ARLINGTON, Texas — DeSean Jackson stopped at the edge of the goal line, turned to face the defense and tipped over backward into the end zone.
No, he wasn’t worn out from running 91 yards. He just wanted to add a finishing splash to this game-changing play.
Jackson’s go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter was among many big plays for him and the Philadelphia Eagles, sending them to a 30-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
Philadelphia (9-4) ended a three-game losing skid to its NFC East rival and moved a half-game ahead of the New York Giants in the division race. The Eagles will take a streak of five wins in six games to New York on Sunday for a showdown with the Giants.
Dallas (4-9) fell behind in the opening minutes, yet kept it close and even led 20-14. But Philadelphia was relentless, dropping the Cowboys to 3-2 under interim coach Jason Garrett. They are guaranteed their first losing season since 2004.
“We fought hard throughout this ballgame,” Garrett said. “It just wasn’t good enough at the end.”
Jackson caught a 60-yard pass on the opening play of the game and kept biting off huge chunks of yards. On only four catches, he gained 210 yards, third-most in franchise history. His breakaway catch came with the game tied at 20 and the Eagles starting a drive from their 9-yard line after a penalty on a punt return.
Michael Vick zipped the ball to the left sideline, past cornerback Michael Jenkins and right to Jackson. He sped past one safety, made another safety fall and outran a diving cornerback at the 10. His showboat move at the end drew a flag, and then he went to the bench for some oxygen.
Vick went 16-of-26 for 270 yards. Take out Jackson’s numbers, though, and his other 12 completions produced 60 yards.
