Every week, we’ll examine the numbers behind the next opponent on the schedule. Looking at the recent numbers and trends for each team, we’ll add it all up to see which squad may have the edge. This week, the Cowboys travel to Lincoln Financial on Monday Night Football to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cowboys key stats from last week
Dak Prescott threw for 258 yards on an astonishing 54 attempts. He’d finish the game with a 65.2 passer rating.
Javonte Williams rushed the ball just 11 times against Green Bay for 41 yards.
CeeDee
Lamb and George Pickens combined for 15 receptions on 29 targets, racking up 143 receiving yards
Brevyn Spann-Ford split time with Jake Ferguson at a near 50/50 rate. The second-year tight end continues to improve his stock this season.
The defense didn’t force a third-down stop until the near the six-minute mark in the second quarter. They tightened up in the second half, allowing just two third-down conversions and a total of 83 yards.
Eagles key stats from last week
The Eagles offense gained a total of 222 yards last week in their loss against the Panthers. Just 35 of those yards came on the ground from the beat up Philadelphia rushing attack.
Tanner McKee threw the ball 45 times, finishing with a 77.5 passer rating.
The leading receivers for the Eagles were DeVonta Smith (seven receptions, 75 yards) and Dallas Goedert (six receptions, 61 yards).
Stay grounded
This game could come down to which team’s rushing attack is the most successful.
Last week, Javonte Williams and the run game had a few moments, but Dallas got away from it far too early. Coach Brian Schottenheimer has been under scrutiny this week for completely abandoning the run game, a tendency we’ve seen often throughout his career in Dallas. This week, it’ll be imperative to run a balanced offense against an Eagles defense that has struggled, but isn’t void of talent.
On the Eagles side, it looks like Saquon Barkley has a good shot at returning to the lineup this week. This offense will not want Tanner McKee to throw the ball over 40 times again if it can be avoided. The Eagles offensive line has struggled to get much going for any of their running backs this season. But Dallas has also had their share of problems in limiting opponent’s rushing attacks. The formula is clear for Philadelphia, but can they execute?
What do the numbers mean?
This week, we’ve got two underperforming NFC East teams in a primetime Monday night matchup. The Eagles offense has struggled this season, even before the unfortunate Jalen Hurts health situation. The Cowboys have been mostly healthy on offense, but have lacked the killer instinct situationally while also no-showing the last two weeks. So which team has a better shot at putting up points and securing the win?
As bad as Dallas has been the last two weeks, this offense still features two of the league’s scariest targets on the outside. They still have a top 10 quarterback who, at times, elevates himself into top five territory. The offensive line still features several All-Pro and Pro Bowl players. Make no mistake, they are dangerous and can go off any given week.
This week, if coach Schottenheimer can return to a balanced offensive attack, the Cowboys will take home the win. The Eagles simply do not have the firepower to keep up, even against a struggling Dallas defense. And if Prescott and the offense can jump out to an early lead, this could get ugly for Philadelphia.
The Cowboys have not put a holistically decent product on the field, especially the last two weeks. They have certainly been bad. But the Eagles have been just as bad, if not worse, and are now without their franchise quarterback.
Tanner McKee is a stationary target without a good offensive line. They lack adequate talent at wide receiver, outside of DeVonta Smith. If the Cowboys defense ever had a moment to show up and get right, this would be a great time. If the Cowboys can stifle the biggest threat on the field in Barkely, this should be a long day for the Eagles backup quarterback.
Everything points to Dallas winning, which of course should scare the pants off Cowboys fans. We saw a similar situation against a backup quarterback in Tampa Bay in week five. But records aside, that Buccaneers team is better than Philadelphia. They possess more offensive weapons, they have a mobile quarterback, and Todd Bowles put together a defensive gameplan that exposed a fatal weakness. The Eagles defensive scheme is vastly different and won’t crowd the line of scrimmage throughout the game. This plays to the Cowboys favor.
Dallas has done very little to earn or trust this season. But if they can head up to Lincoln Financial and simply do their jobs against a beat up and beaten down Eagles team, this game should finish with a convincing Cowboys win.
