Before the Dallas Cowboys thumped the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 33-13 on Sunday night, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown decided to trash talk Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore. It didn’t work out.
Yes, Brown logged nine catches for 94 yards, but Gilmore kept Brown out of the end zone and held him to just 10.4 yards per grab, well below his season average of 14. Most importantly, Gilmore stripped Brown for a fumble after a reception. Dallas recovered the football, which represented one of three key takeaways for the Cowboys on the evening.
Afterward, Gilmore spoke about the situation.
“I just didn’t like how he called me old at the beginning of the game,” Gilmore said, via Nick Harris of the Cowboys’ official team website. “So it lit a fire in me a little bit. I was mad. The only thing I could do was show him I was still here, and I think I did that today. I’ve been doing this my whole career. Covering the best guy and following him. It’s exciting because you know the ball is coming your way. I get up for those types of moments.”
While Gilmore may not be the same All-Pro-caliber cornerback he was during his days with the New England Patriots, he is still a more than capable defender, and he showed that this past weekend.
In addition to the forced fumble, Gilmore also logged nine tackles in the win over the Eagles.
On the season overall, the 33-year-old has totaled 50 tackles, a couple of interceptions and 11 passes defended in 13 games.
Stephon Gilmore is in his first season with the Cowboys.
Dallas improved to 10-3 with the win over Philadelphia and also moved into first place in the NFC East as a result of the tiebreaker.
The Cowboys have won five games in a row and will look to continue their surge when they head on the road to battle the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.
Following Dallas’ meeting with the Bills, it will take on the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders to close out the regular season.
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