Cowboys vs. Eagles: 3 Things that have changed since last matchup
The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles' rivalry is special in 2023. They're a combined 19-5 entering Week 14. Both Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts are in the MVP race and both franchises recently battled it out for a three-time First-Team All-Pro. And the last time they faced each other, everyone talked about how football […]
The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles' rivalry is special in 2023.
They're a combined 19-5 entering Week 14. Both Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts are in the MVP race and both franchises recently battled it out for a three-time First-Team All-Pro. And the last time they faced each other, everyone talked about how football was a game of inches for days as the 28-23 score from November doesn't fully explain how close the matchup was.
Sunday night will be huge. The Cowboys have a chance at landing a big-time blow for the temporary lead of the NFC East. Conversely, the Eagles get a shot at almost killing Dallas' chances at the divisional title.
1. Brandin Cooks' involvement
Cowboys fans might've forgotten about this but the Eagles game back in Week 9 is the one that got everybody riled up about Brandin Cooks' usage. In that game, he had one catch for seven yards.
Fast forward to today and he's had 40+ yards in each of the four games since then with a 173-yard and a 72-yard performance sprinkled in. He's also scored three touchdowns in those four games.
Cooks' involvement on offense will be key to exploit the Eagles' biggest weakness: Their secondary. Dak Prescott already had a great game against them last month and should only build on it.
Keep in mind: We've talked so much about the Cowboys' shift on offense. It's a different approach since the bye week as Mike McCarthy has made it all about the passing game. Well, we were two games into such a shift in Week 9. Sunday will be the Cowboys' seventh game since the bye and it's clear the team is getting more comfortable as the season goes on.
2. Angry Tony Pollard is getting dirty yards
Tony Pollard and the rushing offense have improved even though they still have a lot to work on. But one thing in particular has stood out: Pollard is running angrily.
Per PFF's John Owning, Pollard has "has forced the third-most missed tackles on run plays with 18, and he's fifth in rushing yards after contact in that same span."
The Cowboys should prioritize passing over running on Sunday night but it's clear that running better when they want to will only help bring Philly down.
3. They know about Terence Steele's mismatch ahead
Last time these two teams faced each other, Steele didn't have a great game. The Cowboys right tackle allowed 12 pressures and four sacks and what's worse: He was beaten by multiple Eagles defenders with a lot of different moves.
It was a mismatch and now the Cowboys know they'll need to bring a better plan to gameday to deal with it. The coaching staff faces a tough decision: Do they trust Steele to bounce back on his own or do they send help his way at the risk of becoming more predictable?
