ARLINGTON, Texas – Rookie Bryce Brown ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and the Philadelphia Eagles led the Dallas Cowboys 17-10 at halftime Sunday night.
Brown, starting in place of LeSean McCoy for the second straight week, was untouched on both scoring plays. He scooted around the left side for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter 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 and DeMarco Murray's 1-yard touchdown run trimmed the Eagles' lead to 14-10 with 41 seconds left in the half.
Tony 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, Dez 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.
Nick Foles, another rookie starting his third straight game in place of Michael Vick, completed a 29-yard pass to Jason Avant to get the Eagles in scoring range.
Vick and McCoy were inactive because of concussions. Vick was injured in the first Dallas-Philadelphia game three weeks ago.
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.
Murray finished the first half with 35 yards on nine carries.
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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