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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles still control the NFC East, even after rare consecutive losses and allowing the Dallas Cowboys to match them atop the division.
The Eagles are also far from being a dominant team despite their 10-3 record after their 33-13 loss at Dallas on Sunday night.
There are the red-zone struggles for their defense, the close scores even in the games they have won and the turnovers – Hurts fumbled on their opening drive of the game, receiver A.J. Brown lost one to start the second half and DeVonta Smith had one in the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia has consecutive losses for the first time this season, this one coming a week after their 42-19 home loss to NFC West-leading San Francisco, which is also 10-3 and beat Dallas 42-10 on Oct. 8.
But the Eagles, who have won seven one-score games, won’t play a team with a winning record in any of their final four games, starting next week at Seattle (6-7).
Hurts hadn’t lost consecutive games as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback since October 2021.
Already trailing when getting the ball for the first time, Hurts fumbled at the end of a run on the Cowboys 20 and immediately headed to the sideline without any protest. Brown reacted the same after being stripped around midfield after making a catch and taking a few steps near midfield on the fourth play of the second half.
The Cowboys scored all three times they got inside the 20, so opposing teams have now gotten points 70.4% of the time (31 of 44) when getting into the red zone against Philadelphia. The Eagles entered the game ranking 30th in the NFL in that category.
Philadelphia was the NFL’s only 8-1 team and had a two-game division lead after winning 28-23 at home over the Cowboys on Nov. 5. But Dallas almost pulled that one out, going 81 yards in 46 seconds on the game’s final drive – helped by 56 yards of penalties – before CeeDee Lamb was tackled at the 5 as time expired after a 22-yard gain.
The Cowboys (10-3) have won five in a row since.
After playing the Seahawks, Philadelphia will have two games left against the Giants (4-8) – at home and then at New York in the regular-season finale – with the Eagles’ home finale against Arizona (3-10) in between those NFC East games.
Dallas plays on the road the next two weeks against the AFC East’s top two teams, Buffalo (7-6) and Miami (9-3), before taking on NFC North-leading Detroit (9-4) in the regular-season home finale. The Cowboys then finish at Washington.
INJURIES
Eagles S Reed Blankenship was ruled out with a concussion after leaving the game in the first half. … Cowboys DT Johnathan Hankins was helped off the field with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Eagles: At Seattle on Monday, Dec. 18. The Seahawks’ loss at San Francisco means Philadelphia won’t face a team with a winning record in its final four games.
Cowboys: At AFC East-leading Miami next Sunday in the first of consecutive road matchups with playoff contenders from that division. The second is Buffalo.
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