Philadelphia Eagles: Disappointing finish vs. Cowboys ends division race

The Philadelphia Eagles had another tough loss in their 2018 season. Their efforts to repeat as division champs came to an end in dramatic fashion.

The Philadelphia Eagles offense finally found their way in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in a crucial Week 14 matchup. Unfortunately, it was too little too late as they left Dallas the losing team in a 29-23 overtime classic. This loss brings the Eagles to 6-7 on the season and their hopes of winning back-to-back division titles are lost.

There were many things to take away from this game among division rivals. One of the most common takeaways for Eagles fans were two very questionable judgements by the officials. First was the debacle that happened on the opening kickoff.

The Eagles special teams unit was able to force a fumble by Jourdan Lewis on the return. The ensuing fumble was clearly recovered by Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill. However, the referees and the replay officials in New York didn’t see it that way. In one of the most mind-blowing reviews of all time, the ball was awarded back to the Cowboys due to lack of video evidence. Yes, it makes no sense still.

Later in the game, Eagles rookie tight end Dallas Goedert was called for offensive pass interference on a play that he scored a touchdown on. It was clear to the commentators and fans that it was a blown call.

While it makes sense for Eagles fans to blame the referees for the loss, they are putting their blame in the wrong direction. The Cowboys offense had 576 total yards, compared to only 256 total yards for the Eagles offense. Also, the Cowboys dominated time of possession. They had the ball more than double the amount of time the Eagles did. No referee in this league can dictate yardage and time of possession like that.

The Eagles only have themselves to blame in this game. The offense was absolutely stagnant the first 2.5 quarters of the game. They were able to stay close due to the defense causing turnovers and limiting the Cowboys to field goals rather than touchdowns.

When the offense finally woke up it was the defense that fell asleep. The Cowboys offense that was limited to just nine points through three quarters exploded for 20 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

From here, the Eagles would need to win out and they would need the Cowboys to lose out to win the division. That’s a tall task to ask, and one that we all know will never happen. Now it’s time to look to the Wild Card for any chance at a playoff spot. With tough matchups remaining, the Eagles are going to be fighting an uphill battle.

A win against their greatest rival this past Sunday would have made things look pretty good for the Eagles. Instead, they were swept by Dallas for the first time since 2012. The clock is ticking on the Eagles’ 2018 season, with only a few games remaining the Eagles are running out of time.