Game story
In Week 16 of the 2002 NFL season on 2002-12-21, the Philadelphia Eagles took care of business against the Dallas Cowboys, pulling away with a 27–3 final that controlled the game from start to finish.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
C. Hutchinson (Dallas Cowboys) paced the passing game, with -29.79 total EPA.
On the individual side, A. Freeman (Philadelphia Eagles) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +3.50 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-11.5% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Dallas Cowboys changed the game: (12:26) 7-C.Hutchinson pass intended for 22-E.Smith INTERCEPTED by 56-S.Barber at PHI 20. 56-S.Barber for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass thrown left flat.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 A. Freeman · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +3.50 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.58 EPA/play
- 2 B. Westbrook · Philadelphia Eagles · Rushing · +3.46 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.43 EPA/play
- 3 C. Lewis · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +1.94 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.65 EPA/play
- 4 A. Bryant · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +1.84 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.61 EPA/play
- 5 T. McGee · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +1.80 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.60 EPA/play
- 6 T. Pinkston · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +1.59 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.18 EPA/play
- 7 D. Staley · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +1.22 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.41 EPA/play
- 8 J. Thrash · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +0.69 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.34 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
A. Freeman — PHI · Receiving
A. Freeman posted the highest total EPA (+3.50) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Philadelphia Eagles's efficiency. Across 6 counted snaps, they averaged +0.58 EPA per play.
The signature play (-11.42 EPA) came from Dallas Cowboys: (12:26) 7-C.Hutchinson pass intended for 22-E.Smith INTERCEPTED by 56-S.Barber at PHI 20. 56-S.Barber for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass thrown left flat.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Philadelphia Eagles — D. Staley
- Philadelphia Eagles — T. Pinkston (A. Feeley pass)
- Philadelphia Eagles — S. Barber
Field goals
- Philadelphia Eagles — D. Akers
- Dallas Cowboys — B. Cundiff
- Philadelphia Eagles — D. Akers
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Philadelphia Eagles won the period 7–0. Philadelphia Eagles found the end zone from the DAL 5 (Q1 50:03) — (5:03) 22-D.Staley up the middle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Started up the middle before cutting left.; Philadelphia Eagles added 1 points from the DAL 2 (Q1 49:56) — 2-D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer..
The second quarter: Philadelphia Eagles won the period 10–0. Philadelphia Eagles found the end zone from the DAL 14 (Q2 37:30) — (7:30) 14-A.Feeley pass to 87-T.Pinkston for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass lofted right corner of the end zone.; Philadelphia Eagles added 1 points from the DAL 2 (Q2 37:25) — (Kick formation) 2-D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer.; Philadelphia Eagles connected on a field goal from the DAL 14 (Q2 30:08).
The fourth quarter: Philadelphia Eagles won the period 10–3. Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the PHI 24 (Q4 14:57) — (14:57) 3-B.Cundiff 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-J.Grau, Holder-83-J.Whalen.; Philadelphia Eagles found the end zone from the PHI 21 (Q4 12:26); Philadelphia Eagles added 1 points from the DAL 2 (Q4 12:13) — 2-D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer.; Philadelphia Eagles connected on a field goal from the DAL 21 (Q4 10:52) — (10:52) 2-D.Akers 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q4 12:26) — (12:26) 7-C.Hutchinson pass intended for 22-E.Smith INTERCEPTED by 56-S.Barber at PHI 20. 56-S.Barber for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass thrown left flat.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q1 51:43) — (6:43) 14-A.Feeley pass to 80-J.Thrash pushed ob at DAL 19 for 34 yards (24-T.Dixon). Pass complete right sideline.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q2 41:02) — (11:02) 36-B.Westbrook up the middle to PHI 44 for 18 yards (24-T.Dixon; 59-D.Nguyen).
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q1 59:15) — (14:15) 14-A.Feeley pass to 86-A.Freeman to DAL 49 for 22 yards (24-T.Dixon). Pass caught on slant from right end.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q1 50:41) — (5:41) 14-A.Feeley pass to 86-A.Freeman to DAL 5 for 10 yards (23-D.Goodrich). Pass complete on skinny post from right end.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q4 12:26) — (12:26) 7-C.Hutchinson pass intended for 22-E.Smith INTERCEPTED by 56-S.Barber at PHI 20. 56-S.Barber for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass thrown left flat.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q3 26:32) — (11:32) 14-A.Feeley pass INTERCEPTED by 31-Ro.Williams at DAL -2. Touchback.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q4 12:13) — 2-D.Akers kicks 65 yards from PHI 30 to DAL 5. 29-W.Dantzler to DAL 28 for 23 yards (57-K.Adams). FUMBLES (57-K.Adams), RECOVERED by PHI-82-D.Douglas at DAL 30.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q4 13:31) — (13:31) 14-A.Feeley pass intended for 86-A.Freeman INTERCEPTED by 47-P.Hunter at DAL 34. 47-P.Hunter pushed ob at PHI 50 for 16 yards (89-C.Lewis).
