Reviewing the big plays and hot takes from the Eagles' season-ending 27-13 win over the Cowboys.
FIRST QUARTER
• Darren Sproles 11-yard run on 3rd-and-3
This run gave the Eagles a 1st-and-goal at the 7.
Old man Sproles still has plenty of giddy up— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
Man, you realize the future is bright for the Eagles when you see Sproles running behind Peters.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
• Caleb Sturgis 22-yard field goal
Sturgis' 34th field goal of the season gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead and broke David Akers' record for field goals in a season set in 2008.
SECOND QUARTER
• Tony Romo time
Romo replaces Dak Prescott, his first appearance in a regular-season game since Thanksgiving 2015.
A lot of really loud booing when Romo ran onto the field. Some of the Eagles fans were booing, too.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
• Romo to Terrance Williams for 16
You have a team that doesn't even care about this game in a 3rd and 12..and you can't get off the field.!!— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
• Romo to Williams, beats Nolan Carroll for 3-yard TD
This is exactly what Dallas wanted. Romo plays one series and throws a touchdown pass. Now he gives them a healthy backup for the postseason and valuable trade commodity this offseason.
Terrance Williams stutter step move and Nolan Carroll fell for it smh— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
Not a great series for Nolan Carroll.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) January 1, 2017
Romo's 20th career touchdown pass vs. the Eagles is 6th-most ever [behind Eli 45, Jorgensen 33, Hart 26, Morton 24, Simms 24].— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
• Mark Sanchez replaces Romo
Now the Eagles have a chance to win. On his first pass attempt, Sanchez is rushed, throws off his back foot, and the pass sails 10 feet over tight end Gavin Escobar's head and out of bounds.
Sanchez in the game. Eagles are like, 'OK, THIS guy we can stop.'"— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
Later in the series, Sanchez threw a nice ball to WR Brice Butler, but after further review it was ruled incomplete because Butler got only one foot inbounds.
• That didn't take long
Five plays into his first series, Sanchez throws an interception - his 85th in 77 career games.
Jordan Hicks blitzes and deflects Sanchez's pass to himself for the interception. It's Hicks' team-high fourth interception.
Hicks has such a knack for the football. That's four interceptions for him this year and six in 24 career games.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
It's Sanchez's 85th career interception in 77 games.
• Incomplete, intended for ...
The Eagles fail to capitalize on the interception and turn the ball over on downs when Carson Wentz, on 4th-and-9, throws deep down the middle to ... no one.
What was that?????— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
Who the heck was Wentz throwing to!!— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
• Perfect punt
Punting from Dallas' 33, Chris Jones gets off a kick that bounces inside the 20, makes a right turn and rolls out at the Eagles' 1. It's a 66-yarder.
What a punt— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
• And another!
Hicks cuts in front of Escobar for another interception. Sanchez is 1 for 5 for nine yards and two interceptions.
Jordan Hicks is pretty damn good.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) January 1, 2017
Hicks seriously has better hands than any Eagles WR.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
That's the best pass Mark Sanchez ever threw to an Eagle— John Gonzalez (@_JohnGonz) January 1, 2017
Last Eagle linebacker with a 2-INT game was William Thomas on Sept. 22, 1996, at Atlanta. Willie T got Hebert & George once apiece.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
Hicks' 7 interceptions are sixth-most ever by an Eagle in his first 24 career games, most since Eric Allen's 9 in 1988 & 1989.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
#Eagles interceptions this season:
Jordan Hicks: 5
All CBs combined: 3— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) January 1, 2017
• Carson Cunningham
Wentz continues to show how elusive he is in the pocket. With plenty of time to throw but no one open, Wentz sees the pocket begin to collapse, hops away from LB Damien Wilson and runs for 13 yards to set up a 1st-and-goal at the 6.
• Wentz TD to Ertz
On 2nd-and-goal, Wentz hits Ertz, who got inside position on safety Byron Jones, who had to get around LB Damien Wilson, for the 6-yard score that tied the game 10-10.
We got a ballgame— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
If you say so, Gunner.
THIRD QUARTER
• Sanchez to Beasley for 33 yards
Gotta give credit where it's due. Sanchez hits Beasley in stride, and it sets up a 23-yard Dan Bailey field goal.
Dare I say Sanchez great throw to Beasley between Jenkins and mills— Derrick Gunn (@TheRealDGunnCSN) January 1, 2017
• Lucky Birds
Wentz can't find anyone open on 3rd-and-5, but DE Randy Gregory is penalized for roughing the passer for grazing Wentz's facemask.
In the last two weeks, Carson Wentz has given his receivers like 8 seconds to get open multiple times and they haven't done it.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) January 1, 2017
• Ertz's second TD catch
Perfect pass from Wentz to Ertz, who beats LB Andrew Gachkar to the corner of the end zone and makes a nice diving, 20-yard catch. Wentz then gives the ball to hunting buddy Mike Trout, and somehow the fans at the Linc start chanting "Dallas sucks."
Come on now, be better than that.
Ertz is first Eagle TE with a two-touchdown game since Ertz vs. Cards in 2013. Before that Chad Lewis vs. Giants in 2001— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
That's Ertz's 8th catch today, which means he has 242 career catches. That is 10th-most in NFL history by a tight end in first four years.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
• Vinny Curry sacks Sanchez
Notable because ...
That's Vinny's first full sack since the Detroit game week 4.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
With that sack, Vinny Curry tied Marcus Smith with 2 1/2 sacks this season.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) January 1, 2017
FOURTH QUARTER
• Wentz finds Ertz for 13 more
That's 10 catches for 113 yards and two scores for Ertz, whose first four seasons may be more productive than you think.
Ertz now has 2,797 career yards. Has passed Keith Jackson [2,756] for most by an Eagles TE in his first four seasons.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
Ertz is first Eagles tight end with 100 yards and 2 TDs in a game since Keith Jackson vs. Redskins in that 42-37 game at RFK in 1989.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 1, 2017
The Eagles have ejected Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane from the press box for what they deem a "violation of fan conduct."— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) January 1, 2017
Eagles have a good PR staff. Always liked the main guys. But that's a massive mistake— John Gonzalez (@_JohnGonz) January 1, 2017
• Byron Marshall is wide open in the flat ...
... and almost certainly would have scored a touchdown, but Wentz leads him too much, and Marshall barely gets a hand on it. Sturgis hits a 33-yarder to extend the Eagles' lead to 20-13.
• Down goes Sanchez
Sanchez, 3rd-and-10, somehow escapes a sack, scambles for a while before finally surrendering and falling to the turf. Connor Barwin celebrates and is credited for sack.
Rough day for Mark Sanchez. Eagles are treating him like he violated the "fan conduct policy"...— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) January 1, 2017
• Out with a bang
Jones is punting from deep in his own end zone, and Steven Means leaps through the line and blocks it. The Eagles take over at the Cowboys' 7.
• Terrell Watson TD
Watson, making his NFL debut after joining the pratice squad on Dec. 20, records his first career touchdown with a 1-yard run.