Games like Monday night’s Eagles-Cowboys shootout not only make for good water-cooler talk, but also help prove why the NFL is the most successful sports organization in the United States.

There’s no question that the Philadelphia at Dallas NFC East showdown was the biggest game of the early season so far, and much like the hype generated from the previous week, both teams did nothing less than flex their offensive muscles on the national stage.

For those of you that missed it, this 60-minute slugfest had everything a football fan could ask for:  two division rivals that have a brutal, nasty history with each other; offenses that can seemingly score at will; SEVEN! That’s right, 7 lead changes during the game; 78 total points, 717 combined yards, 9 touchdowns, two broken records, and a final Monday Night Football send-off to legendary Texas Stadium.

In the end, the Cowboys moved to 2-0 after a narrow 41-37 victory and sent Philadelphia to 1-1, though they should hardly be considered an underdog in the division race. Fantasy owners were foaming at the mouth at the end of this game and were not disappointed in the huge stats nearly every key player on both sides put up.

It’s time to hand out grades from the very best of Monday Night Football in a new feature:

The U’s Primetime Players

Quarterback: 
Tony Romo
The Dallas gunslinger outshined the Eagles veteran quarterback by completing 21-of-30 passes with 312 yards and three touchdowns. Romo would have been perfect except for the interception in the first and his fumble in the endzone that gave Philly seven points.
(MNF Grade: A )

Donovan McNabb
McNabb silenced many critics with a near-flawless night. He was 25-of-37 with 281 yards and a TD to Westbrook. The Eagles may have won the game if not for McNabb’s botched handoff and a costly sack under two minutes, but still, McNabb deserves a lot of credit.
(MNF Grade: A- )

Running backs: 
Brian Westbrook
Although the Eagles had trouble establishing the run, Westbrook had 103 total yards from scrimmage. Not only that, Westbrook scored 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving) and was a force in short-yardage situations. Great night for Westbrook.
(MNF Grade: A )

Marion Barber
Much like Westbrook, Barber had trouble consistently running the ball against a solid Eagles defense. However, #24 racked up 114 total yards and found the endzone twice for Dallas: the first on a 17-yard catch and the second on a 1-yard run for the game-winning touchdown.
(MNF Grade: A- )

Receivers: 
Terrell Owens
Who else would perform better on Monday Night than T.O.? Although he only caught three passes, Owens hauled in two touchdowns (72 yards, 4 yards) and moved into 2nd place on the NFL’s career receiving touchdown list. How’s that for a Monday night? 
(MNF Grade: A )

DeSean Jackson
Jackson became only the second player in NFL history to record 100 yards receiving in his first two games as a rookie. However, he may now be infamous for prematurely tossing the ball away on his reception before stepping into the endzone. Bonehead play knocks his grade down.
(MNF Grade: B- )

Tight End:
Jason Witten
The Cowboys tight end posted 7 catches for 110 yards and was Romo’s favorite target late in the game. He didn’t score, but Witten set up nearly every Cowboys touchdown in the second half.
(MNF Grade: B+ )

L.J. Smith
Smith caught only one pass from McNabb late in the 4th quarter and wasn’t a factor at all in the Eagles otherwise explosive offense.
(MNF Grade: D+ )

Defense/ST’s: 
Dallas Defense/Special Teams
The Cowboys defense played lousy until the game was on the line on the Eagles final drive of the game. The only bright spots were the fumble recovery early in the 4th quarter and the sensational 98-yard kickoff return by rookie Felix Jones.
(MNF Grade: C+ ) 

Philadelphia Defense/Special Teams
Like the Cowboys, the Eagles defense was abused by a talented offense all game. Asante Samuel did pick up his first interception as an Eagle, and Chris Gocong recovered Romo’s fumble in the endzone. Otherwise, Jim Johnson’s defense is going to hear about its performance all week.
(MNF Grade: D+ )

Kickers:   
David Akers
Akers kicked 3 field goals on the night, from 34, 44 and 22 yards; all came in the first half. Another 4 extra points brought his Monday Night total to 13.
(MNF Grade: A- ) 

Nick Folk
The Cowboys kicker booted two clutch field goals from 51 and 47 yards. He also added 5 extra points from Dallas touchdowns.
(MNF Grade: B+ )

Check us out next week when Brett Favre and the new-look Jets travel to sunny San Diego to face the Chargers on Monday Night Football.