The Dallas Cowboys defense faces the Philadelphia Eagles without Jalen Hurts this weekend. Hurts suffered a shoulder injury last week against the Chicago Bears and will be unavailable in a crucial divisional matchup. The Cowboys faced off against the Eagles earlier this season. Cooper Rush threw three interceptions as the Cowboys fell 26-17. Hurts lead the Eagles to a victory with two touchdowns. Dallas will get Philadelphia without their MVP candidate.
The Dallas Cowboys Defense Looks to Return to Form With Hurts Injured
Hurts: Top MVP Candidate
Hurts has been terrific this season leading the Eagles to a 13-1 record. He has 3,472 yards and 22 passing touchdowns through 14 games. The Eagles quarterback has also shredded teams on the ground with 747 yards and 13 more touchdowns. Hurts has continued to improve each of his three NFL seasons. He is one of the top MVP candidates and this Eagles team won’t be the same without him.
Wth three games left the Eagles sit atop the NFL. If the Eagles can win one of their next three games they will clinch the NFC East as well as the top spot and a first-round bye. Philadelphia could choose to rest and guarantee the health of their MVP candidate heading into the playoffs with a Super Bowl appearance on the radar.
Dallas Cowboys Defense Sluggish as of Late
The Dallas defense has struggled mightily over the past few weeks. The Cowboys escaped with a 27-23 win against the Houston Texans leading up to last week’s disappointing loss in Jacksonville. The Cowboys failed to record a sack against the Texans and managed only one turnover. The secondary managed only four passes defended as the combination of Jeff Driskel and Davis Mills pushed the Cowboys to the brink late in the fourth quarter.
The defense was even worse last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dallas jumped out to a 17-point lead in the third quarter. The Cowboys squandered this opportunity allowing 503 yards on 311 passing yards and 192 rushing yards. Dallas managed only one sack from Micah Parsons, although they forced two turnovers in the game.
Rex Ryan believes the #Cowboys defense is 'overrated' 😬🗣️ (via @GetUpESPN)#NFL #DallasCowboys #DakPrescott pic.twitter.com/egFhdD65KH
— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) December 20, 2022
With this poor defensive effort, Dallas lost the game 40-34 on an overtime pick-six. The Cowboys have leaned on their elite defense all season long. Losing Dak Prescott in Week 1 meant the Cowboys would have to keep games close and dominate on the defensive side of the ball. With only one sack and seven passes defended combined in the last two weeks the Cowboys are, alarmingly, trending in the wrong direction.
Cowboys Could Capitalize on Hurts’ Injury
The Cowboys are reeling after two tough weeks against AFC South teams with losing records. Dallas has been trending in the wrong direction heading into the most challenging remaining game on their schedule.
With Hurts out of the lineup, Dallas should get much more aggressive on defense. Hurts has over 700 rushing yards this season and is a constant threat to break contain. With Gardner Minshew getting the nod at signal-caller, the defense can pin their ears back and heavily rush the passer. Minshew is a talented quarterback, but not nearly as dynamic as Hurts.
Gardner Minshew started a game for the #Eagles last year when Jalen Hurts was injured.
20-of-25, 242 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 133.7 rating.
Eagles won. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/zhlkEqwt0v
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) December 20, 2022
The defensive line has significantly dropped in production over the last few games. With a less athletic quarterback taking the snaps, the defensive line should attack the backfield much more aggressively. Minshew is also not expected to be as successful through the air compared to Hurts. Trevon Diggs and the company were absolutely shredded last week in Jacksonville. This is a great opportunity for the defensive line and secondary to gain some momentum heading into playoffs.
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