10 bold predictions for Eagles-Cowboys Week 14
The 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles take on the 9-3 Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium for a Week 14 rematch. Whoever wins will take over the No. 1 spot in the NFC East, at least temporarily. It's a huge game and it happens to be on national TV. Here are 10 bold predictions to look out for, […]
The 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles take on the 9-3 Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium for a Week 14 rematch.
Whoever wins will take over the No. 1 spot in the NFC East, at least temporarily. It's a huge game and it happens to be on national TV.
Here are 10 bold predictions to look out for, with Eagles beat writer Kelsey Kramer and Cowboys beat writer Mauricio Rodriguez chiming in:
1. Jake Ferguson Logs 100+ Receiving Yards and a touchdown
Mauricio: You just know Ferguson is about to explode. Last week he was butting helmets with Jamal Adams and the Seattle Seahawks before coldly scoring the game-winning touchdown squared up against the safety. Back in Week 9, Fergie had his best game as he caught seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Dak Prescott talks about the second-year weapon with a huge belief in the kid. I bet the tight end finally crosses the 100+ yard mark for the first time in his career and a touchdown on top of it. He's a mismatch over the middle and the Cowboys will exploit that.
2. Eagles Hold WR CeeDee Lamb to Under 15 Targets
Kelsey: The last time these two teams met in week 9, CeeDee Lamb was targeted 16 times, which came mostly in the slot. He caught 11 of those passes for 191 yards. The Eagles won't let that happen again.
Philly's starting slot cornerback Bradley Roby wasn't around for the last clash, but he's available for this rematch. His presence helping the rest of the secondary to cover Lamb in the slot will be a game-changer.
3. Dak Prescott has 4 TD Game
Mauricio: Prescott is playing at an MVP caliber right now and although the Eagles are among the NFC's elite, their passing defense isn't anywhere near that adjective. They rank 27th in dropback EPA defensively speaking.
That being said, considering Prescott is averaging 3.5 total touchdowns since the bye week, it's not out of the question he can reach this mark.
4. Shaq Leonard Logs 1st Sack of Season
Kelsey: Before coming to Philly, Shaquille Leonard was not receiving much playing time with the Indianapolis Colts this season. However, that's about to change when he suits up for the first time as the Eagles' starting middle linebacker on Sunday.
More playing time means more chances to log his first sack of the year. It would be a perfect "Welcome to Philly" moment.
5. Eagles Get the Ground Game Going Again
Kelsey: Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni agreed with fans earlier this week that the Eagles need to run the ball more. This comes after the Eagles were held to 46 rushing yards on 18 attempts in their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.
Both Jalen Hurts and D'Andre Swift will make up for last Sunday by picking up more yards on the ground this week. Solid rushing attempts will ultimately be the difference-maker against the Cowboys.
6. Eagles Contain Micah Parsons Early
Kelsey: Cowboys' monster edge Micah Parsons registered 1.5 sacks, nine tackles, a tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits against the Birds in Week 9. Eagles' offensive tackles Lane Johnson and Jodan Mailata must team up to stop Parsons early in order to keep him from having that kind of performance again. There's no doubt that they'll be able to step up for this critical matchup and do just that.
7. Only 10 penalties take place
Mauricio: I'm not sure if this is a bold prediction or just wishful thinking, to be honest. The Cowboys lead the NFL in penalties against per game and the Eagles are 13th in the league. Last time they faced each other, each was flagged 10 times.
I'm betting they slash that number in half. At the very least, I hope if we do see penalties, it isn't pre-snap fouls. This game deserves better.
8. Cowboys stop a Tush Push
Mauricio: The Cowboys have an underrated duo of defensive tackles spearheaded by Osa Odighizuwa and Johnathan Hankins. I'm not saying I'm overly confident on this one but I'll bet they'll have an answer for the play which will consist in Osa beating Jason Kelce upfront after their plan failed in Week 9. This might be the boldest of the predictions in this post and I won't apologize for it.
9. Eagles Correct Red Zone Woes
Kelsey: The Eagles can't let points go to waste like they did against the Niners. Before last Sunday's two mishaps in the first quarter, the Eagles had scored touchdowns on 12 straight red zone possessions.
Expect the Birds to start fast and correct their red zone mistakes along the way so no touchdowns get left behind. After all, they have no choice but to do so if they plan on sweeping the Cowboys.
10. Cowboys takes Nick Bosa's advice
Mauricio: Earlier in the week, 49ers DE Nick Bosa told the Cowboys to watch the tape and hinted at rushing with four and containing Jalen Hurts as the key to stopping the Eagles QB. The problem? Dan Quinn loves to blitz and loves to stunt. While he's usually a coach who sticks to his guns, I believe he changes it up on Sunday and follows suit with what San Francisco did.
Cowboys vs. Eagles: 3 Things that have changed since last matchup
These will matter in Week 14.