Amari Cooper's wild game-winning catch vs. Eagles caps huge day for Cowboys WR
Amari Cooper had himself a day in Dallas.
The Cowboys receiver racked up 217 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches as Dallas scored a huge win over their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Cooper’s OT touchdown clinches win
None of his plays was bigger than his last as he made a juggling catch on this pass tipped by Eagles cornerback Rasul Douglas for the game-winning score in overtime.
The 29-23 win moves the Cowboys to 8-5 and in full control of the NFC East over the 6-7 Eagles and Washington Redskins.
Each of Cooper’s scores gave Cowboys the lead
All of Cooper’s scores came in the fourth quarter or overtime as a defensive struggle erupted into an offensive showcase for both teams.
His first score broke a 9-9 tie halfway through the fourth quarter as he raced past cornerback Sidney Jones to haul in a 28-yard dime from Dak Prescott.
His second score came on the first play of a drive with the score tied at 16-16 with around three minutes remaining. He streaked down the sideline again – this time at the expense of cornerback De’Vante Bausby – to take a Prescott pass 75 yards for the touchdown.
Eagles responded to each TD except the last
The Eagles responded to each of Cooper’s first two scores with quick strikes of their own. Carson Wentz capped a 47-yard drive with a three-yard pass to Dallas Goedert to tie the game at 16-16 and led a 75-yard drive that ended with a six-yard pass to Darren Sproles to tie the game at 23-23.
But Cooper’s hat trick was completed in overtime, a walk-off score that the Eagles, of course, could not respond to.
Cooper has been huge for Cowboys
Cooper’s performance Sunday was his second huge game since joining the Cowboys in a midseason trade from the Oakland Raiders that drew round criticism as Dallas yielded a first-round pick for the 24-year-old receiver.
He logged 180 yards and two touchdowns in a Thanksgiving win against the Washington Redskins and can largely be credited as the difference-maker in that and Sunday’s victory.
In six games since joining the Cowboys, Cooper has tallied 642 yards and six touchdowns as Dallas has gone 5-1 and embarked on a five-game winning streak.
It’s fair to say he’s immediately paying dividends on the investment Jerry Jones and the Cowboys made to obtain him.
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