At 5:23 p.m., with the game tied in the second quarter, rookie quarterback Nick Foles took his first regular-season NFL snap after entering the game to a big ovation.
With a woozy Michael Vick unable to continue, Andy Reid had finally been forced into making a move he had avoided for weeks.
Vick left with a concussion. Foles could not save the game. There may be nothing that can save this Eagles season or Reid's job.
Foles helped the Eagles to a 17-10 third-quarter lead before the team unraveled in the fourth quarter and allowed two defensive touchdowns and a special teams touchdown in a 38-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
"Not good enough to win," Foles said after completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
The Eagles' fifth consecutive loss dropped them to 3-6. It's the first time Reid has lost five straight games in his 14 years in Philadelphia, a fact that outweighs the players' continued support for their coach.
"People in this city are [ticked] off and we are [ticked] off," tight end Brent Celek said. "We have to fix it."
The defeat makes an Eagles postseason even more unlikely and continues to put Reid's future in doubt. Through a team spokesman, owner Jeffrey Lurie declined comment after the game.
"Right now, we are what we are," Reid said. "So we have to change that around, and I believe we have the players to do that."
One of those players might need to be Foles. Reid had no information about Vick's prognosis after the game; he will need to know Vick's status before determining who will play quarterback for the Eagles against the Redskins this Sunday. Fans have clamored for Foles since the preseason, but the rookie delivered an uneven performance against Dallas.
"For not having practiced at all with the first group, I thought he came in and did some good things," Reid said. "You saw that he kept his eyes downfield, and there were some positives there, but again, the turnovers."
Foles' costliest turnover came in the fourth quarter, when he threw behind DeSean Jackson on a slant that was bobbled by Jackson before it was intercepted by Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr and returned 47 yards for a touchdown.
"I have to get him a better ball. Simple as that," Foles said.
The interception came three plays after a 78-yard punt return by Dwayne Harris gave the Cowboys a 24-17 lead and seven plays after the Cowboys tied the game on a touchdown pass to Dez Bryant to end the third quarter. In less than three minutes, a 17-10 lead turned into a 31-17 deficit. Dallas also recovered a Foles fumble in the end zone in the game's final minute, when the game was already decided.
"We are just not coming up with plays when it counts," defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. "When you look at any championship team, they go through tough stretches, but when they have to make a play, they do. We have to figure out a way to do that."
The deficit made Foles' touchdown pass early in the third quarter a distant memory. At that point, Foles invigorated Lincoln Financial Field when he rolled to his right and hit Jeremy Maclin for a 44-yard strike and a 14-10 lead.
Maclin led the Eagles with eight catches for 93 yards. LeSean McCoy rushed 16 times for 82 yards. The defense finished with three sacks but did not force a turnover.
The Eagles started their fans on an emotional high, scoring on their opening drive for the first time this season. It was a 10-play, 81-yard drive that concluded when Vick completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Riley Cooper. Vick finished 6 of 9 for 70 yards.
Vick still appeared woozy when he left a locker room full of bewildered players after the game.
Eagles players said they're capable of doing much more than they have shown.
"How can we have this type of talent and play like this?" Celek asked. "It's not good. We as players need to come together, try not to listen to everybody on the outside, and come together and play for each other."
It might be too late, though. The loss continued to erode hope for Reid, and now his franchise quarterback is injured. Foles is the quarterback until Vick gets healthy - and possibly even if Vick is healthy. Reid's final act in Philadelphia might be grooming the rookie quarterback.
"I'm not worrying about that," Foles said. "All that's the coach's [decision]. Right now I'm praying for Mike's health."
Contact Zach Berman at zberman@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @ZBerm.
