was the key here because the Eagles went on the field after the interception with the thought of scoring a touchdown immediately. Kelly has taught them about flows in the game and how you need to score quickly after turnovers, by jumping on defenses the time they come onto the field.
The game was decided on the final Dallas turnover as nickel back Brandon Boykin stepped in front of one of the Cowboys wide receivers, who was running a slant route. Orton threw the ball behind the receiver, but Boykin was in position to pick the pass off even if it had been on the money.
This showed the mentality of Kelly and his young football team. Boykin was playing to win the game rather than playing not to lose it with the game on the line. He was clearly looking for an interception, which says something about Billy Davis and the entire Birds defense.
“There was no panic on our football team”, Kelly said after the game.
Prior to that play, Nick Foles had slid on the ground rather than throw the ball up for grabs and get it picked off to allow the Cowboys to kick a field goal and beat them. Instead of trying to force the ball in to a receiver who wasn’t open, Foles slid on the ground and put his faith in the team’s defense.
On the one turnover the Birds committed, Foles tried to make a throw in a situation where he was in a crowded pocket and wasn’t sure how many defenders were near him, but he saw tight end Zach Ertz coming open and he tried to get the ball to him. That’s when Foles was hit from behind and forced into a fumble.
Foles was trying to do too much on that play and it cost him. One of the keys to playing winning football is knowing your capabilities and your limitations. The young quarterback should have thrown the ball away on a few of those sacks.
The Eagles defense came onto the field and shut down the Cowboys offense with the game on the line to hold them to only a field goal.
This is how the Birds won the football game.
Yep yep.
Cowboys had several opps to win this game. They didn’t get it done.
Woo Hoo!
G, this was like the KC game, we outplayed them but the turnovers beat us,that’s football, I’m not worried about all the yardage we gave up, were next to last in that stat, the real stat is points! We’re top 6 in points allowed, you can have as many yards per game against us as long as your points against us is 21 and ours against you is 31 like it has the past 9 games.
Great Article, it just goes to show the two most important statistics are turnover ratio and penalties. Avoid those two and your chances of winning the game are improved dramatically.