"Mike: They were right to be aggressive. Against an explosive Eagles offense, shrinking possessions and keeping the ball out of Jalen Hurts' hands is sound game strategy. In the red zone, pairing play-action and quick throws on early downs also fits the matchup and has a higher touchdown probability. A couple of outcomes may have looked unfortunate in real time, but that's variance, the process was correct."
"Howman: They were the correct moves, yes. I can understand kicking the field goal late in the fourth, but then the Eagles only need about 30 yards to tie it up again. The failed fourth-down attempt meant they needed to go nearly 60 yards just to attempt a field goal. Giving the defense a longer field to defend is always ideal, even if they've been playing well."
"Mike: Looking for unsung hero here, then it's Sam Williams. He turned the game's script with relentless speed-to-power. His backside pursuit erased cutbacks, and his motor kept the pocket tight so teammates could deliver pressure to Hurts. His signature moment was when he backtracked to punch the ball out of Saquon Barkley's hands from a quick pass to the left, robbing the Eagles of points at a crucial point of the game."
The Cowboys' aggressive approach aimed to shrink possessions and limit Jalen Hurts' opportunities by using play-action and quick throws in the red zone to increase touchdown probability. Kicking a late fourth-quarter field goal left the Eagles with a shorter tying drive, while a failed fourth-down attempt forced a much longer drive thereafter. Critics faulted specific play-calling after a fumbled punt, arguing a power run with Javonte Williams would have been preferable to passing. Sticking with the run during parts of the comeback aided momentum. Sam Williams provided decisive defensive disruption, including a forced fumble on Saquon Barkley.
Read at Blogging The Boys
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