You couldn't have scripted a better Dallas Cowboys performance on Sunday. They got a breakout game from Ryan Flournoy, Dak Prescott played at an MVP level once again, Javonte Williams couldn't be stopped on the ground, and the defense racked up five sacks and 14 quarterback hits.
A dominant win is one thing, but a Cowboys weekend is never truly perfect unless some division rivals sputter as well. The Giants lost to a previously winless Saints team, but we've come to expect that. What put Sunday's result over the top is that the Eagles lost at home to the Broncos.
But Philadelphia didn't just lose. They squandered a 17-3 lead in the third quarter, and their offense completely shut down in the second half en route to a 21-17 loss.
Eagles' meltdown puts exclamation point on Cowboys' perfect Week 5
For whatever reason, the Eagles only gave Saquon Barkley nine touches. That is the fewest touches he's ever had in an NFL game that he finished. Nick Sirianni clearly wanted to get their struggling passing game going, and while it worked in the first half, it was nowhere to be found when it mattered.
That frustration has boiled over to star wide receiver A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who combined for eight catches on nine targets for 110 yards. That is somehow a step in the right direction after they were held to a combined four catches for 34 yards last week, but you'd expect more production in a game where Barkley only touched the ball nine times.
Smith provided a candid assessment of the offense following the loss.
"We made some improvements in certain areas," Smith said. "We can still be a lot better. Shot ourselves in the foot a lot. Left a couple of plays out there. We weren't on the same page. Ultimately, we got to get on the same page and continue to continue to be on the same page."
A week after taking his frustrations to social media, Brown, ever vocal when he's not getting targets, all but threw Jalen Hurts under the bus while referencing a deep shot late in the game that looked like a clear miscommunication between the quarterback and receiver.
"From my point of view, it was just missed," Brown said. "I didn't think the ball was coming. When I looked up, I didn't see the ball. When I looked back, I didn't see the ball. And then the ball was thrown. Like I said, we just missed."
Brown is going to keep throwing gasoline on the fire if things don't improve. It's clear at this point that he cares about his stats just as much as winning, if not more. The Eagles are adamant that they won't trade Brown, but this could get ugly if he continues not to produce and Philly starts losing more regularly.
It's too early to say that the Eagles' offense is broken, but something isn't right. On top of being an incredibly boring watch, Barkley's 41 percent rushing success rate is third-worst among qualified running backs, and Hurts can't seem to get on the same page with Brown and Smith.
Like we said, it was a perfect weekend for Dallas.
More Cowboys News and Analysis