Don’t dismiss the Dallas Cowboys’ win over the Eagles, because they just found wrinkles worth repeating
The Dallas Cowboys beat a Philadelphia Eagles team missing Jalen Hurts and two starting receivers. Context matters, yet several things Dallas did against its rival look like they can carry over.
I know what you’re thinking. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles, but they beat a team without its starting quarterback and without two starting wide receivers. So who cares, right?
You should care, because this is a meaningful win for the Cowboys.
Context matters, of course. Nobody should walk away from that performance declaring this is Dallas’ year. Still, the Cowboys did several replicable things against Philadelphia and took real steps in the right direction. It all starts with the run game, which they had been searching for and finally found.
Let’s break it down.
Javonte Williams and a revived run game
Javonte Williams went off for 155 yards. He’s going to get the headlines and the praise, and he deserves both. Many of those yards came after contact. We saw an angry Williams plowing through defenders and squeezing out extra yardage on what felt like every single carry.
Here’s what I also noticed: Tyler Smith was moving people at left guard.
Smith looked great when the Cowboys committed to the run early against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first game back from injury. He didn’t get a chance to show it against the Green Bay Packers because Dallas abandoned the run so quickly. Against the Eagles, with the Cowboys insisting on the ground game again, Smith showed how much impact he brings to the table. That’s why Williams ran mostly to the left side. At one point, Dallas was running over 80% of the time to its left.
Tyler Guyton deserves a shoutout as well for his work at left tackle. So does Broderick Jones, who the Cowboys used as a sixth offensive lineman on many of their run plays.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has a lot to prove. I don’t think he has shown he’s the elite play caller he called himself last week. But we wanted creative solutions, and the Cowboys found one by involving Jones.
Take Williams’ 34-yard run. Dallas lined Jones up next to Guyton. Jones blocked the edge rusher while Guyton worked behind him. Jones then climbed to the second level, Guyton finished the end man on the line of scrimmage, and Williams blasted through a huge opening.
Why the ground game matters beyond the box score
Williams’ big day isn’t only about closing out games. A functional run game deters defenses from blitzing so aggressively and punishes them for keeping two safeties high.
Tej Seth of Summer Sports noted the Cowboys finished with 204 rushing yards, 112 of which came after contact. He also pointed out Williams averaged 0.32 EPA per rush, which I’d guess ranks among the best single-game marks for any ground attack this season. Dallas was especially successful on plays involving Jones.
The Cowboys won’t roll out jumbo packages every week. However, this was a smart answer against a physical front featuring Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and linebackers Jihaad Campbell and Zack Baun. Philadelphia wasn’t a great run defense coming in, but Dallas had an answer for it, and that’s massive.
Cowboys move George Pickens around
The passing game showed life too. I called for the Cowboys to move George Pickens around, and they did. On his touchdown play, Pickens lined up in the slot while Jake Ferguson went out wide. Ferguson drew Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles’ best cornerback, and Pickens got a one-on-one shot against safety Andrew Mukuba.
That’s a certified mismatch.
Pickens finished with 70 receiving yards on more than the stop routes we’ve been complaining about. CeeDee Lamb also topped 70 yards, found the end zone twice, and made a big play in the two-minute drill that set up a field goal before halftime.
Dak Prescott threw three absolute dimes in the end zone. It wasn’t a perfect game for him, with some misfires and spotty accuracy, but he showed up. After another 30-plus-point performance (Dallas nearly dropped 40 on the Eagles), you can start hoping that two-week offensive slide was only a slump.
Defense, concerns, and what comes next
I’d take the defensive performance with more of a grain of salt given how banged up Philadelphia was. Still, DeMarvion Overshown’s interception wasn’t a bad throw by Tanner McKee. Overshown read the play perfectly, jumped the route, and fully extended for the pick.
Joey Porter Jr. also looks legit despite the competition. He’s the best defender on the roster right now. Porter allowed two catches, one to Dallas Goedert and another to Mekhi Lemon, for a combined 10 yards. Through three games with the Cowboys, those are the only catches he’s allowed.
There are real concerns, though. Dallas didn’t rush the passer efficiently, and Schottenheimer was too conservative at times. The Cowboys should have gone for it on fourth-and-3 on the opening drive. Later, facing third-and-8 in scoring territory with a chance to go up 14, they handed it to Hunter Luepke, then kicked a field goal to make it 31-28. Trust Prescott and company in that spot.
Even so, this win was a positive one. Fans should enjoy it, and the Cowboys need to build on it.
