Cowboys land a season-altering W without playing a down of football before Panthers matchup
Winning the NFC East is suddenly starting to look like a possibility.
The Dallas Cowboys are still 2-2-1, but it feels much different today than it did at the beginning of the week. The reason why? Without playing a down of football in Week 6 yet, their chances of winning the NFC East improved after the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the New York Giants on “Thursday Night Football.”
And though the betting markets might not reflect it just yet, there’s no denying the division feels up for grabs. More than the record — which puts Philadelphia at the same number of losses as the Cowboys (granted, Dallas has yet to play a game this week) — it’s the fact that the Eagles look lost right now. And it starts with offensive issues that might not be fixed in time.
Eagles’ offensive struggles could keep NFC East door wide open
Wide receiver A.J. Brown said postgame that the Eagles have yet to find their offensive identity. It shows. Each of the last three years, the Eagles ranked top 10 in passing EPA/play. This year, however, that dominance is not there under new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. The Eagles entered Week 6 ranking 26th in passing EPA/play and didn’t look any better on Thursday.
Defenses have frustrated Jalen Hurts using heavy doses of zone coverage. In the last three weeks, they’ve scored a combined 14 points in second halves. That’s two touchdowns in six quarters of football, including zero in New York last night.
Will those problems persist? Who knows. But it’s true they entered the season with the fourth-most-difficult schedule in the NFL, per Sharp Football Analysis. Though they’ve overcome some serious tests already, they still have matchups against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and two matchups against the Washington Commanders. It won’t be easy to walk away with the division title, even if they remain the favorites because of a strong 4-0 start.
The Cowboys have to focus on themselves for now, though
Even if we, on the outside, notice what’s happening to Philly, the Cowboys have to worry about themselves first. Despite standout offensive performances, Dallas has issues to address, primarily on defense. Stacking multiple wins is the first step, and the Cowboys have a chance to do it against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
A winning record leading up to the trade deadline could be what the front office needs to go shopping for a player or two that could turn around the worst-ranked defense in EPA/play in the league.
Dallas Cowboys News
George Pickens is having fun, but his recent comments reveal the truth about his success with the Dallas Cowboys
Pickens and the Cowboys are in their honeymoon phase.
