Sun shines bright into AT&T Stadium, a failed headstand celebration, more from the Eagles-Cowboys broadcast
The game was a bit of a snoozer, but there was still plenty to take away from the broadcast.
Kenny Pickett was under center for the Eagles with more than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, if that’s any indication of how well Sunday’s game went for the Birds. The Eagles are now in first place in the NFC East after cruising to an easy 34-6 win over the Cowboys, whose season is spiraling out of control after Dak Prescott’s injury.
“This is their season, to me,” Tony Romo said of his former squad before the game. Seems like we have our answer!
» READ MORE: Eagles crush the hapless Cowboys 34-6 to take over first place in the NFC East
Here’s everything you missed from the broadcast of the Birds’ big rivalry win...
Saquon Barkley’s hurdle
You’ve probably already watched Saquon Barkley’s hurdle against the Jaguars 500 times. You know what it looks like. But Barkley told CBS that he actually prefers to watch his teammates’ reactions on the sidelines, as opposed to the hurdle itself.
“There was a lot of disgust, and awe, and oh my god responses,” Barkley told CBS. “They did tell me, ‘Don’t do that again.’”
Stay healthy, obviously, but please do that again. The people want to see it.
Tracy Wolfson also shared what Jalen Hurts told Barkley after the hurdle.
“God has blessed you, my friend, with a special gift,” Hurts said.
Jerryworld
Jerry Jones spent more than a billion dollars building a cathedral to football in Arlington, Texas, also known as AT&T Stadium. And yet, those billion-dollar architects failed to account for one small factor — the sun.
The stadium was built east-west, leading to the sun rays causing a massive glare issue midday, especially around the 4:25 p.m. time slot the Eagles game kicked off in. It appeared to harm the Cowboys, especially CeeDee Lamb, near the end of the first half.
“We’re convinced that these sun rays are causing havoc,” Jim Nantz said.
Supposedly the stadium has blackout curtains and the team refuses to use them. Weird! After the game, Jerry Jones was asked why the team doesn’t use the blackout curtains.
“Well, let’s tear the damn stadium down and build another one? Are you kidding me?” Jones responded.
“I’m saying, the world knows where the sun is,” Jones added later. “You get to know that almost a year in advance. Someone asked me about the sun. What about the sun? Where’s the moon?”
Keystone Cops?
It went badly for the Cowboys. So badly, that Nantz compared them to the Bad News Bears, and the Keystone Cops, as Dallas attempted to pick up a third-quarter fumble.
Nantz is 65, but even he wasn’t alive to see the Keystone Cops when the characters actually appeared on film, from 1912 to 1917. But the slapstick policemen were known for their hilarious failures in early silent films alongside stars like Charlie Chaplin.
» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts and Jalen Carter turn the game and lead the Eagles’ humiliation of the Cowboys
Despite the name, they had no connection to Pennsylvania. The characters were named for the Keystone film studio, which produced the movies.
“Romo Go In!”
With Prescott likely out for the season with a hamstring injury, Dallas fans are looking for an answer at quarterback anywhere they can find it — even in the broadcast booth. Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was in the booth for Sunday’s game, and one Cowboys fan brought a sign, asking Romo to get under center.
“I’d last ... if it wasn’t for that knee, I’d last about two drives,” said Romo, who retired after the 2016 season.
Romo’s final game was the 2016 season finale in Philadelphia, on Jan. 1, 2017. He hadn’t played all season due to injury, but he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass in that game.
“You were 7-for-7, the last pass of your career was a touchdown pass to Terrance Williams. To me, you’re still on that streak against Philadelphia, just seven years apart.”
The Cowboys lost that game, of course. And Romo was actually 3-for-4.
Headstand failure
After Zack Baun forced a fumble, recovered by Reed Blankenship, Blankenship and the defense went into the end zone to attempt the headstand celebration, which Incarnate Word wide receiver Jalen Walthall debuted and Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Falcons receiver Drake London both successfully tried last week.
The Eagles were not as successful. I couldn’t even find a video someone had clipped of their attempt, that’s how bad it was. I don’t think one of them was even able to get up all the way into a handstand, much less balance just on their head.
Good try, though.
The Pickett Push
The final play of the game? A fourth-and-1 Tush Push with Pickett under center. Jeff Stoutland is just showing off at this point, and I for one love to see it.
I still would prefer we call it the Brotherly Shove, but “Pickett Push” wasn’t a bad line from Nantz.