Under the radar stars: Three players who helped the Cowboys clip the Eagles

Beat by Dallas.

Nick Sirianni’s now-infamous t-shirt is in need of a makeover after the drubbing his Eagles took at the hands of the Cowboys on Monday Night. It was not a pretty affair for the Eagles, and the team from the City of Brotherly Love came up with pocket change after being forced to put their money where their mouth was. The Cowboys absolutely thrashed the birds from start to finish, leaving no question as to who should hold the top spot on the NFC East’s totem pole.

Dak Prescott shined once again, showcasing the poise of a true leader after shedding tears pregame in the first time he’d suited up at his home base since his devastating injury. Ezekiel Elliott showed his drive as he continues to erase the sour taste of a ghastly 2020 campaign.

And boy, was Dan Quinn an absolute star.

It was a collective effort to produce a more than favorable result for Mike McCarthy and crew, though some players received more applause than others. So don’t forget about these invaluable contributors to Monday’s win.

3. Bryan Anger

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Punter alert!

We’ll start the countdown with an appearance from the position who may very well get the least love across the league. It’s easy to ignore their contributions when they’re performing their duties up to snuff, but when a punter is a liability, you’ll certainly know it.

Bryan Anger was anything but a deterrent Monday night.

The 10-year player certainly looked the part of a savvy vet, rattling off four kicks for a total of 202 yards (50.5 avg), registering a booming long of 57 yards, and pinning Philadelphia inside the 20-yard line twice.

And when you’re playing against a fledgling young QB, field position is everything. The ‘Boys defense flew to the football like projectiles all night long, but Anger’s defensive contributions in his own right cannot be ignored.

Salute to his performance.

2. Anthony Brown

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Welcome to your Kodak moment, Anthony Brown.

Brown received a deserved stint of up close and personal camera time after coming up with a massive interception to halt the Eagles’ first possession of the game. The Cowboys offense would squander the ensuing possession with a careless display of frontline protection, but Brown’s play was an emphatic statement to start off the night: we are no fluke, and we are not to be taken lightly.

The ‘Boys defense came up with another huge INT in what was arguably the play of the game, but Brown’s takeaway set the tone for what was a dominant outing for Dan Quinn’s squadron.

Brown recorded four solo tackles to top off his output, warding away a pass as well.

1. Cedrick Wilson

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Cedrick Wilson has stepped into the vacancy left by Michael Gallup and performed commendably. No. 1 has hauled in a pass in each game he’s played up to this point, but had yet to cross the pylon before the Cowboys’ latest affair. That changed early in the fourth quarter of Monday’s beatdown.

Lined up in the slot on a fourth & goal, Wilson ran a quick three-step out route, while CeeDee Lamb darted inside on a slant. Prescott was flushed out of the pocket after his initial dropback, causing Wilson to break from his path, and trek back across the back of the end zone, where Prescott found him wide open.

It was a brilliant showing of awareness and dexterity, first staying in bounds, then performing a deft toe-tap to convert the hook-up.

Oh yeah, then there was Wilson’s best catch of the night:

The play wouldn’t count (Wilson had a foot out of bounds upon completion), but Wilson is showing that he is not devoid of abilities to succeed as a regular target. And if he continues to perform like he has been, he won’t be devoid of targets from his quarterback either.