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Winners, losers from Cowboys' comeback over Philly include UDFA steal
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- Winners, losers from Cowboys' comeback over Philly include UDFA steal
The Cowboys' Week 12 win against the Eagles was an instant classic even though it sent Dallas fans through a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish. Dallas had plenty of winners and losers in their come-from-behind victory over Philadelphia as fans bask in the glory of defeating their nemesis.
The Eagles ' undefeated streak in their kelly-green unis is now over, and quarterback Dak Prescott continues his dominance over the division at home. He surpassed former QB Tony Romo for the all-time passing lead in franchise history. That makes him an automatic winner but lesser-known names deserve some recognition also.
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Wideout George Pickens skipped to the head of the line and declared himself a contender for the best receiver in the NFL, but he is also an obvious winner who's made the list before. On the other side, fumbles, lost or not, busted coverages, and even a missed field goal were reasons to make the loser list.
Loser: WR CeeDee Lamb
Nov 23, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) cannot make a catch in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Whispers about moving on from Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb are foolish knee-jerk reactions from greedy people who just cannot enjoy a good thing. That doesn't mean bad days can't happen which is what Lamb went through against Philly.
The Cowboys receiver caught four passes for 75 yards on 11 targets but most of that came on a clutch 48-yard reception with under three minutes remaining in the third quarter. That catch set up the Cowboys second touchdown of the game. Despite that play, Lamb dropped three passes including a potential go-ahead touchdown after an Eagles special teams turnover.
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That gives Lamb seven dropped passes on the season , good for fourth most in the NFL.
On the next play, Dallas failed to convert on fourth down and Lamb was seen voicing his displeasure on the sidelines cementing him in this category for the week. He also declined to meet with the media allowing for a one-sided testimony without the context of what Lamb was saying or going through after the series.
He will undoubtedly be a crucial part of the Cowboys success going forward, but his inefficient play coupled with what looked like a sideline tantrum allows for speculation to as why he played so poorly against the defending champs.
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Winner: Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus
The Dallas defense has been on the receiving end of many jokes and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus took his fair share of criticism. After an in-season overhaul, Eberflus deserves credit for the recent turn around of what was viewed as the worst defense in the NFL.
Experts believed that the Cowboys offense was Super Bowl worthy and just needed a middling defense to have a chance at gridiron immortality. The newest additions have helped the unit become that and more, giving hope to a team that was considered dead in the water to start the month of November.
The Dallas defense held Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley to just 22 yards on ten carries which isn't too shabby considering Barkley ran for over 2,000 yards last season. It is also his worst performance as an Eagle and comes close to his 13 carry, one yard performance against the Jets he had back in 2019 while still a member of the New York Giants .
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After spotting Philly a 21-point lead, Dallas held Philadelphia scoreless in the second half including eight straight scoreless possessions for the birds.
Loser: Left Tackle Tyler Gutyon
Left tackle Tyler Guyton had possibly his best game of the season last week against the Las Vegas Raiders when he had his first zero pressure game of his career. Fast forward to the Philly game and Guyton reverted back to his old penalty-filled self.
On the Cowboys fourth drive of the game and already down 14-0, Dallas had a second and goal inside the one — that is until Gutyon false-started pushing them back five yards. The mistakes compounded and the drive ended in an interception.
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On the next Dallas drive, Guyton was called for tripping putting the Cowboys in a first-and-25 at the Eagls 28.
Despite his on-field play, Guyton is still among the league leaders in penalties with seven , tied for fourth-most in the league. He has been called for false starts four times, once for holding, once for tripping, and once for ineligible lineman downfield.
To make matters worse, Guyton is now dealing with an injured ankle that might keep him out of the lineup on Thanksgiving Day in a critical matchup against the Chiefs.
Reserve lineman Nate Thomas is now on track to start which could complicate things. Thomas played well in Guyton's absence and rumors have swirled that the team has wanted to see more of him moving forward. If he plays well enough, there may be a scenario where Guyton doesn't get re-inserted into the starting lineup this season making him the biggest loser this week.
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Winner: Safety Alijah Clark
Alijah Clark, the Cowboys undrafted free agent safety out of Syracuse , did not put together a defensive performance that usually accompanies a spot on the winners list but his effort on special teams will be used as a teaching tape for coming generations.
After the Eagles forced a punt, Clark, a gunner on the punt coverage team, stumbled out of his stance only to be blocked by Eagles safety Sydney Brown . After getting up while continually harassed by the blocker, Clark locates return man Xavier Gipson downfield and wallops him, forcing a fumble that is recovered by long snapper Trent Sieg.
That type of effort deserves praise even though Dallas wasted the opportunity and didn't come away with any points despite recovering the ball inside the Eagles 10-yard line. It did however pin the Eagles offense back in their own territory late in the game which turned out to be a part of the game-winning sequence.
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Clark was all over the news cycle the day after the Cowboys big win against Philadelphia and got the deserved recognition.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Winners, losers from Cowboys' comeback over Philly include UDFA steal
