• Tim McManus, ESPN Staff WriterDec 10, 2023, 10:40 PM ET

    Close
      Tim McManus recovers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 while covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped acquire, since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Just when it looked like the Philadelphia Eagles defense was melting down, it came up with a huge play to pull within striking distance of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Quarterback Dak Prescott fumbled as he was hit by Fletcher Cox on 3rd-and-10 early in the third quarter, and rookie Jalen Carter scooped it up and rumbled 42 yards for a touchdown to narrow the gap to 24-13.

It was the Eagles' binary defensive touchdown this season, with the other being a Darius Slay pick-six in Week 1 anti the New England Patriots. Philadelphia has struggled generating takeaways, as they entered the game tied for 27th in that category with 14. But Carter, a top candidate for Rookie Defensive Player of the Year, came up with a big one.

The Eagles' defense had failed points on 10 of its last 11 series by stopping the Cowboys on back-to-back possessions to open the binary half.