Orton's second interception of the night allowed the Eagles to escape with a 24-22 win in a thrilling winner-take-all contest. The Eagles will host the Saints in the first round of the playoffs next Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
Tony Gutierrez/AP
Kyle Orton throws an interception with 1:43 remaining as the Cowboys fall short of winning the NFC East in Week 17 for the third straight year .
EAGLES 24, COWBOYS 22
ARLINGTON, Tx. - Different quarterback, same result, right down to the final, agonizing interception.
Tony Romo couldn't have thrown the ball any better than Kyle Orton did Sunday night at AT&T Stadium. But in the end, after coming so close to leading the Cowboys into the playoffs, there was no preventing the familiar futile finish to another Cowboys season.
Orton's second interception of the night allowed the Eagles to escape with a 24-22 win in a thrilling winner-take-all contest. The Eagles will host the Saints in the first round of the playoffs next Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
With one last chance to take lead the Cowboys to victory, Orton threw behind Miles Austin and Brandon Boykin sealed the NFC East for the Eagles with the interception at the Cowboys 40 with 1:43 left in the game.
Bryce Brown put the Eagles ahead, 24-16, on a six-yard run with 6:09 left in the game after the Cowboys were stopped on a fourth and one at the Eagles' 40. It was a matter of finally breaking Monte Kiffin's much-maligned defense, which had played valiantly until the Eagles started pounding away at them with their running game.
Before the fatal INT, Orton (30-46-358, 2 TDs) looked totally comfortable as he played within the offense. Down by eight, he led the Cowboys 80 yards in six plays and hit Dez Bryant on a slant, with Bryant pulling away from the tackle of Patrick Chung for a 30-yard TD pass on a fourth and nine with 3:50 remaining in regulation.
But Orton's two-point conversion try was incomplete.
Chip Kelly's offense set a team record for yards and TDs in a season while McCoy set the Eagles' single-season rushing record to become the first Eagle in 64 years to lead the league in rushing.
The Cowboys settled for field goals on their first two possessions of the second half, the second following a Foles sack/fumble forced by Jason Hatcher and recovered by DeMarcus Ware. Then after the Eagles had marched the length of the field to the Cowboys' one, they stopped a Foles quarterback sneak on fourth and goal just before the third quarter ended to keep it a one-point game.
But the Eagles returned the favor. Orton moved the Cowboys from their one to a fourth and one at the Philly 40. He faked to Murray and rolled out, looking for Dez Bryant in the flat but Connor Barwin made a great play to knock the ball down.
Two Cowboys turnovers were the difference in the first half, handing the Eagles 10 points for a 17-10 lead.
DeMarco Murray's first lost fumble of the year, with the Cowboys driving on their first possession, set up an Eagles field goal while an Orton interception allowed the Eagles to tack on a TD before the Cowboys answered with a 44-yard Dan Bailey FG with :18 left.
The INT came just after the 2:00 warning with the Cowboys at midfield in position to put together a game-tying drive. But Orton threw a poor pass behind Jason Witten, who would normally catch the ball even though he had to reach behind him. Instead, the deflection went to LB Mychal Kendricks.
Chip Kelly immediately seized the momentum to attack the Cowboys' defense with a one-on-one matchup down the field as TE Brent Celek made a great catch, falling backwards, with DeVonte Hoffmann lost in coverage. The 35-yard gain to the Cowboys' 14 was followed immediately by a 14-yard TD pass to Celek, who was left all alone.
It was similar to the way the Eagles scored their first TD. Jason Avant went high in the air to take the ball away from safety Jeff Heath, an undrafted rookie who was promptly benched on the next series. LeSean McCoy was left alone off a bootleg by Foles for the three-yard TD.
The Cowboys' first-half TD narrowed the lead to 10-7 with 8:21 left in the half. Rookie tight end Gavin Escobar took a 17-yard pass from Orton and went into the end zone head first over an Eagle defender. The score was set up by a great throw from Orton for a 30-yard gain to Terrance Williams on third and long.
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