NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on their rival the Dallas Cowboys in a Week 17 matchup with a little on the line. The Eagles are coming off a defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders while the Cowboys are coming off a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jalen Hurts is still doubtful to play, which puts the ball back in the hands of Kenny Pickett. Can he get the Eagles’ offense going? Will the Cowboys’ defense find a way to shut down Saquon Barkley and the ground attack? In Week 10, the Eagles trounced the Cowboys 34-6, and the Boys are looking for payback and to play spoiler to stop the Eagles from clinching the NFC East.
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Dallas Cowboys.
Attack Rush
The Eagles’ defense forced 5 turnovers last week against the Commanders and they must get the same results against the Cowboys. And that starts with constant pressure on Cooper Rush. Rush passed for 45 yards in their first meeting and the Dallas offense was non-existent. What happened against the Commanders can be used as motivation for this team. They won the TOP and turnover battle but still lost the game.
The front seven must make Rush pay for their lack of aggression at the end of the Commanders’ game. The Cowboys have found a slimmer of a running game lately and with CeeDee Lamb out, the defense should see blood in the water. Get to Rush early and often and rattle him and the game becomes one-sided.
Keep Your Head In The Game
The Eagles must block out all the noise that’s been coming their way the last few weeks. Yes, their 10-game winning streak was snapped last and this week it’s a heated matchup between rivals. The Eagles can claim the NFC East with a win but how focused are they after what transpired in the Commanders’ loss?
Saquon Barkley started the game on a tear but then the Commanders’ defense shut that down. The passing game was pedestrian at best but that was expected. Dropped passes and a once stingy defense all fell short for just the 3rd time this season.
Play Smart Offense
It’s still quiet on the front as to who will start at QB for the Philadelphia Eagles. Will Jalen Hurts clear concussion protocol in time? Is Kenny Pickett that hurt that he can’t play? With a division title on the line, the Eagles will need to dial back their offense some and that may hurt them against the Cowboys’ defense.
As we saw last week after Hurts went down, the offense was stagnant. Pickett didn’t play a great game but he wasn’t that awful either. Kellen Moore will need to be smart regarding what he wants to do. Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell will still be a focal point but Pickett will need to put the ball in the air with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Smith needs to atone for his drop which cost the Eagles the game last week.
