Cowboys Talk Division Title After Drubbing Eagles: Top 10 Takes - Whitt's End

As Dallas Cowboys’ receiver CeeDee Lamb said after this one, “They know us. We know them. And you always want to beat your brother.”

The Cowboys did just that, eventually subduing the injury-depleted Philadelphia Eagles, 38-21, on Monday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field.

My Top 10 Whitty Observations about a game that not only saved the season - and the playoff hopes that go with that - but also avoided real humiliation:

10. DAK-TASTIC – Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott produced a season’s worth of highlight-reel touchdown passes in this game alone. His two throws to Lamb and one to George Pickens couldn’t have been more perfect if he had trotted out and handed the ball to the receivers.

Dak improved to 7-2 on MNF, with 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

He’s also now thrown 13 scores and no picks all-time in Philly.

9. FINALLY, IT’S OVER(SHOWN) – I’ve been hard on Cowboys’ linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, mostly for over-celebrating first- and second-down stops and then getting beat on key third downs. But it was his athletic, leaping interception with seven minutes left that finally gave Dallas some breathing room.

In his first game back after missing five with a hamstring injury, Overshown made a positive impact.

8. INSULT TO INJURY – I’m fully aware that Stephen A. Smith is a fraud. An actor. He plays the part of “villain” as inauthentically as a professional rassler on WWE. He doesn’t actually hate the Cowboys any more than he loves the New York Knicks.

But … he makes a great living off pretending to despise everything about America’s Team.

In response, Jerry Jones should act like he hates everything about Stephen A. Smith.

Instead, he invites Smith to sit next to him in the owner’s box. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and all, but … it’s truly insulting and infuriating to the Cowboys’ fan base.

Now, Michael Irvin between Jerry and Stephen? That’s what we’re talkin’ ’bout!

7. Christian Parker’s defense was awful early, surrendering four first downs via penalty in the first half. Dallas allowed 20+ points for the 14th consecutive game, the longest streak in franchise history.

But if a team can make the score lopsided in its favor thanks to its offense, good things can happen late on defense.

6. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT – At times it was pretty, but far from perfect.

And then there was the head-scratching lack of clock management by head coach Brian Schottenheimer. On Dallas’ possession before halftime, it let 25 seconds run off the clock between plays and ultimately ran out of time with a timeout in its pocket and settled for a field goal.

That’s not just bad, it’s high-school bad. Just my opinion, but Schottenheimer could use a lot less "fun'' in his coaching, and a lot more "damentals.''

5. TROY ACHE-MAN – Unless there’s a sudden, major change in chemistry and contract, we are seeing the end of a TV partnership.

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have shared a booth for 25 years, longer than even Pat Summerall-John Madden’s 22. But both of their contracts were up at the end of the year. Aikman wanted to negotiate with Buck as a team; Buck cut his own deal in May. Then neither Buck nor ESPN told Troy about it, and he’s now headed toward broadcasting free agency.

The two will call Cowboys at Seahawks on Dec. 7 and also Super Bowl LXI on Valentine’s Day.

Said Aikman to our Mike Fisher recently, “As I’m into my last year at ESPN, I’m realizing that this is something that could very well be taken away from me.”

The Aikman/Fish interview is must-watch stuff for every Cowboys - and NFL - fan.

4. BETTER BALANCE – Despite entering the game with the league’s second-worst running game, Dallas obviously was committing to moving the ball on the ground. And boy did it work. How about 38 runs to only 27 passes?

The Cowboys rushed for 204 yards, including 150 by Javonte Williams … the most since Ezekiel Elliott in 2016 (159 vs Buccaneers).

3. MONDAY NIGHT MEDIOCRITY – Before kickoff a buddy of mine mused that the matchup of 2-4 teams might be one of the worst in MNF history.

Not even close. I was at Texas Stadium in 2001 when the 0-4 Cowboys hosted the 0-4 Redskins. Dallas won, 9-7, but somehow we all lost.

2. PRIME-TIME PROWESS – While the Eagles have a five-game losing streak for the first time in 10 years, the Cowboys won their 53rd all-time game on MNF behind only the Steelers (58) and 49ers (56).

1. *ASTERISK ASS-WHIPPING – As much as they won a big game, the Cowboys avoided a huge embarrassment.

Let’s face it, the Eagles played their junior varsity squad, especially on offense. No Jalen Hurts or DeVonta Smith or Dontayvion Wicks and with Saquon Barkley limited to 10 snaps. Dallas should easily handle a team with a third-string quarterback (Tanner McKee) making his fourth NFL start, handing off to journeyman Dameon Pierce and throwing to rookie Makai Lemon.

Seriously, a loss would have been Dallas’ most humiliating since the 1987 strike-season upset when 21 regular players lost to a team of the Redskins’ scabs.

The Cowboys not only avoid a Super Bowl death-knell 2-5 start, they can also get to .500 with a home win over the 2-5 Cardinals Sunday in Arlington. Said Dak after the win, “Momentum is real. This is a division win on the road, now we go home and stack some wins and get this thing rolling.”