DALLAS — Week 6 represents an early battle for NFC East supremacy as the Dallas Cowboys travel to play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
Another week, another big test for Dallas with a showdown on the road against the last undefeated team in the NFL. The fact that it’s also the rival Eagles with the division lead on the line only ups the stakes.
Last week was supposed to be the week where the Cowboys came crashing back down to earth when they went out west to take on the reigning Super Bowl champs, but that didn’t happen. The defense led the charge in a victory over the Los Angeles Rams for a fourth straight win.
Instead, this game really feels like the litmus test for Dallas. The Eagles do well in areas where the Cowboys could struggle, and the defense will have a tougher time against one of the best offenses in the league.
Here is how the Cowboys can pin a loss on the Eagles in Week 6:
Contain the run
The Eagles have one of the best rushing offenses in the league, averaging 160 yards per game on the ground. The attack is led by running back Miles Sanders, who has 414 rushing yards through five games – fourth best in the league – and is picking up 4.8 yards per carry.
However, the biggest cog in the running game is quarterback Jalen Hurts. The third year QB is second on the team in rushing yards with 266 and has six scores on the ground. Hurts’ 68 attempts are tops for QBs so far this season.
Collectively, the Eagles have a league-high 12 rushing touchdowns.
Dallas’ defense has been outstanding this season, but their weakness is stopping the run. The Cowboys are allowing 117.6 rushing yards per game, a number that was worse heading into last week’s contest. They’re in for a big challenge against the Eagles’ running scheme.
Bust through the Philly front
Dallas shouldn’t expect the same pass rush free for all that they have enjoyed over the past few weeks but they should still see success. Hurts doesn’t stay in the pocket as long as the stationary QBs that the Cowboys have recently played. However, despite his athleticism, Hurts has still been sacked 11 times behind an offensive line that is battling injuries.
There’s no definite word yet, but the Eagles could be down a few starting offensive linemen, which could compromise one of the best units in the league. Philadelphia was down three members of the offensive line last week and Hurts was sacked two times by the Arizona Cardinals, who are last in the league at getting to the quarterback.
The Cowboys have the second most sacks in the NFL with 20 on the year. Regardless of who lines up for the Eagles on the offensive line, Dan Quinn’s defense should be able to scheme enough pressure to make life uncomfortable for Hurts.
Keep the big receivers in check
The Eagles have an elite offense that runs the ball well, but they also rank seventh in the league in passing. Most of that damage comes from their two big wide receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The duo is responsible for 789 of the team’s receiving yards through five games, which is close to 60% of the total yardage.
Add in tight end Dallas Goedert and that trio makes up almost all of the passing yards by the Eagles this season.
The Cowboys need to make sure that Brown and Smith are accounted for by cornerback Trevon Diggs and the rest of the secondary. Slowing down the starting wide receivers for the Eagles means Hurts would have to look to other options to beat the Cowboys, which he hasn’t had to do so far this season.
Protect the football
This isn’t rocket science. Winning the turnover battle more often than not leads to winning football games. That means the Cowboys need to make sure that they don’t give the ball away. The Cooper Rush led offense has just one turnover since the second string quarterback took over for starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
Rush threw two interceptions against the Washington Commanders that were nullified due to penalties. He could’ve had another one last week and was lucky to fall on a fumble when he was sacked by Aaron Donald. The Cowboys cannot keep hoping the ball falls their way and must not turn it over.
The Eagles are tied for the league lead in forced turnovers with 11 and lead the NFL in turnover differential at +9, so they take it away better than any team. Philadelphia’s defense has six interceptions on the year, proving that they don’t drop many attempts thrown their way.
Winning games in the NFL is hard, but it’s even harder with a backup quarterback. Nevertheless, the Cowboys have won in part because they haven’t made mistakes. That trend needs to continue on the road, against a good Eagles defense.
Will the Cowboys be standing atop the NFC East come Monday morning? Share your predictions with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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