Eagles-Cowboys: Countdown to Kickoff
It’s Eagles-Cowboys.
Sunday night’s game (8:20 p.m./NBC) will be the 125th meeting between the two longtime rivals.
It comes at a time when both teams could relay use a win. The Cowboys have lost three in a row and are 3-3. The Eagles have won two of three but are also stuck at 3-3.
“I think watching the tape we have a prideful group that wants to feel good about whatever it is we put on tape and I don’t think anybody feels good about what we put on tape (last week),” said safety Malcolm Jenkins.
“Playing the Dallas Cowboys and what we have at stake with all our goals in front of us, talking about first place in the division on the line, I don’t think we need rah-rah speeches or anything like that.”
“If you’re not juiced up enough, if you’re not motivated enough to figure out how you can individually help this team get better and help this team win this game we don’t need you.”
Enough said.
Here is my countdown to kickoff:
5…PLAYERS TO WATCH
Andre Dillard. The rookie first-round draft pick will make his first NFL start in place of Jason Peters at left tackle. He will likely draw Cowboys pass rusher Robert Quinn, who has five sacks, though the Cowboys could move DeMarcus Lawrence to that side occasionally as well in order to give Dillard different looks.
Lane Johnson. The Eagles right tackle has done a good job against Lawrence in previous matchups. Johnson hasn’t given up a sack to Lawrence in nine career games the two have played against each other.
Nathan Gerry. The linebacker leads the Eagles in interceptions with two, including a pick-six, but it’s safe to say that he has been inconsistent. His game against the Vikings was very uneven. He must be better in Dallas.
Mack Hollins. The receiver has been virtually invisible the past three weeks. He hasn’t caught pass since Sept. 26, not exactly what the Eagles had hoped for when DeSean Jackson went out with an abdomen injury over a month ago. “There’s no real rhyme or reason to it,” said quarterback Carson Wentz. “When it does go his way, though, I can tell you I have a lot of confidence in him. When he’s been asked to step up, I feel he’s made a lot of plays for us. He does a lot of us in the run game, in the passing game we move him around to different positions quite a bit.”
Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys running back has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of four career games against the Eagles and the Cowboys are 4-0 in that span. “He just grinds you down,” said Jenkins. “So for us, especially early in the game, not letting that get going and being consistent in the run fits and guys getting him on the ground throughout the game.”
4…KEYS TO VICTORY
Find a way to make explosive plays. Easier said than done for an Eagles team that has struggled in the big-play department, but the Cowboys make it difficult to sustain long drives. Last week against the Jets, Dallas held New York to 2.8 yards rushing per carry but surrendered five explosive plays, including a 92-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Robbie Anderson.
Be successful on third downs. This is a must both offensively and defensively for the Eagles. Two weeks ago, the Eagles’ offense was tops in the NFL in third-down efficiency. They slipped to second heading into Minnesota and are now third coming out of Minnesota (50 percent) after going four-for-12 on third down (33 percent). Meanwhile, Dallas is second in the league in converting thirds into firsts, doing so 50.7 percent of the time. The Cowboys were 10-for-17 (59 percent) against the Jets last week while their defense held New York to just two conversions on 10 third-down tries.
Linebackers step up. The coaching staff called out his group for needing to play better. With Ezekiel Elliott on the other side, it is important that they rise to the occasion and answer the challenge. With two of their starters not playing after one (Zach Brown) was cut and another with an ankle injury (Nigel Bradham), the onus falls on Nathan Gerry and Kamu Grugier-Hill. Keep an eye on T.J. Edwards and Duke Riley.
Contain the pass game. As dangerous as Elliott is on the ground, it would hard not to fault Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for licking his chops, or receiver Amari Cooper, who is expected to play, or Randall Cobb, who is also expected to play, or any other Cowboys receiver when they see how badly the Eagles’ secondary played last week. A good pass rush could negate the time for receivers to get deep, but that isn’t going so well, either for the Eagles’ defensive line. Maybe the return of Jalen Mills will give the Eagles a lift on the corner.
3…FUN FACTS
- The Eagles have intercepted a pass in three straight games and have at least one interception in four of their six games. They have seven on the season.
- Since joining the Eagles in 2017, Alshon Jeffery ranks seventh among NFL receivers with 18 receiving touchdowns. Of those 18 TDs, 16 have come in the red zone.
- The Eagles and Cowboys have been two of the best team in the NFL in terms of winning percentage in primetime games since 2016. The Eagles are fourth at 13-5 (.722); the Cowboys are sixth 13-6 (.684).
2…MATCHUPS
Quarterback Carson Wentz vs. quarterback Dak Prescott. So what if these two don’t actually go head-to-head on the field, but they are always compared to each other.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins vs. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. A pair of venerable veterans who have the utmost of respect for each other will likely find themselves matched up from time to time. Witten left his toupee in the broadcast booth after one very disaster try at a new career and returned for his 16th season in Dallas. Witten hasn’t done badly, catching 22 passes for 230 yards (10.5 yards per catch) with two touchdowns. With Amari Cooper likely not playing and Randall Cobb questionable, quarterback Dak Prescott will need pass catching options, and Witten could be one. Jenkins leads the Eagles in tackles with 42.
1…QUOTE
“I love playing Dallas. This is my favorite game. There’s something about this game that gets the best out of us. It’s a kill or be killed mentality, but it’s a lot of fun.” – Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill
0… PREDICTION
My record dipped below .500 at 3-4 after riding with the Eagles last week. Not making that mistake this week. In a game that both teams need to win to feel good about their chances of winning the NFC East, favor the home team and the healthier team. Dallas checks both those boxes.
COWBOYS 27, EAGLES 24
