Eagles vs Cowboys is an annual must-watch game for fans of both sides. The stakes are as high as ever, with the Philadelphia Eagles only up a game on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East standings. The Eagles last week had another tough game against the Washington Commanders they pulled out 38-31. The Cowboys are coming off a dominant win against the Los Angeles Rams 43-20. This will likely be an interesting game in deciding how good the Eagles really are, especially compared to last season. The most important matchup of this game will be how effective the Cowboy’s passing game will be against a suspect Eagles secondary.
Week 9 Eagles vs Cowboys Picks
The Cowboys Have Dynamic Playmakers
While Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense struggle from time to time, they have shown that they still can be an explosive unit. Against the Rams, Prescott finished with 304 passing yards and four passing touchdowns with three of those coming in the first half. While the Cowboys have a simple passing scheme that doesn’t scare teams, the talent they have does. Fully healthy receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Brandin Cooks are the lifeline of this offense. Lamb is a phenomenal player, as evident against the Rams where he went off for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, if you game plan around stopping Lamb, it only opens both Cooks and Gallup which will also cause problems for the secondary. The Cowboys don’t succeed with X’s or O’s, they rely on their Jimmys and Joes.
#Cowboys CeeDee Lamb Rec 158 yards 12 Yards Rushing and 2 TDs vs The #Rams pic.twitter.com/8qoaF7tYMv
— Law Nation Sports (@LawsNation) October 30, 2023
The dynamic receivers are only accentuated with Dak Prescott at quarterback. While Prescott is prone to some bad decision-making in games, he makes way more plays than he’s given credit for. He elevates this offense by being almost perfect at times, with throws on the money all over the field to open or covered receivers. He’s also played well against the Eagles historically, with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions in his last eight starts against the Eagles. It will be important for the Eagles to try and get Prescott out of rhythm and force him to make tough plays and decisions early.
Still No Answer on the Eagles Secondary
The Eagles still feel like they don’t know how they want to play defense at times, especially in the secondary. Two weeks ago, against the Dolphins, the Eagles showed a lot of looks with two high safeties but still did a great job denying easy completions to the Dolphins. They forced a ton of difficult throws and were able to slow down the Dolphins offense by not letting up big plays as well. Last week, the Eagles secondary regressed again allowing way too much space to the Commanders receivers. It seems that the Eagles are playing not to let up the big 40+ yard plays, but in doing that they allow teams to drive down the field too easily with open, fast throws.
The Eagles biggest strength is their defensive line, so allowing offenses too many fast completions is mitigating their own success on the front. They can’t afford to do the same against the Cowboys and let Prescott get comfortable finding Lamb and the receivers. What’s the point of paying big-time cornerbacks like Darius Slay and James Bradberry if you’re not going to use them to challenge the opposing teams’ receivers? The Eagles playing more aggressively may let up a few big plays here and there, but not allowing teams to drive the field should be imperative. For one, the defensive line can take over games if quarterbacks hold the ball too long. Secondly, the Eagles offense is one of the best in the league, so you don’t want the other team controlling the ball on longer drives throughout the game.
Eagles vs Cowboys Picks: The Bottom Line
Eagles win 37-35
This should be an interesting game between two of the three highest-scoring offenses in the league. So, expect a high-scoring game where the teams will trade blows. The biggest key to success for both teams in the game will be time of possession. The more one team can keep the other offense off the field, the better. Both defenses have superstars, but the offenses are equipped to largely deal with Micah Parsons and Jalen Carter. This game will come down to how much the Eagles secondary can limit Prescott and the offense, and how well Hurts and the offense can play in their opportunities. The Eagles should just edge this game out, on the back of Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Devonta Smith.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
