The Philadelphia Eagles don't need another reminder that their season is slipping in the wrong direction. Four consecutive losses have put pressure on a team that entered the year with much higher expectations, andSunday's defeat against the Carolina Panthers offered little evidence that the problems are going away on their own.
Monday night's matchup with the Dallas Cowboysoffers an opportunity to change that trajectory. Dallas has its own issues to address, particularly on offense, where recent performances have raised questions about its ability to sustain drives and protect the football.
If Philadelphia can capitalize on those struggles and exploit Dallas' defensive inconsistencies, it could make this divisional matchup far more favorable.
Opportunities will arise. The Cowboys' defensive woes have been discussed at length, but here's a deeper look at a few areas the Eagles may be able to exploit.
Cowboys' rushing attack has gone dormant
Dallas has struggled to establish its ground game, failing to reach 50 rushing yards in its last two games. Javonte Williams has also been limited as a receiver, totaling just four catches for 26 yards over that stretch. Hunter Luepke caught three passes for nine yards in Week 6, but the backfield hasn't provided much production to complement the passing attack.
That gives Philadelphia's defense an opportunity to make Dak Prescott carry more of the offensive burden. If the Eagles can contain the run early, they can make Dallas more predictable on passing downs and put more pressure on a quarterback who has recently struggled with turnovers.
Dak Prescott is suddenly misfiring
Prescott has thrown two interceptions in each of Dallas' past two games. Although he's thrown for 574 passing yards over that span, he's needed 96 attempts to get there, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt, and his passer rating has fallen below 70 in both contests. He's also completed just over 60% of his throws.
The yardage total suggests Prescott can still move the ball, but the interceptions and inefficient completion rate tell a different story. Philadelphia needs to make him work for every completion, close passing windows, and avoid giving Dallas easy opportunities to build momentum. If Prescott continues forcing throws or struggling with accuracy, the Eagles could turn those mistakes into valuable possessions.
The Cowboys' offense is struggling on third and fourth down
Dallas has converted just nine of 23 third-down attempts over its past two games and gone two for five on fourth down. Those failures have created a substantial time-of-possession disadvantage, with the Cowboys losing that battle by a combined 70:12-49:48 margin.
It sounds cliché, but for Philadelphia, the priority should be getting Dallas into third-and-long situations and preventing Prescott from extending drives. Consistent stops would give the Eagles' offense more opportunities while limiting the Cowboys' ability to control the game's tempo. The Eagles don't need to force turnovers on every possession if they can simply make Dallas work harder to keep drives alive.
Cowboys aren't generating many sacks
Dallas recorded three sacks of Jordan Love in Week 6, but that performance may need a grain of salt. It came after a slow start to the season. The Cowboys managed only five sacks through their first five games, including two contests where they recorded none.
One strong outing doesn't necessarily mean the pass rush has turned a corner. Philadelphia should still prepare for Dallas to build on that performance, but the earlier numbers suggest McKee could operate with a relatively clean pocket. Protection and quick decisions will remain important, especially if the Cowboys carry their Week 6 pressure into Monday night.
Dallas has shown enough weaknesses to give Philadelphia a path to a much-needed win, but the Eagles must exploit them. Containing the backfield, forcing Prescott into difficult decisions, winning key downs, and protecting McKee could help Philadelphia reverse its recent slide against a divisional opponent dealing with problems of its own.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Four Cowboys weaknesses the Eagles can exploit Monday night
