Cowboys Easy Prey for Eagles

IRVING, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys made it too easy for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 36-3 loss Sunday.

Take Jeremiah Trotter’s 50-yard interception return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half. On a throw by Ryan Leaf that didn’t make any sense, the Eagles got an easy touchdown.

The Eagles had only 227 total yards, but started six drives within 50 yards of the goal line, and their only offensive touchdown came after a Dallas fumble at the 25. They failed to score from inside the red zone for the first time, but converted five other times.

“What you saw there was a replay of the first game,” Cowboy Coach Dave Campo said, referring to the 40-18 score in the first game between the teams.

Despite their 2-7 record, the Cowboys have only been blown out of two games--both against the Eagles (6-3). Both times, they gave away the game in the second quarter.

It doesn’t get any easier than Trotter’s interception return that gave the Eagles a 20-0 halftime lead.

The Cowboys, on their own 40 with just 15 seconds left, let Leaf take a deep shot downfield, but the pass was incomplete. Instead of throwing deep again or even taking a knee, Leaf threw a short pass. Trotter stepped in front of Darrin Chiaverini and ran untouched to the end zone.

“You don’t get chances like that every day, so I wanted to make the most of it,” Trotter said. “We knew that Leaf tended to make that throw.”

Campo said the route was called with the thought the Cowboys could get in field-goal range. But the throw to midfield came with no time left.

Emmitt Smith, back in the Cowboy lineup after being sidelined two games with a sprained right knee, was stripped by Bobby Taylor to start the second quarter. Taylor recovered at the 25, and five plays later, Donovan McNabb threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Chad Lewis for a 7-0 lead.

Smith had 80 yards in 15 carries.

Leaf, the No. 2 overall pick by San Diego in 1998, has lost both of his Dallas starts. He was 11 for 26 for only 102 yards with the two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. He fell to 4-16 as an NFL starter.

The Eagles have won four of five games and swept the season series against the Cowboys for the second consecutive season--the first time they’ve done that since 1988-90.