The Cowboys got a much-needed jolt on Monday night, blasting the rival Eagles 38-21 to snap a two-game losing streak and climb back into the win column. Dallas’ defense still had issues, but the offense finally looked alive again, and it produced its biggest point total of the season.
Dak Prescott led the way with three touchdown passes, connecting twice with CeeDee Lamb and once with George Pickens. But one of the biggest shifts in the game was buried a little deeper in the box score: Jake Ferguson barely mattered.
Ferguson was targeted only once and finished with a goose egg statistically. That wasn’t just about Prescott going elsewhere.
Dallas also scaled Ferguson back on the field, using him for just 38 snaps. Brevyn Spann-Ford was right there at 36, while Luke Schoonmaker played 11.
That split points to something real. Ferguson and Spann-Ford were essentially sharing the tight end load, and at times they were even on the field together. The Cowboys no longer seem to be treating Ferguson like the clear No. 1 tight end - and that looks like the right call.
Dallas has been weighed down by poor play-calling and offensive mistakes over the last few weeks, and Ferguson has been part of that mess. He’s not solely responsible, but his struggles have played a role. For a player who signed a four-year, $52 million extension shortly after the Micah Parsons trade, that has made Jerry Jones look even more questionable.
The tipping point came when Ferguson tipped the game-losing interception right to Alex Anzalone in the loss to the Bucs. Since then, Cowboys fans have been waiting for Brian Schottenheimer to make the move toward Spann-Ford, who brings stronger run blocking, costs less, and isn’t far behind as a pass-catcher.
Ferguson’s route participation has already dropped in each of the last two weeks, and this latest game showed why that matters. With fewer chances for him to be involved, Dallas put together its best offensive outing of the year without one of Ferguson’s drops or fumbles becoming a problem. The opponent helped, too - the Eagles defense has struggled - but the early signs are encouraging.
Ryan Flournoy also keeps forcing his way into the picture. As WR3, he looks like the offense’s new third option, and after erupting in the last couple of games, he deserves more looks from Prescott instead of the Cowboys sticking with a player who has been paid more but hasn’t delivered.
Cutting Ferguson’s snaps reduces the chance of a drive-killing mistake, and Spann-Ford gives Prescott a similarly useful safety valve. After what happened Monday night, the Cowboys have a clear example of how much cleaner this offense can look when they stop leaning so hard on Jake Ferguson.
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The problem is fitting that kind of swing into the Cowboys' current asset situation. Dallas has already thinned out its draft capital, which makes any major deal harder to pull off, even before a team starts asking for premium compensation for a proven front-line defender. If Jones wants to chase a big name, the desire is clearly there, but the path to getting it done is a lot less straightforward than the speculation makes it sound. [Read more 🡒]
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Cowboys Turned This Eagles Win Into A Postgame Flex Fans Will Love
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It also came at a useful time for a team trying to steady itself after a rough stretch, especially with Philadelphia dealing with a backup quarterback situation and another loss piling onto a difficult month. The bigger picture for Dallas was obvious enough in the locker room afterward: the mood matched the result, and the postgame celebration carried a little extra edge after a road win over a division rival. [Read more 🡒]