National Football League

Rookies Brown, Foles have Eagles on top of Cowboys

Published Dec. 3, 2012 3:53 a.m. ET

foxsports

Bryce Brown rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns, and fellow Philadelphia rookie Nick Foles threw a scoring pass to give the Eagles a 24-17 lead over the Dallas Cowboys after three quarters Sunday night.

Tony Romo set a Dallas record with his 166th touchdown pass, tying it at 17, but the Eagles answered with an 80-yard drive to retake the lead midway through the third.

Brown, starting in place of LeSean McCoy for the second straight week, had 26 yards on the ground and a 7-yard catch on the tiebreaking drive, which was capped by Foles' 15-yard pass to Riley Cooper in the end zone.

Foles, who played high school football in Austin in Central Texas, started his third straight game in place of Michael Vick, who was knocked out of a loss to Dallas on Nov. 11 with a concussion. McCoy is out with a concussion too.

Romo broke Troy Aikman's franchise record when he scrambled and threw across the field to Dez Bryant, who weaved through the Philadelphia defense on a 23-yard scoring play.

Brown went in untouched on both of his scoring plays in the first half. He scooted around the left side for a 7-0 lead and trotted through a big hole up the middle to make it 14-3 midway through the second quarter.

Last week against Carolina, Brown set an Eagles rookie record with 178 yards in his first start since high school.

Philadelphia, which has lost seven straight games, was in front after the first quarter for the first time all season, but Dan Bailey got the Cowboys on the board with a 39-yard field goal early in the second. DeMarco Murray's 1-yard touchdown run trimmed the Eagles' lead to 14-10 with 41 seconds left in the half.

Romo overcame a holding penalty and an 8-yard loss when Kevin Ogletree fumbled a handoff on a reverse by completing third-down passes to Jason Witten, Bryant and Miles Austin. Romo then found Witten all alone in the middle of the field for 28 yards to the 1, setting up Murray's score.

Murray started after missing six games with a sprained right foot.

The Eagles answered by driving 52 yards in 35 seconds to a 43-yard field goal by Alex Henery on the last play of the half. It was Henery's 20th straight successful field goal, and he now has the longest current streak in the league after Cleveland's Phil Dawson had a kick blocked Sunday.

Foles completed a 29-yard pass to Jason Avant to get the Eagles in scoring range.

Brown got Philadelphia's first scoring drive going with a 42-yard run up the middle and finished it with a 10-yard run.

Trailing 7-3 early the second quarter, the Cowboys went three and out after a third-down completion from Romo to Witten was overturned on a challenge by Eagles coach Andy Reid. Replay showed the ball hitting the turf as Witten grabbed it.

Two plays later, Brown went 39 yards down the sideline and later scored from 5 yards out.

The Cowboys welcomed Murray back by running him three straight times to start the game after calling 52 straight pass plays from the second quarter to the end of a Thanksgiving loss to Washington. The first time Murray went to the sideline, Romo was sacked by Brandon Graham on third-and-3.

After the first Philadelphia touchdown, the Cowboys drove down the field for Bailey's field goal. Romo found Witten for 11 yards on third-and-10 and escaped pressure to complete a pass to Cole Beasley for 13 yards to the Eagles 41. Romo also had a 15-yard scramble.

Murray, who had 90 yards in the first half when he was injured against Baltimore on Oct. 14, had 31 yards on five carries in the first quarter.

Not only did Dallas get Murray back, but the offensive line was closer to full strength. Center Ryan Cook returned after missing time with a knee injury, which allowed Mackenzy Bernadeau to return to guard after two starts at center.

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