The Dallas Cowboys are doing a lot of things right on the football field. That much should be evident to anyone who's tuned into their games after their Week 7 bye. 

Since then, the Cowboys have shifted their offensive mentality and made key decisions like really featuring CeeDee Lamb as a top-tier WR1, using more zone looks in the run game, and letting Dak Prescott cook in early downs.

However, there's still a big problem the Cowboys need to fix that has been a consistent issue since September and has continued to be one since the bye week: Rush defense.

Cowboys need to get better against the run

It's a hidden problem as the Cowboys continue to pile up blowout wins in which they can take their starters out in the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys currently rank 31st in the NFL in defensive success rate against the run. They're 28th since the bye week, per RBSDM.com. 

Every time the Cowboys gain a two-possession lead and opponents are forced to throw the football, Dan Quinn's defense lives in the world it loves: Edge rushers pinning their ears back and getting after the quarterback while a secondary led by DaRon Bland and Stephon Gilmore takes care of coverage.

That's a winning recipe. In fact, since the bye week, the Cowboys are the best defense in EPA/play allowed precisely because they're forcing opposing quarterbacks to drop back and pass.

The problem is it's a scenario that won't present itself that easily against the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, the two biggest rivals standing in the way of a Cowboys' Super Bowl run.

Instead, those two NFC foes can (and have) get physical against the Cowboys and run efficiently against them. 

The Eagles have a physical offensive line and a group of strong running backs that can really stress an undersized linebacker group featuring Markquese Bell in the second level. The same goes for the 49ers, who use all sorts of eye candy to allow Christian McCaffrey to punish rival defenses.

I strongly believe the Cowboys have the passing game to challenge both San Francisco's and Philadelphia's secondaries. And I also assume a Micah Parsons-led pass rush could make life very complicated for Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts if the Cowboys went up on the scoreboard early on.

But do so, there's no denying Dallas needs to be able to stop their rushing attacks early on. To tap into what they do best defensively, they can't fall behind on the scoreboard. If they don't solve it, a successful playoff run (in which the Cowboys will likely need to be a road warrior type of squad) will be in jeopardy,

With the Eagles up next in Week 14, we'll get a good look at any potential adjustments made by the Cowboys defensive coordinator against an elite rushing team that uses Hurts' legs to leverage the math to their advantage. 

Cowboys trending to lose the NFC East in the cruelest way possible

Fans should beware of falling for the trap.