IRVING, Texas - Texas Stadium can rest easy. As Monday night games go, this 29th and final installment at the partially-roofless relic might have been the most memorable of all.
Rather than a classic NFC East defensive struggle, the Cowboys produced the highest-scoring heart-stopper in their 98-game series against Philadelphia. They endured seven lead changes and finally stopped a spectacular Donovan McNabb in the final minute to beat the relentless Eagles, 41-37, and improve to 2-0 for only the second time this decade.
Marion Barber's one-yard touchdown run regained the lead with 4:40 remaining, and the Dallas defense ended the shootout by sacking McNabb twice on the Eagles' last-ditch drive and stopping (what else) a hook-and-ladder play on fourth down.
"No question, straight country-western," said Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who completed 21 of 30 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. "Good thing we were Clint Eastwood tonight."
Romo has struggled at times against the Eagles' complex defensive scheme, but not on Monday night. Aside from two critical turnovers in the first half, he was characteristically efficient, hitting seven different receivers and putting Philadelphia in an early hole with a career-high 72-yard TD to Terrell Owens, who moved into second place on the NFL's all-time list with 132.
The Cowboys finished with 380 total yards, and tight end Jason Witten had a team-high seven catches for 110 yards despite spraining his A.C. shoulder joint in the first half. Barber, battling bruised ribs throughout the week, rushed 18 times for 63 yards, and rookie running back Felix Jones ripped off the team's first kickoff return TD since 2003.
The Dallas defense got a 2004-esque challenge from McNabb, whose 14-second scramble and four touchdowns that season live in Texas Stadium infamy. The veteran quarterback led Philadelphia to points on five of its first six possessions Monday night, and Brian Westbrook's third TD gave the Eagles a 37-31 lead early in the fourth quarter.
But the Cowboys stopped Philly's offense three straight times over the final 14 minutes, including the game-sealing series when linebackers Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware sacked McNabb (25-of-37, 281 yards, one TD) to set up his unsuccessful 4th-and-17 attempt.
"I thought we got stronger defensively," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said. "(McNabb) was hard to get to, obviously. We missed him a lot of times. But we did sack him some and right at the end, our defense kind of took over.
"I think it was an outstanding game, two outstanding teams, and our guys came through. I was proud of them."
The Eagles have been labeled a quiet division contender, and Monday night's showdown proved their 35-point win over St. Louis in Week One was no fluke. The Cowboys, meanwhile, snapped a two-game home losing streak against the Eagles (1-1) and now sit atop the early NFC East standings with the undefeated Giants (2-0).
The chic pick to reach this year's Super Bowl, the Cowboys can expect 15-round fights like Monday night's all season long - starting within their own division.
But wins like these should build confidence and character, because the Cowboys overcame several damaging situations:
Romo's two miscues - an impulse interception and an end-zone fumble Philadelphia recovered for a touchdown - helped build a 20-14 deficit in the second quarter.
The club was penalized 10 times for 108 yards, and six infractions either killed offensive drives or led to Eagles points.
McNabb had too much time in the pocket for stretches, and the Eagles racked up 337 total yards on offense.
Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman (groin) made his season debut in substitution packages, but now Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams could miss three-to-four weeks with a fractured right forearm.
The first three are certainly correctable, and the defense will forge ahead with some safety combination of Ken Hamlin, Pat Watkins and Keith Davis.
"Our team, I think, is very resilient," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "It's a team that does not look through rose-colored glasses. They've had a marriage go bad or they had some hard times paying their bills, however you want to say it. It's not like this bunch in general hasn't had some sad times, and I think you're seeing that out there - they played through some of those hard times tonight."
Next up is a short week and road trip to Green Bay against the new-look Packers (2-0), who have handed the offensive keys to someone other than Brett Favre (fourth-year veteran Aaron Rodgers) for the first time since 1992.
A Dec. 28 rematch with Philly could have division title implications. Two-game series with the Redskins and Giants loom, too. But the Cowboys realize they can't overlook a single week on the schedule, particularly a contender like Green Bay.
"It's about the process. It's about getting better," Romo said. "'Let's execute on this play, let's execute on this drive.' You do those things, and over the course of the season you'll get better as a team and you'll get to a point where hopefully you're playing at a high level to win the games that really become at another level."
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