Perhaps one day after a Super Bowl win, folks will look back at Sunday’s 23-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles as the start of the Ben DiNucci era and smile.
Like, remember his first start, when completing a pass beyond the line of scrimmage was a chore? Or remember when the offensive coaches used running back at Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson as Wildcat quarterbacks and emptied the playbook just to keep the game close?
But in the present, Sunday’s road loss was just a reminder of how far the Dallas Cowboys have fallen.
At 2-6, only the New York Giants have a worse record in the NFC. Yes, the Cowboys can claim to have hopes of still contending in the woeful NFC East, but they will need an offensive resurrection when quarterback Andy Dalton returns from a concussion as soon as next week against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.
For just the fourth time in franchise history, the Cowboys have failed to score a touchdown in back-to-back games. Their lone touchdown in the past three games was a garbage-time score against the Arizona Cardinals.
DiNucci completed 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards and was sacked four times. He also lost two fumbles.
Both of DiNucci’s turnovers were turned into Eagles points, including a 53-yard fumble return by Rodney McLeod that effectively ended the game in the fourth quarter. Opponents have scored 97 points off Dallas turnovers this season, a trend no matter who quarterbacks the Cowboys. The Cowboys have allowed at least 13 points off turnovers in six of their eight games.
It wasted what was the best defensive performance of the season. The Cowboys had four takeaways after entering the game with just three in the first seven games. The Cowboys had two fumble recoveries and two Trevon Diggs interceptions. The previous time they had four takeaways in a game? Week 7 last season against Philadelphia.
Was it something they did or were quarterback Carson Wentz and Philadelphia (3-4-1) just bad as well? The Cowboys did not stop the run very well, with the Eagles' Boston Scott rushing for a season high in yards (70). But they did have some strong individual performances. DeMarcus Lawrence had a productive game with a sack, some pressures and all-out hustle. Diggs became the first Cowboys rookie to intercept two passes in a game since Sean Lee in 2010.
Describe the game in two words: Just bad. The Cowboys have no margin for error. Playing a third-string quarterback is never easy. Playing a seventh-round third-string quarterback is even more arduous. That the Cowboys kept it as close as they did says something about their defensive effort and, perhaps, just how bad the Eagles are, too.
Pivotal play: Leading 9-7 in the third quarter after Diggs’ second interception, the Cowboys started to control the game with Elliott and Tony Pollard. The offensive line was creating lanes for the running backs and the Cowboys had the ball at the Philadelphia 26. Then the Cowboys dipped into their bag of tricks and flipped a reverse to Wilson, who was looking to throw before he was swallowed up by Fletcher Cox for a 10-yard loss. Two plays later, Greg Zuerlein’s 52-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Why get cute when brute strength was working? It was costly at the moment.