PHILADELPHIA - Two catches for 29 yards - the Cowboys will take that all night long.
That's what the Eagles' speedy receiver DeSean Jackson finished the night with, a huge difference from the big-time playmaker he has been so far this season.
The Cowboys made sure they kept Jackson from hurting them and as a result, the Eagles couldn't find anyone else to make a big play. In the end, the Cowboys simply made more of them, especially in the second half, to come away with a 20-16 win here at Lincoln Financial Field.
Jackson entered the game as the only player in NFL history to have six touchdowns of 50 yards or more in the first seven games of the season. He could barely get half of that in two catches Sunday night.
So what did the Cowboys do on him?
"A little bit of everything," said cornerback Mike Jenkins, who found himself following Jackson on two series in the second half. "We knew he was a good receiver and that he can make a lot of plays if you let him. We just stayed physical on him and kept him from getting by us. I thought we did a good job tonight."
Maybe it was even better than good. And the Cowboys didn't just stop Jackson, but all of the Eagles' receivers, including rookie wideout Jeremy Maclin. The first-round pick from Missouri had three catches for 44 yards, but wasn't much of a factor down the field.
"I thought we did a good job of just showing them a lot of different looks," cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. "They made a few catches on us, but that happens. You just don't want them to have anything easy. (Jason) Avant had a coupe of good catches, but they were tough plays. You know they're not going to make that play 10 out of 10 times. You just have to keep them working for every play."
While the Cowboys' main objective was to stop the big play, they made a few of their own.
After Terence Newman nearly picked off Donovan McNabb on the Eagles' second play from scrimmage, safety Gerald Sensabaugh caught a deflected pass in midair for his first interception with the Cowboys. That led to a touchdown run by Tashard Choice.
But in the third quarter, with the Eagles threatening to make a drive, Jenkins outfought Maclin for an interception and even drew a personal foul facemask penalty in the process. That pick led to a game-tying field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Jenkins, who said he grew up learning from cornerbacks such as Deion Sanders, said he has always adopted Prime Time's philosophy when the ball is thrown.
"When that ball is thrown . . . I'm going to get it. I'm going for it, too," said Jenkins, who now has a team-lead three interceptions this year. "I feel like I have the right to go make a play, too. That's something we've all worked on this year. Last season we didn't get a lot (of interceptions). But we're doing better this year with that."
The Cowboys have also improved the way they defend the big play. Jackson, Maclin and the Eagles can certainly attest to that.
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