For the majority of the Cowboys' Sunday night game against the Eagles, their special teams stunk. They fumbled on the opening kickoff. They were repeatedly penalized on returns.
That wasn't necessarily a surprise, given the Eagles entered the game ranked first in special teams DVOA. What was a surprise was the Cowboys' perfectly executed fake punt in the third quarter.
Trailing 20-10, the Cowboys decided to let punter Chris Jones run with the football. He ended up picking up 30 yards.
🚨 FAKE PUNT ALERT! 🚨@DallasCowboys execute the fake to perfection.
— NFL (@NFL) October 31, 2016
First down! #PHIvsDALhttps://t.co/ac8R2PDBSO
This is weird:
Three Cowboys have longer runs than Ezekiel Elliott tonight: Chris Jones 30 yards, Lucky Whitehead 17, Dak Prescott 16. Zeke's long is 15.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 31, 2016
The Cowboys cashed in with a field goal after Dak Prescott was nearly intercepted in the end zone. And then, their special teams reverted back to normal.
On the ensuing kickoff, they allowed a 53-yard return.