NFC Game Of The Week
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Eagles: Since the loss to the Washington Commanders on November 8th, they haven’t missed a beat. They have done it with a consistent offensive attack that’s been balanced as they’ve shown they can run the football as expected and the passing attack has also stepped up, especially with that addition of A.J. Brown. The Offensive Line has been one of, if not the best in the league this year because they’re great with blocking downhill, run blocking and bullying you at the Line of Scrimmage and the defense has been one of the best in the league this year. I was telling someone the other day I don’t think this team has any weakness and whenever it may appear that they do, they overcome it. Now, I’ve seen many of their teams over the years. I’m talking about the Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb teams that would breeze through the regular season, clinch the top seed in the playoffs and get to the conference title games and, of course, when they won the Super Bowl in 2017 which was a fun team to watch. This is the best I’ve ever seen the Eagles look ever. I see a team that’s playing their best football when it matters the most. How about this maturation process for Jalen Hurts? Once again, build around your young Quarterback! Place him in a position to succeed and look where he is now! He is an MVP candidate. The Eagles could clinch the division on Saturday with a win.
Cowboys: Once again, I present this question to you. Who are they? No, seriously. Is this the team that punched the Minnesota Vikings in the mouth back in November? Or is this the team that we saw give up that 14-point lead against the Green Bay Packers and the 17-point lead they blew against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 15? For years, I’ve always said that for them to succeed, the formula for their offense is simple. Dak Prescott must throw the football only 30 times a game and anything over that is going to end in a loss and run the football. I always find myself questioning the Cowboys’ play calling because when something is working for them, they get away from it and I’ll never understand why. Continue to roll with what puts you ahead in the game! Here’s what’s astounding about that loss in Jacksonville. Dak did everything correctly to keep the Cowboys in that game. Yes, he threw the interceptions and all, but he only threw the ball 30 times, which was perfect for him. As great as their defense has been this year, they’ve also shown flashes of inconsistency. They’ve had moments where they have looked “85 Bears esqe” in which they throw pass rushers at you and force turnovers in the backend. Then, there are other times where that’s not the case and the games against Houston and Jacksonville are prime examples of that. On Christmas Eve, Dallas will return home looking to bounce back.
Eagles X-Factor: DeVonta Smith– He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to Marvin Harrison. I said this often during his college days in Alabama. DeVonta has been a huge security blanket for this Eagles offense, and he can make your defense pay when you play him in that single coverage. He’s a special Wide Receiver that gets in and out of his breaks so consistently. DeVonta is tough. He has great hands, a polished route runner and makes it look easy.
Cowboys X-Factor: Tony Pollard– I like it when they’re able to establish him early on. He runs with purpose with the ball in his hands. Tony is that elusive runner that can break away from tackles and into the second and third levels of the defense with the vision to breeze by and make someone miss. He’s a Running Back that plays with the mindset of a kick returner. Tony is also instinctive, explosive and decisive with his cuts into the lanes.
Final Thoughts: This is hands down the game of the week. A rivalry and these two teams have a strong dislike for one another. When they first met, it was in October and the Eagles were off to that undefeated start. That was also the game when Cooper Rush was starting, and Dak was injured. Months later, both teams are different now compared to that first meeting. The Cowboys looked ahead to this game here and it caught up to them which resulted in a loss. Jalen Hurts is out for this game on Saturday with a shoulder injury which means Gardner Minshew will be starting and he brings a different element to this Philly offense compared to Jalen. With Gardner, he brings accuracy on short and intermediate throws. The Eagles’ run defense is suspect at times and the Cowboys pass defense can be had. This game will come down to who can scheme up those big plays and convert in the red zone. It’s key for Dallas to control that clock. Dak can’t turn this game into a shootout. Dallas Goedert is expected to return for the Eagles here and he’ll help as that threat over the middle of the field. This should be an entertaining matchup.
Prediction: Cowboys 29, Eagles 27
