The first half of the Cowboys’ Week 10 game in Philadelphia had so many interesting plays worth discussing. Nothing against that wild second half where the offense took over, but the first half is where the Cowboys established themselves as a team with everything on the line. They went for it on fourth down twice in this game, and Dak Prescott snuck into the end zone for a touchdown, needing just inches. Speaking of inches, safety Xavier Woods made one of the best plays of the game, and it’s worthy of more than a passing mention.
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As we like to do here every week, let’s break these plays down with the players who executed them.
The fake punt
The situation: Fourth-and-2, Dallas 31, second quarter
Jeff Heath: “We had kinda been talking about it all week and we had an opportunity to run it and it was just a good all-around effort by everybody.”
The Cowboys went for it on fourth down twice in the first half, and given the team’s desperation, Heath said every possession was vital.
“When you play a good team like that, the more possessions you can steal from them, the better chance you have to win. Lucky we got the look and my guys up front were able to get some push. We practice that every week. It’s just, a play like that you need a couple of yards — and they had eight guys in the box and it was us touching (more guys) than their guys. Just get the ball and put my head down and get up in there.”
The best thing about the play is the blocking from deep snapper LP Ladouceur and fullback Jamize Olawale. Eagles safety Tre Sullivan makes a poor decision on the play, moving toward his left and hesitating. It’s as if he didn’t notice the ball was snapped to Heath.
Watch Sullivan here. He’s No. 37.
“I just have to get the ball and run hard and my guys up front make that happen,” Heath said. “They get the push and I just put my head down.”
Jason Garrett: “We always want to be aggressive. That’s a mantra that we have as a coaching staff and a football team to attack and stay aggressive. That doesn’t mean you’re going to go for every fourth down. You have to factor in the game situation, how you’re playing, how your defense is playing, where you are in the game, where you are on the field, how long it is. There’s a lot of different things that go into it and you make the best decision. It’s not about, ‘Hey, you’re aggressive. You’re an aggressive coaching staff, you’re an aggressive team. It’s about doing the things to try to help your team win. That’s what we try to do every week.”
Woods’ heads-up read
The situation: First-and-10 from Dallas 38, second quarter
Xavier Woods: “When that play transpired, that’s my coverage. Usually if (running back Corey Clement) does that (run into the flat) I don’t get him. If a lineman comes then I need to go get him, it’s a screen. When (Carson Wentz) rolled out to (my) left, I’m a buzz player, and I’m just free, I can free loaf. If something happens and if the (running back) runs a wheel (route) I have him and he just kinda settled back there and I just waited for the lineman come out and I had to get him.”
Jason Garrett said it was one of the biggest plays of the game. If you watch the play again, there are four blockers on one side of the field and Woods is alone. Woods had to elude a blocker and then reach out to make a play. Here’s a better angle of Woods’ strip.
“I knew once I got around him (guard Isaac Seumalo), just use my speed to my advantage and get the ball carrier,” Woods said. “I was trying to make a tackle and sometimes things happen and I was able to get the ball loose.”
Dak does it himself as time expires
The situation: First-and-goal from Philadelphia 1, second quarter
Dak Prescott: “That was just a big play. I thought (Allen Hurns) might have gotten in (on the previous play),” Dak Prescott said. “I realized he didn’t. He was on the half-inch line. It was tempo play, let’s get on the ball — and I just called the sneak.”
Prescott, with the game clock ticking down to about 24 seconds, hurries his teammates to the line of scrimmage to possibly set up for the spike. But he dives in. The Cowboys take a 13-3 lead with 19 seconds left in the first half.
“No, once I realized it was that close,” he said. “I was thinking quarterback sneak the whole way.”
(Photo by Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)