But there was a problem. The Cowboys thought Jackson had lost possession of the ball before he crossed the goal line. They were correct. A video review of the play determined that Jackson had yet to cross the goal line, and his little celebratory move was ruled a fumble.
Jackson was fortunate. The ball was ruled dead on the field of play, so the Eagles were given the football on the 1-yard line, first-and-goal.
So Jackson stood on the sideline, the exhilaration he got from his play quickly dissipating. What if the Eagles had lost a fumble rather than score? He would have had to answer to Andy Reid. So it's safe to assume that no one in the stadium wanted the Eagles to punch it in more than Jackson.
He can thank Brian Westbrook for saving him. On first down, Westbrook leaped over the Dallas defensive front for a 1-yard TD, giving the Birds a 27-21 lead.
There have been similar gaffes. In 1971, Steelers receiver Dave Smith held the ball up just as he was about to cross the goal line. He spiked it and it rolled through the end zone. It was a touchback and Pittsburgh lost possession to Kansas City.
And who can forget the Cowboys' Leon Lett in the Super Bowl in 1993? The big lineman recovered a fumble and was rumbling toward the end zone when he held out the ball. Buffalo wide receiver Don Beebe slapped it out of Lett's hand before Lett crossed the goal line, and Buffalo recovered.
At least Jackson flipped the ball behind him, and was spared the kind of embarrassment that would have stuck with him for a while.
Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com.
