Eagles 27, Cowboys 13: Big plays and hot takes

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Reviewing the big plays and hot takes from the Eagles' season-ending 27-13 win over the Cowboys.

FIRST QUARTER

Darren Sproles 11-yard run on 3rd-and-3
This run gave the Eagles a 1st-and-goal at the 7.

Caleb Sturgis 22-yard field goal
Sturgis' 34th field goal of the season gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead and broke David Akers' record for field goals in a season set in 2008.

SECOND QUARTER 

Tony Romo time
Romo replaces Dak Prescott, his first appearance in a regular-season game since Thanksgiving 2015. 

Romo to Terrance Williams for 16

Romo to Williams, beats Nolan Carroll for 3-yard TD
This is exactly what Dallas wanted. Romo plays one series and throws a touchdown pass. Now he gives them a healthy backup for the postseason and valuable trade commodity this offseason.

Mark Sanchez replaces Romo
Now the Eagles have a chance to win. On his first pass attempt, Sanchez is rushed, throws off his back foot, and the pass sails 10 feet over tight end Gavin Escobar's head and out of bounds.

Later in the series, Sanchez threw a nice ball to WR Brice Butler, but after further review it was ruled incomplete because Butler got only one foot inbounds.

That didn't take long
Five plays into his first series, Sanchez throws an interception — his 85th in 77 career games.

Jordan Hicks blitzes and deflects Sanchez's pass to himself for the interception. It's Hicks' team-high fourth interception.

It's Sanchez's 85th career interception in 77 games.

Incomplete, intended for ...
The Eagles fail to capitalize on the interception and turn the ball over on downs when Carson Wentz, on 4th-and-9, throws deep down the middle to ... no one. 

Perfect punt
Punting from Dallas' 33, Chris Jones gets off a kick that bounces inside the 20, makes a right turn and rolls out at the Eagles' 1. It's a 66-yarder. 

And another!
Hicks cuts in front of Escobar for another interception. Sanchez is 1 for 5 for nine yards and two interceptions. 

Carson Cunningham
Wentz continues to show how elusive he is in the pocket. With plenty of time to throw but no one open, Wentz sees the pocket begin to collapse, hops away from LB Damien Wilson and runs for 13 yards to set up a 1st-and-goal at the 6.

Wentz TD to Ertz
On 2nd-and-goal, Wentz hits Ertz, who got inside position on safety Byron Jones, who had to get around LB Damien Wilson, for the 6-yard score that tied the game 10-10.

If you say so, Gunner.

THIRD QUARTER

Sanchez to Beasley for 33 yards
Gotta give credit where it's due. Sanchez hits Beasley in stride, and it sets up a 23-yard Dan Bailey field goal.

Lucky Birds
Wentz can't find anyone open on 3rd-and-5, but DE Randy Gregory is penalized for roughing the passer for grazing Wentz's facemask.

Ertz's second TD catch 
Perfect pass from Wentz to Ertz, who beats LB Andrew Gachkar to the corner of the end zone and makes a nice diving, 20-yard catch. Wentz then gives the ball to hunting buddy Mike Trout, and somehow the fans at the Linc start chanting "Dallas sucks."

Come on now, be better than that.

Vinny Curry sacks Sanchez
Notable because ...

FOURTH QUARTER

Wentz finds Ertz for 13 more
That's 10 catches for 113 yards and two scores for Ertz, whose first four seasons may be more productive than you think.

Meanwhile, in the press box ... 

Byron Marshall is wide open in the flat ...
... and almost certainly would have scored a touchdown, but Wentz leads him too much, and Marshall barely gets a hand on it. Sturgis hits a 33-yarder to extend the Eagles' lead to 20-13.

Down goes Sanchez
Sanchez, 3rd-and-10, somehow escapes a sack, scambles for a while before finally surrendering and falling to the turf. Connor Barwin celebrates and is credited for sack.

Out with a bang
Jones is punting from deep in his own end zone, and Steven Means leaps through the line and blocks it. The Eagles take over at the Cowboys' 7.

Terrell Watson TD
Watson, making his NFL debut after joining the pratice squad on Dec. 20, records his first career touchdown with a 1-yard run.

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