For just the second time this season, I’m predicting the Philadelphia Eagles to lose a football game.
The first time was last week, when I incorrectly predicted a Detroit Lions win. I don’t really regret my reasoning for that one; I thought it could be a big game for the defense while the offense struggled. And, well, that’s what happened. Vic Fangio’s defense was just even more dominant than I imagined it would be.
So, am I foolish to not put more faith in them here again? I think it’s possible they
could have a strong game and still surrender a decent amount of points. The Dallas Cowboys’ offense can really get going, especially if the Eagles’ offense is going three-and-out at a high rate to give them a lot of possessions to work with.
Perhaps I’m not giving enough credence to the weather component of the Eagles’ offensive struggles over the past two weeks. It was really cold in Green Bay and it was really windy in Philly against the Lions. The last time Jalen Hurts was in a dome? That was back in Week 7, when he posted a perfect passe rating against the Minnesota Vikings. And this Dallas Cowboys defense is certainly worse than the one coordinated by Brian Flores.
While it seems on paper like the Eagles’ offense should be able to get going, there’s reason to believe the Cowboys’ defense is better than the stat sheet indicates. Dallas is now healthier (Malik Hooker, DeMarvion Overshown, Shavon Revel, and Caelan Carson are back from injuries) and more talented (Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson acquired via trade) than they were before. Even if the Cowboys’ defense isn’t great, it might just need to be merely mediocre for the game to be winnable if their offense is cooking like it can.
Just not loving the vibes for the Eagles in this one, for a number of reasons:
- The Cowboys played the Eagles close in Week 1.
- The Eagles rarely sweep the Cowboys. They did it last year but Dak Prescott missed both games.
- The anonymous reporting about Jalen Hurts doesn’t feel like very positive energy.
- Lane Johnson is out. That’s not good.
- The spread has shifted from Eagles -4.5 to Eagles -3.5 to Eagles -3. Money coming in on the Cowboys’ side.
I don’t think a loss in this spot necessarily dooms the Eagles’ season by any means. The Birds should be able to bounce back from this, even to the point where they still win the No. 1 seed. Maybe the Eagles lose this game and then the Los Angeles Rams lose on Sunday night, which leaves Philly still in control of their path to a first-round bye.
But I think this will be an annoying loss that leaves people frustrated for several days until the Eagles bounce back with a win over the Chicago Bears on Black Friday.
Suggested format:
Score prediction:
Bold prediction:
My predictions:
Score prediction: 26 to 24, Eagles lose.
Bold prediction: Brandon Aubrey hits a game-winning field goal from 70 yards, setting a new NFL record.
Your predictions:
Leave your own score predictions in the comments.
