Cowboys vs. Eagles: Dak Prescott & The Plan To Keep Beating Jalen Hurts
FRISCO - There will be no trashing of Jalen Hurts in this space. A second-round prospect, he has quickly made himself - with the guidance of the Philadelphia Eagles, obviously - into a star. He's got to his credit a gigantic new contract, a Super Bowl appearance and a classy way of carrying himself.
“The one thing you know about with Jalen is that the money is not going to change him,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman said recently after forging the $255 million, four-year contract extension. “I know how much football matters to him. I know how much improving at football matters to him. I know how much he wants to be coached. I know how important it is to try to deliver a championship to this city. I don't have any doubt in my mind that giving Jalen this contract will not change the person that Jalen is. No doubt.”
But the Eagles would surely like one thing to change: Hurts doesn't beat Dak Prescott's Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles don't beat Dak Prescott's Dallas Cowboys.
Hurts has played three seasons in the NFL. Due to injuries and coach's decisions, he's been able to start three games versus the Cowboys. Hurts is 1-2 in those three games, and the one win is delivered while carrying an asterisk. Last October, the Eagles remained unbeaten for the year with a 26-17 win at Philadelphia that featured (a suddenly exposed) Cooper Rush at quarterback.
Given the Dallas and Dak track record? If Prescott plays in that game - he was still recovering from that Week 1 thumb/hand injury, you'll recall - Hurts might be 0-3.
In short, Prescott and the Cowboys have every reason to respect Philly as the defending NFC East champs. But ...
The Cowboys record vs. the Eagles in the last five meetings is 4-1. In Dak's last three Philly games, he's 3-0. In his last eight Philly games, he's 7-1 vs. the Eagles. Since 2016 (Dak's rookie season), Dallas - with or without Prescott - is 9-5 against the Eagles.
We think they call that a "trend.'' And of course it's a thread that runs through the NFC East, as Dak's lifetime record against Philly of 8-3 is is right there with his lifetime record of 9-2 vs. Washington and 10-2 vs. the Giants.
That's right. Dak is 27-7 vs. the NFC East. And during his time in Dallas, the Cowboys are 30-12 against the division.
Want more to suggest that Hurts is to be respected more than feared, at least when it comes to this matchup? Hurts' numbers against the Cowboys: Yards per game: 274. Completion rate: 59.3 percent. Touchdown passes: Five. Interceptions: Four. QB rating: 87.1.
OK, you say, but what about the Eagles' "unstoppable weapon'' of Hurts as a goal-line ball-carrier? Nope. Hurts - amazingly - has yet to score a rushing TD against the Cowboys.
Again, none of this is meant as "Hurts-bashing.'' Nor are we "defending Dak,'' as foolish as we find the "Prescott hate'' to be. Hurts is viewed as an ascending player, and enters the 2023 season with lots of well-earned benefit of the doubt as he comes off a Super Bowl appearance and a season during which he was a wire-to-wire MVP candidate.
Prescott is not generally viewed that way, the NFL-worst 15 interceptions surely coloring the opinion on him. Cowboys Nation would obviously like that narrative to change. But more important than "opinions'' are "facts.'' And no matter what the oddsmakers say, the Cowboys vs. Eagles facts are that in terms of head-to-head battles, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have demonstrated they know the path to winning the NFC East, which is to continue to do what they pretty much always do: Limit Hurts. And beat the Eagles. Again. And again. And again.
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