Eagles seize NFC East lead with win over Cowboys, 33-10

LeSean McCoy threw open his arms just before crossing the goal line on a touchdown run that essentially put away another big win over the Dallas Cowboys.

While Philadelphia didn’t walk off with a playoff berth in hand after beating the Cowboys, 33-10, on Thursday, it was a sweet Thanksgiving for McCoy, Mark Sanchez and the Eagles.

McCoy ran for 159 yards and a touchdown, Sanchez had his first scoring run in almost three years and the Eagles rolled in a matchup of NFC East co-leaders on the field where McCoy clinched last season’s rushing title and Philadelphia won a playoffs-or-bust finale.

“This really felt like last year,” said McCoy, who had a season-high 25 carries. “It really did.”

Tony Romo wasn’t around for that game because he was two days removed from back surgery. This time he was trying to play a quick turnaround for the first time, and after yet another back injury. He looked ragged as the Cowboys (8-4) lost their third straight home game.

“It was definitely short just from the Sunday night coming to here,” said Romo, who threw two interceptions without a touchdown, snapping a streak of 38 straight games with at least one TD toss. “I don’t really think that had much to do with the outcome of the game. I think they just played better than us.”

The Eagles (9-3) opened with quick drives of 80 and 88 yards for touchdowns. They took sole possession of the division lead with four games remaining, including a rematch in less than three weeks.

“We’re not into statements,” Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. “We’ve given ourselves the opportunity to play meaningful football in December, and in this league, every week is a whole different deal, a whole different animal.”

McCoy, who led the NFL with 1,604 yards last season, had his fourth 100-yard game in the past seven after going without one the first five weeks and secured his fourth 1,000-yard season since 2010.

Although his deficit to Dallas’ DeMarco Murray in the rushing race is probably insurmountable, McCoy outgained Murray, who was held under 100 yards for just the second time this season.

Murray finished with 73 yards and Dallas’ only touchdown on 20 carries, the last a 6-yard loss when he was dropped by Mychal Kendricks on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t really compare myself,” McCoy said. “I just try to be me. I don’t really get into that whole, especially during the season, `Who’s this. Who’s that’ thing. In the big picture, we’re trying to win games.”

Making his fourth start since Nick Foles was sidelined by a broken collarbone, Sanchez was 9 of 11 for 99 yards in the first quarter. That included a 27-yard scoring pass to Jordan Matthews when Sanchez hit the rookie in stride on a crossing route for a 14-0 lead.

Sanchez finished 20 of 29 for 217 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions two years after he was the starter for the New York Jets and infamously ran into the back side of one of his offensive linemen for a fumble that New England returned for a touchdown in a 49-19 Thanksgiving rout.