Eagles Edge Cowboys

The final outcome was a 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Dallas Cowboys left Lincoln Financial Field believing it was much closer than five points.

It was a matter of inches. An overturned (via replay) touchdown pass to tight end Luke Schoonmaker, whose knee was down before the ball crossed the goal line. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s foot landing out of bounds on a 2-point play. A fumble that pass-rusher Micah Parsons nearly recovered inside Philadelphia territory.

In the end, each of those plays went Philadelphia’s way, but the result did not discourage the Cowboys.

“If [this game was a test], we didn’t pass, and that sucks,” Prescott said. “Everybody in that locker room believed. And we still do. Don’t get me wrong. We were inches away from this being a different game, about being a different outcome at the end of the game, with the way that was being played. But we’re getting better. I can promise you that. We’re going to continue to get better. We’re getting better, and we’re OK.”

Said Parsons, “I feel like we have even more confidence now. I feel like everybody had us out and [was] praising this Eagles team. Obviously, we gave them their best fit. You know, I’m not even going to put fuel on the fire. We’ll see them again in four weeks.”

At 5-3, the Cowboys are 2½ games behind the Eagles (8-1) in the NFC East. Had the Cowboys won Sunday and were they to win next week against the New York Giants, they would have been in first place in the division and potentially holding the top record in the conference.

As it stands, only the Eagles and Detroit Lions (6-2) have more wins in the NFC than Dallas.

“What is it, November?” coach Mike McCarthy said. “A lot of football left, in my opinion.”

The mood inside the locker room was starkly different from the one after the 42-10 thumping against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 8. In the earlier game, the Cowboys were helpless in a loss to a team that knocked them out of the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

“It’s all about runs,” Parsons said. “We’ve just got to click at the right time and make our run.”

The Dec. 10 rematch with the Eagles will come at the end of a three-game homestand for the Cowboys. They play four of their next five games at AT&T Stadium, where they have won 11 in a row.