Mind-numbing stats from an Eagles vs. Cowboys Week 12 review

We all love numbers. Truth be told, we can't get enough of them. We play Fantasy football. We argue over whether the Philadelphia Eagles' Madden ratings are too high or too low.

Pro Football Focus changed the way we analyze statistics forever. Here's our tip of the cap to Next Gen Stats. The most important stat from every game is its score. If you were disappointed by the Eagles' second-half collapse, trust the following statement. You are not alone.

Seeing a collapse like Philadelphia's 24-21 loss vs. the Dallas Cowboys is both dissatisfying and a reason for study. It isn't enough to suffer through defeat in real time. That self-respecting stat nerd in all of us wants to know why it happened.

Mind-numbing stats from the Eagles' 24-21 collapse vs. the Dallas Cowboys

You don't have to dig deep into another embarrassing Eagles performance to come up with answers for why the outcome happened. Number crunchers and football mathematicians will undoubtedly have a field day with this one. Here are some zany numbers.

14 penalties and two turnovers

NFL games are always challenging to win. They're tougher to beat in divisional games. It's difficult not to lose when a team commits 14 penalties and two turnovers.

The Cowboys were flagged eight times for 69 yards. That's bad, but it pales in comparison to Philadelphia's 14 infractions. Ninety-six yards lost were the penance. The Eagles also turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter. That's what is often referred to as self-inflicted wounds.

107 yards, five punts, a fumble, and a missed field goal on the Eagles' final eight drives

The Eagles ran 16 plays on their first three offensive drives. They stacked 192 yards and 21 points. They wouldn't score again. They were shut out the rest of the way and blanked by the Cowboys' defense in the third and fourth quarters.

Philadelphia's final eight drives added 107 yards and zero points to the bottom line. The worst part about the conservative offense is that it makes it almost impossible for the offense to find its groove again if it's asked to throttle it down and then back up.

Number 26

Let's talk about the guy in the number 26 jersey, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. He enjoyed his worst game as an Eagle, and though we didn't expect another 2,000-yard rushing season, no one really expected this either. He has carried the ball 58 times since the bye week. He has stacked 165 yards, zero rushing TDs, and a 2.8 yards-per-carry average.

The 56-yard field goal miss

Jake Elliott is as good as it gets, but his miss from 56 yards proved to be costly. It was yet another momentum shift that played in the Cowboys' favor. Dallas scored a game-tying touchdown three plays later. Hindsight is always 20-20, but maybe the Eagles should have tried to pick up the first down in that late 4th-and-5 scenario.

Random notes and nuggets

If you're still trying to make heads or tails out of this one, don't worry. Again, you aren't alone. Everyone is digging into a few numbers.

Philadelphia can't sulk for long. They'll need to put this one behind them quickly, as attention shifts to the Chicago Bears and the Eagles' first-ever game on Black Friday.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Mind-numbing takeaways from an Eagles vs. Cowboys statistical review