Remembering the Eagles’ Famous ‘Fourth-and-1’ Defensive Stand Against the Cowboys

The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles is one of the best in the NFL. Both franchises are among the most recognizable in the NFL, and their two meetings per year have yielded an endless library of memorable moments, all spurred by the bad blood between the two teams.

One such moment occurred on Dec. 10, 1995, during a massive contest when the Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia for another late-season battle with the Eagles brood.

In addition to the rivalry, both teams entered the stadium in Week 15 of the 1995 season desperately in need of a win. The Cowboys, led by head coach Barry Switzer and quarterback Troy Aikman, entered with a 10-3 record, putting the Cowboys in sole control of the NFC East.

The Eagles were also enjoying a good, albeit more unstable, season. Philadelphia had an 8-5 record, but its play at quarterback was concerning. Starter Randall Cunningham had missed several games due to injury, and backup Rodney Peete failed to fill in adequately. Peete was on the hook to make the start against the Cowboys, marking the biggest game of his career.

Things got off to a terrible start for the home team. After managing a field goal in the first quarter, the Eagles gave up 17 unanswered points. Dallas running back Emmitt Smith scored a rushing touchdown, and defensive back Larry Brown intercepted a Peete pass to add another touchdown. Field goals from each team rounded out a poor half for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The second half was a different story. Philadelphia running back Ricky Watters scored a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and kicker Gary Anderson added field goal to tie the game, 17-17. However, there was still enough time on the clock for the Dallas Cowboys to mount a drive to break the hearts of the Philly faithful.

As the game reached the closing minutes, Aikman drove the Cowboys down to midfield. There, things stalled, and three consecutive plays by the defense forced a fourth-and-1, potentially with the game on the line. Aikman attempted to get the snap off, but the two-minute warning interrupted a play that was intended to be a handoff to Smith. 

On Dallas's second attempt, Switzer trusted the same play-call, with Aikman turning and handing the ball to Smith for a classic run up the middle of the field. What was usually a reliable decision for the Cowboys turned into a disaster, as the offensive line allowed pressure in the backfield, with several Philadelphia Eagles' defenders stacking up Smith for a monumental, season-defining stop on fourth down.

The Eagles followed up the stop with another drive that ended in an Anderson field goal to put them up 20-17. The Cowboys' final desperation drive stalled out with Aikman taking a sack around midfield, which sealed the Eagles' massive win. But it's that fourth-and-1 stop on Smith that proved to be the true climactic moment.

It would not be easy for the Eagles not to sustain momentum into the next game. With only two games left on the schedule, Philadelphia was all but guaranteed to make the playoffs, but an NFC East title was still in play.

Another razor-close win against the Arizona Cardinals moved the Eagles to 10-5, but the Cowboys also put up a win against the New York Giants. That put Philly a single game behind Dallas with one regular-season game left, meaning the Eagles were no longer in control of their own destiny.

The final nail in the coffin of the 1995 division race came in Week 17. The Eagles played in the Sunday morning window, while the Cowboys were slated to play on Monday Night Football the next day.  However, that Monday night game would prove meaningless once the Eagles lost to the Chicago Bears, sealing their fate as a wild-card team.

A wild-card berth is no small feat, so the celebration was not totally dead in Philadelphia. In fact, it went through a revival on wild-card weekend, when the Philadelphia Eagles put on one of the most memorable playoff appearances in franchise history. In a game against the Detroit Lions, the Eagles' offense scored 58 points, compensating for a mediocre defensive effort that allowed the Lions to score 38. The Eagles were off to the divisional round for a third date with the Cowboys.

The season had taken on a surprisingly good note until Philly's second playoff game. The sports books did not give the Philadelphia Eagles a chance, with the Dallas Cowboys entering the game as a 13.5-point favorite. The line proved to be correct.

The contest was tied up 3-3 in the early second quarter, but that was as good as it got for Eagles fans. The Cowboys proceeded to put up 27 unanswered points, with Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, and Smith all finding the end zone. The final score read 30-11, ending a promising season for the Philadelphia Eagles at the hands of the hated Cowboys.

But that didn't take away from one of the most famous instances of dynastic Dallas getting stopped.