All week, the coaches of both the Eagles and Cowboys have been looking for ways to attack weak spots and create favorable matchups and we will see on Sunday night just how all that work manifests into a game plan. There certainly are plenty of intriguing battles, with two talented teams taking the Lincoln Financial Field stage in this NFC East showdown. With that, let’s take a look at some of the things we’ll be watching …
1. Eagles offensive line vs. Cowboys edge pressure
This is not to slight what the Cowboys do inside, because their up-the-middle defense is stout and very good as well. It’s just that Dallas is special off the edge with DeMarcus Lawrence, with Dorance Armstrong, and with, of course, the great Micah Parsons. Philadelphia has strong offensive tackles in Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, who missed Sunday’s game in Arizona and who has been limited in practice this week. Philadelphia has some injury question marks with left guard Landon Dickerson limited in practice and center Jason Kelce dealing with an ankle injury, so it’s worth monitoring how that group collectively holds up through the weekend and then when the game begins.
No question the Eagles have to win here against a Dallas front that will use stunts to create pressure. Parsons will move up and down the line of scrimmage and he must be accounted for on every snap. Lawrence is having an outstanding season with three quarterback sacks in five games. Armstrong doesn’t get a lot of attention from the media, but he’s a really good player off the edge. There are many reasons Dallas has allowed only one touchdown per game in each of the five weeks of this season, and it all starts up front. This is a huge test for the Eagles.
2. Eagles WRs A.J. Brown/DeVonta Smith vs. Cowboys CBs Trevon Diggs/Anthony Brown
Dallas did a good job against Smith in the Week 3 matchup last season, limiting him to 3 receptions and 28 yards with Diggs having primary coverage responsibility. A big-play cornerback who had 11 interceptions, two returned for touchdowns in 2021, Diggs has two picks in five games. He is also not giving up the big play, as was sometimes the case last year, so in his third season, Diggs has become one of the NFL’s top cover players. He and Brown have to work against not only Smith, who is coming off a 10-catch game in Arizona, but also Brown, who can do it all. This is just a terrific matchup as the Eagles look to establish the passing game. The offensive line has to give quarterback…
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