Quarterback report card
C.Hutchinson led all passers in efficiency for Dallas Cowboys, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- C.Hutchinson (Dallas Cowboys) · 36 dropbacks · 41.7% completion · -0.83 EPA/play · -29.79 total EPA
- A.Feeley (Philadelphia Eagles) · 35 dropbacks · 54.3% completion · -0.08 EPA/play · -2.63 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Philadelphia Eagles | Dallas Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.077 | -0.465 |
| Offensive success rate | 45.1% | 45.9% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.075 | -0.828 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.018 | -0.281 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.465 | +0.077 |
| Defensive success rate | 54.1% | 54.9% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, Philadelphia Eagles generated the better offensive EPA per play (-0.08 vs -0.47), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Dallas Cowboys: 14 drives, -34.44 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
- Philadelphia Eagles: 14 drives, -6.34 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Philadelphia Eagles leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- A. Freeman (Philadelphia Eagles) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Philadelphia Eagles TD (+6) — Q1 50:03 · DAL 5 · Score 6-0
(5:03) 22-D.Staley up the middle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Started up the middle before cutting left. - Philadelphia Eagles XP (+1) — Q1 49:56 · DAL 2 · Score 7-0
2-D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer. - Philadelphia Eagles TD (+6) — Q2 37:30 · DAL 14 · Score 13-0
(7:30) 14-A.Feeley pass to 87-T.Pinkston for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass lofted right corner of the end zone. - Philadelphia Eagles XP (+1) — Q2 37:25 · DAL 2 · Score 14-0
(Kick formation) 2-D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer. - Philadelphia Eagles FG (+3) — Q2 30:08 · DAL 14 · Score 17-0
(:08) 2-D.Akers 32 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer. With the field goal, Philadelphia sets a new club record for points in a se - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q4 14:57 · PHI 24 · Score 17-3
(14:57) 3-B.Cundiff 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-J.Grau, Holder-83-J.Whalen. - Philadelphia Eagles TD (+6) — Q4 12:26 · PHI 21 · Score 23-3
(12:26) 7-C.Hutchinson pass intended for 22-E.Smith INTERCEPTED by 56-S.Barber at PHI 20. 56-S.Barber for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass thrown left flat. - Philadelphia Eagles XP (+1) — Q4 12:13 · DAL 2 · Score 24-3
2-D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer. - Philadelphia Eagles FG (+3) — Q4 10:52 · DAL 21 · Score 27-3
(10:52) 2-D.Akers 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys?
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-3 in Week 16, 2002 on 2002-12-21.
What was the final score of Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys?
The final score was Philadelphia Eagles 27, Dallas Cowboys 3 (PHI 27-3 DAL) in Week 16, 2002 on 2002-12-21.
What was the score by quarter in Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys?
Q1: Philadelphia Eagles 7, Dallas Cowboys 0; Q2: Philadelphia Eagles 10, Dallas Cowboys 0; Q4: Philadelphia Eagles 10, Dallas Cowboys 3; Final: Philadelphia Eagles 27, Dallas Cowboys 3.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys?
Philadelphia Eagles touchdown — D. Staley (Q1 50:03) Philadelphia Eagles touchdown — T. Pinkston (A. Feeley pass) (Q2 37:30) Philadelphia Eagles touchdown — S. Barber (Q4 12:26) Philadelphia Eagles field goal — D. Akers (Q2 30:08, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — B. Cundiff (Q4 14:57, 3 pts) Philadelphia Eagles field goal — D. Akers (Q4 10:52, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys?
C. Hutchinson (Dallas Cowboys), 41.7% completion, -0.83 EPA per dropback, -29.79 total passing EPA. A. Feeley (Philadelphia Eagles), 54.3% completion, -0.08 EPA per dropback, -2.63 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys?
A. Freeman (Philadelphia Eagles) led the game in total EPA with +3.50 on receiving plays. across 6 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-11.42 EPA): (12:26) 7-C.Hutchinson pass intended for 22-E.Smith INTERCEPTED by 56-S.Barber at PHI 20. 56-S.Barber for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass thrown left flat.. The biggest win-probability swing was -11.5%.
Season records after this game
Philadelphia Eagles
Entered 11-3 Now 12-3 W
Dallas Cowboys
Entered 5-9 Now 5-10 L
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