DALLAS — Beating the Philadelphia Eagles is always cathartic for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans.
No team has given the organization more trouble on an annual basis than the Eagles since Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989. Much of the heartache and misery Dallas fans have endured in that span has come at the wings of the Eagles.
Would Philadelphia spoil the trio of former Cowboys getting their Hall of Fame rings at halftime? Would Philly play villain and spoil Dak Prescott's homecoming since breaking his leg on Oct. 11, 2020 at AT&T Stadium?
41-21 is the numeric value for "no." Here are four takeaways from the Cowboys' big win over the Eagles:
1. The pass rush has arrived — It is one thing to get pass rush off the edge; it is another to generate it from the interior defensive line. It appears the Cowboys have found a source for interior pressure with third-round rookie Osa Odighizua from UCLA.
The 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle – who is actually filling in for an injured Neville Gallimore – harassed quarterback Jalen Hurts with 1.0 sack and two quarterback hits. Yet, his pressure on the inside allowed defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, defensive end Tarell Basham, and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons to stalk Hurts.
Randy Gregory played, but he didn't show up on the stat sheet. However, he will show up on film as the 29-year-old who missed Week 2 being on the COVID reserve list, and was relentless in his pursuit of Hurts. To think Dallas is still missing a pass rusher in defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who is recovering from a broken foot.
2. Can you Diggs it? — Dallas has been without a playmaking cornerback since the latter half of the 2009 season when former first-round pick Mike Jenkins came on. However, the success he had with two interceptions and 11 pass breakups never carried over to the rest of his career.
Diggs made his introduction as a ballhawk during his rookie season, and he has continued to shine with three interceptions through the first three games. Quarterbacks and offensive coordinators are going to learn that they can't throw Diggs' way, which should open things up for the rest of the secondary to make plays.
3. Run game balance — People talk about "balance" when it comes to the offense, but offensive coordinator Kellen Moore demonstrated a different kind of balance against the Eagles. The third-year offensive coordinator mixed in running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard seamlessly.
Normally when Elliott has split carries with another back, he has sat out the entire series – think 2016 when Alfred Morris would be the team's lead back on the fifth series no matter what.
Instead, Moore is mixing in Elliott and Pollard during drives and at different spots on the field to keep defenses off balance. The results showed, as Elliott led with 17 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns and Pollard had 11 rushes for 60 yards.
4. Best in the division, questionable in the conference — Dallas stopped Philadelphia 13 yards short of a first down with a little over a minute to go until halftime while holding a 20-7 lead. A play later, facing a fourth-and-5 from their own 49, the Eagles were all set to punt. The Cowboys had two timeouts and coach Mike McCarthy watched the Eagles take the game clock all the way down to 20 seconds, and it was the Eagles who called timeout.
In a pass-happy NFL where high-scoring games are encouraged, it was so 2004 Bill Parcells to sit on a 13-point halftime lead. Of course, Parcells had Vinny Testaverde; McCarthy has Dak Prescott and his assortment of weapons and protection.
It was a huge misstep, and another example of failing to grasp the concepts of clock management from the Cowboys, especially given the fact that the Eagles were set to receive the ball to start the second half.
What if Philadelphia scored on their opening possession and found new life? It was the type of coaching that, if it ever crops up again, could cost Dallas a bye, the opportunity to host a home playoff game, or just bounce them out of the postseason altogether.
How are you feeling about the Cowboys’ chances in the NFC East after the victory over Philly? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.