ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jalen Hurts had just lost a fumble that could have put Philadelphia behind in the first half against Dallas.
An inept Cowboys offense missing quarterback Dak Prescott couldn't do anything with it, and Hurts didn't make another big mistake after that.
Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores, and the Eagles rolled to a 34-6 victory over the bumbling Cowboys on Sunday in the first game since Prescott tore a hamstring.
“Momentum is an illusion in a sense,” Hurts said. “Just treat every play like its own.”
Hurts shook off two sacks from Micah Parsons in the star pass rusher's return from a four-game absence with an ankle injury, the second sack leading to the fumble that put Dallas on the Philadelphia 6-yard line with the Cowboys trailing 7-3.
After his defense held the Cowboys to a field goal, Hurts led an 84-yard drive in the final two minutes, capped by his 14-yard touchdown to Dallas Goedert, the tight end who missed the previous three games with a hamstring injury.
The Eagles (7-2) took over first place in the NFC East with their fifth consecutive victory while defending division champion Dallas (3-6) fell to 0-4 at home in a fourth straight loss overall.
Earlier in the first half, Hurts threw an interception in the end zone with a chance to take a 14-3 lead.
“Obviously didn’t start the way we wanted it to start,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “But there’s something to be said for guys that can rebound and play a really good game after things don’t go right early on.”
Cooper Rush didn't look anything like the replacement who went 4-1 filling in for Prescott two years ago, going 13 of 23 for just 45 yards. Rush won the first four games in that 2022 stretch before throwing three interceptions in a loss at the Eagles.
Picks weren't the problem this time. Just about everything else was.
Rush lost two fumbles among five turnovers for the Cowboys, and was replaced briefly by Trey Lance early in the second half and then for good in the fourth quarter as frequent boos cascaded from the crowd. Lance threw an interception.
Prescott won't be back anytime soon, if at all this season. The franchise QB plans to seek one more medical opinion before deciding whether to have season-ending surgery on the hamstring he tore in last week's 27-21 loss to Atlanta.
“Understand that you know our quarterback’s out,” Parsons said. “Things ain’t always going to be how you expect it. And it kind of just got to be the light. It’s one of them years where, like I say, it’s challenging, but we’ve got to be the light for everybody.”
The worst offensive showing for the Cowboys at home since AT&T Stadium opened in 2009 — just 146 total yards — won't do much to quell talk about the future of coach Mike McCarthy, who is on an expiring contract.
“Yes, I believe that,” owner Jerry Jones said when asked if he will stick with McCarthy through the season. “I don’t believe we’ll make a coaching change during the season.”
The inept Dallas offense gave Hurts plenty of time to settle in after the rough start. He was 14 of 20 for 202 yards with 56 yards rushing before getting replaced by Kenny Pickett with the Eagles leading 31-6 in the fourth quarter.
Hurts finished with a passer rating of 115 to become the first quarterback in NFL history with a touchdown pass, a rushing TD and a 100-plus rating in four consecutive games. He's also the first QB with at least 10 rushing scores in four consecutive seasons, and four career seasons.
“He didn’t let one play affect the rest of his game,” Sirianni said. “That’s what winners do. That’s what Jalen Hurts does, and I’m so accustomed to him doing that because when he makes a mistake, he’s able to put it in the past. That’s not as easy as it sounds.”
Hurts opened the scoring with a tush-push TD after Rush dropped a snap and lost the fumble at the Dallas 17. Hurt had an 8-yard run to go with the toss to Goedert and a 5-yarder to Johnny Wilson.
One of the Dallas fumbles was into the Philadelphia end zone by Ezekiel Elliott when Dallas had a chance to take a lead in the second quarter. Elliott was back in the lineup after missing the trip to Atlanta because he was late for meetings.
The five takeaways for the Eagles, led by two forced fumbles and a recovery by linebacker Zack Baun, were their most in two years.
“I just thought that they played fast, they started fast,” Sirianni said. “They played great throughout the entire game. I love when we tackle well.”
Injuries
Eagles CB Darius Slay injured an ankle in the first half. ... Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown left with a knee injury in the second half. ... Cowboys rookie LT Tyler Guyton was inactive with a neck issue.
Up next
Eagles: Washington at home on Thursday night.
Cowboys: Houston at home next Monday night.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press
