Game Overview ::
By Mike Johnson >>
- The Eagles have looked dominant for most of this season, while the Cowboys have had some struggles – but a Dallas win here would have these teams tied atop the NFC.
- Both teams have played a relatively modest strength of schedule, and this will be one of the toughest tests for both of them.
- Dallas finally opened up their play calling and were more aggressive through the air coming out of their Week 7 bye.
- Jalen Hurts had a season-low in rushing attempts and yards in Week 8 as he continues to recover from an apparent minor knee injury.
- The ability of the Dallas offense to apply pressure on the Eagles will be key in determining the game script.
How dallas Will Try To Win ::
The Cowboys came out of their Week 7 bye throwing haymakers, jumping out to a 33-3 first-half lead over the Rams before coasting to a 43-20 victory. After a tumultuous first six weeks that featured an embarrassing 28-16 loss to the Cardinals and a humiliating 42-10 dominant performance by the 49ers, the Cowboys still entered their bye with a 4-2 record, thanks in large part to a relatively easy schedule. The list of starting quarterbacks the Cowboys have faced this season:
- Daniel Jones (W)
- Zach Wilson (W)
- Josh Dobbs (L)
- Mac Jones (W)
- Brock Purdy (L)
- Justin Herbert (W)
- Matthew Stafford (W – injured mid-game)
While quarterback play across the NFL is not necessarily at a high point, you can see how they have picked on some weak links en route to their current 5-2 record. Nonetheless, a win this week would put them on pace with the Eagles and continue to build off the momentum they created with last week’s convincing win over the Rams.
Head coach Mike McCarthy rightfully took a lot of heat for his conservative and run-heavy play calling to start the season but came out of their Week 7 bye firing. Dallas called ten pass plays on their game-opening touchdown drive and continued to be aggressive throughout the first half, ending on a five-play 63-yard touchdown drive that was entirely composed of pass plays and gave the Cowboys a 33-3 lead. There were a few Rams turnovers and mishaps that helped lead to the game being out of hand so quickly, but the Dallas offense had a noticeably different feel to it than we had seen before their bye week. Ceedee Lamb was finally featured, and he responded with a career-best game, showing he can be the true alpha wide receiver this team needs. This week’s matchup with the Eagles and their top-ranked run defense points to another spot where Dallas should be leaning heavily on Dak Prescott. The Cowboys tried to be a run-first team to start the season but entered Week 9 ranked 23rd in rushing offense DVOA. The Eagles have allowed season-best performances from Kirk Cousins, Sam Howell, and Mac Jones this season. The script absolutely calls for Dallas to spread the field and throw the football once again this week. Star running back Tony Pollard has struggled in a more traditional role this season, but the Cowboys may need to find ways to get him involved in the passing game in space (which suits his skill set better anyway) as the Eagles are sure to be keyed in on Lamb. The Eagles have a top-5 pass rush, and Dallas has had inconsistent offensive line play this season, furthering the chances that Pollard and the tight ends are featured on shorter passing game concepts. Ultimately, the Cowboys defense has proven to be most effective when playing with a lead, and Dallas will almost certainly have to approach this game with an aggressive mindset if they want to jump out ahead of the current top team in the NFL.
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