The path to salvage a collapsing season runs directly through the city of brotherly love as the Dallas Cowboys travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles. These bitter rivals find themselves in unpleasant times, as they both sit with a 2-4 record, and both are completely plagued with structural problems that threaten to derail their entire season.
The Eagles’ issues are severely exacerbated by a brutal wave of unfortunate roster departures, none bigger than losing quarterback Jalen Hurts to injured reserve. The Cowboys don’t have those same issues to hide behind. Dallas has dropped back-to-back games and three of their last four, looking entirely disjointed in the process. With their season teetering on the edge, the Cowboys absolutely must find a way to get back on track and put together a complete football game.
Here are five key things to watch when the Cowboys and Eagles collide under the prime-time Monday night lights.
1. Wrap it up
The Eagles offense isn’t very good at stretching the field, an issue that existed even when they had Hurts under center. Now, with backup quarterback Tanner McKee taking over the controls, pushing the ball downfield will be significantly more difficult. Expect to see a heavy dose of the short stuff from Philadelphia – constant dump-offs, screens, and quick throws out into the flat designed to act as an extension of the run game.
This is very manageable for the Cowboys defense, but they must be ready to execute disciplined, sound tackling. They must wrap up quickly and ensure those small gains stay small gains. The Dallas defense has struggled mightily to get off the field on third downs all season, and their ability to square up and finish plays in space will directly dictate whether this drive-extending problem persists.
2. Turn up the heat
Generating consistent pressure has been a problem for the Cowboys’ defense this season as they have struggled to disrupt opposing quarterbacks. To make matters worse, when defensive coordinator Christian Parker has resorted to blitzing, opposing quarterbacks have done a fantastic job of recognizing the extra rushers and picking the coverage apart.
Fortunately, the concern of that happening is drastically lower with McKee at the helm. The Cowboys need to pick their moments to attack aggressively, coming directly at him and forcing him into quick, uncomfortable decisions. This matchup serves as a perfect opportunity for an explosive linebacker like Jaishawn Barham to blitz up the middle and create absolute havoc in the pocket.
McKee is not the type of athletic quarterback who is going to dance around, buy time, and make defenders miss in space. If the pressure gets there, he is far more likely to curl up into a fetal position and take the sack.
3. Slicing through the middle
It isn’t just the Dallas defense that is drawing heavy fire for shaky play. The offense has also been underachieving over the last couple of games. Brian Schottenheimer needs to find creative ways to keep the chains moving early so the entire unit doesn’t become completely stagnant.
The Cowboys love to deploy CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens over the middle of the field, relying heavily on quick slant routes to rhythmize the passing game. There are clear, repeating holes in the Eagles’ zone coverages, and those exact intermediate windows will be wide open if Dak Prescott can process the field quickly and make the proper reads. Look for Dallas to connect on these quick slants to secure critical third-down conversions, while also setting up opportunities for explosive, game-breaking plays via run-after-the-catch yards across the middle.
4. He Who Rushes, Wins
Having an effective running game would be a sight for sore eyes, for either team. Both offenses currently rank in the bottom five in rushing yards per game. But almost equally important is just committing to running the ball, period. Both teams also rank in the bottom five in total rushing attempts. It is vital for these teams to establish some semblance of a ground attack, even if the grimy yards aren’t super effective on the stat sheet.
For the Eagles, it is an absolute necessity. They must find a way to alleviate the pressure off of McKee’s shoulders, and the highly anticipated return of Saquon Barkley from his hamstring injury could provide a nice spark.
For the Cowboys, running the ball is just as critical. Avoiding a predictable, one-dimensional passing script will keep the Eagles’ front guessing, but more importantly, a committed run game that sustains drives allows their defense to get much-needed rest. Failing to stay balanced will tire out the defense, and that late-game fatigue could easily be the difference-maker in the game.
5. Don’t get complacent
With the Eagles’ offense visibly short-handed and struggling, the Cowboys have no excuse not to seize total control of this game right from the onset. Unfortunately, dominating in any fashion has simply not been the Cowboys’ way. They start games remarkably slow, and unnecessarily set the stage for an intense, frantic finish. If the Cowboys allow that sluggish script to play out again, this game will be destined for another frustrating evening.
What will be incredibly frustrating to watch is if this turns into a boring, low-scoring affair where the Cowboys’ offense becomes completely complacent because they feel the punchless Eagles simply don’t possess the firepower to make any type of push. That is stinkin’ thinkin’ because the Cowboys’ defense is not reliable enough to safely protect a lead and could completely fall apart at any moment. The offense must attack, establish a lead, and keep attacking if they want to leave Philadelphia with a commendable, respected showing.