Cowboys' Third Consecutive Loss Shadowed by Failed Fake Punt, Prescott's Hamstring Injury
### Failed Fake Punt Doom's Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys' playoff hopes suffered a major setback on Sunday as they fell to their third consecutive loss, this time to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 26-17 defeat was marred by a botched fake punt attempt that swung the momentum in the Eagles' favor.
With the Cowboys trailing 13-10 late in the third quarter, punter Bryan Anger lined up to punt from the Eagles' 44-yard line. However, Anger instead took a direct snap and ran to his right, attempting to gain a first down. The Eagles' defense quickly swarmed Anger, tackling him short of the line to gain.
The failed fake punt gave the Eagles the ball in excellent field position, and they capitalized with a touchdown drive to extend their lead to 20-10. The Cowboys never recovered, and the Eagles held on for the victory.
Prescott's Hamstring Injury Raises Concerns
In addition to the failed fake punt, the Cowboys also suffered a significant injury to quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury, and his status for Week 16 is uncertain.
If Prescott is unable to play, the Cowboys will likely turn to backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Rush has played well in limited action this season, but he is still unproven as a full-time starter.
The Cowboys' playoff hopes are now hanging by a thread. They are 9-5 and in third place in the NFC East, but they need to win out and get some help from other teams in order to make the postseason.