The best Cowboys players from Week 9, according to PFF

Losing stings no matter what, and it stings twice as much when the Cowboys lose to the Eagles. That said, it was a very close game that was ultimately decided by a few literal inches. In a game like that, there’s more than a few good performances from the team. Let’s look at the highest graded players, according to Pro Football Focus.

The offense held up their end of the bargain

It may not look like it from the box score, but the Cowboys offense put up another good outing. They had two different drives end on failed fourth downs, in addition to the drive that ended when the game clock expired, but Dallas moved the ball well. In fact, they out-gained the Eagles 406-292 and averaged 5.8 yards per play to Philadelphia's 4.9 yards per play.

WR CeeDee Lamb - 90.3

CeeDee Lamb has been on fire as of late, and this game was no different. He had 16 (!) targets in this game and caught 11 passes for a whopping 191 yards. Seven of those 16 catches went for a first down. Lamb had a crucial drop at one point in the game, but the rest of his performance was more than enough to make up for it.

LT Tyron Smith - 80.5

Lost in the conversation about the other offensive tackle is Tyron Smith dominating in pass protection. Against a very talented Eagles pass rush, Smith yielded zero pressures throughout the entire game. The other four linemen gave up 19 total pressures. This was a vintage Tyron Smith performance.

WR Jalen Tolbert - 78.4

Jalen Tolbert has seen his workload increase the last two weeks amid continued struggles from Michael Gallup, and he had a memorable game against the Eagles. Tolbert caught three of his five targets for a total of 49 yards, moving the chains for two of them while the other catch marked his first career touchdown.

TE Jake Ferguson - 75.7

Jake Ferguson has rapidly emerged as a legitimate starting tight end, and he was putting on a show. He caught seven of his 10 targets, which broke a streak of 19 consecutive completions when targeting Ferguson. In total, Ferguson had 91 yards, five first downs, and a touchdown catch.

QB Dak Prescott - 72.0

Dak Prescott had a great game, and his score is only so low because of all the sacks he took. Most of those weren’t his fault, but it hurts the player grade regardless. Still, Prescott completed 65.9% of his passes and hit a season-high 377 yards - the second straight game topping 300 yards - with three touchdowns. Of note: four big time throws, zero turnover worthy plays, and zero turnovers.

Defense made some plays, especially in the fourth quarter

The Dallas defense was, at best, uneven in this game. They gave up a touchdown in each of the first two quarters and then surrendered 14 points in the third quarter. However, they made several stops in the fourth quarter to give Dallas the shot at coming back. It wasn’t their best overall game, but several players shined.

EDGE Sam Williams - 92.7

Sam Williams needs to see the field more. He made his way onto this list last week and is now a repeat customer. Williams only played on 12 total defensive snaps, but he was very effective, registering three pressures and a strip sack. The second-year pro has been flashing the last two weeks, and his role needs to be expanded.

EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence - 85.6

DeMarcus Lawrence had a great game, routinely getting into the backfield whether it was a run or pass. He logged four pressures and played a big role in the run defense mostly containing this dangerous Eagles run game. Lawrence was so close to a sack a few times, but his impact was felt regardless.

S Malik Hooker - 84.8

Malik Hooker usually doesn’t get a chance to stuff the stat sheet, as he’s generally playing very deep coverage, but he flashed a bunch in this one. Hooker tallied six tackles with an average depth of tackle of just two yards. He also recorded two run stops and forced a fumble that Philadelphia ultimately recovered.

EDGE Micah Parsons - 82.5

Micah Parsons had a big night, so it’s a little surprising to see his grade this low. Parsons finished with six pressures and two sacks, in addition to creating plenty of opportunities for his fellow pass rushers, as he always does.

Only a couple suspect performances

The Cowboys may have lost, but they played pretty well across the board. Most players were at least okay in this game, but there were a couple of veterans who had especially rough nights.

CB Jourdan Lewis - 47.3

It was clear early on that the Eagles felt comfortable targeting Jourdan Lewis whenever they needed a big play. Lewis gave up completions on three of his four targets, all of them going for a first down. Lewis has struggled as of late, and this was another poor performance.

RT Terence Steele - 31.7

Terence Steele had the worst game of his career on Sunday. Facing a litany of edge rushers in this deep defensive line rotation, Steele got beat by just about everyone who lined up against him. He gave up 12 pressures and four sacks on the day. This is one he’ll want to completely forget.