“T’was the night before Christmas and all through our minds,
The Cowboys face the Eagles with the NFC East title on the line.”
Before we begin, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at CowboysWire!
The bells are ringing, the presents are wrapped and it’s that special time of year; the time for the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) to face off with the Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) with a national audience watching.
The entire NFC East has been formidable this season and the Eagles and Cowboys have been at the top of the class. The Cowboys have beaten a league-high five teams currently with a winning record, while the Eagles are right behind them with four. Both teams feature offenses that can score points quickly and defenses that are more naughty than nice to opposing offenses.
The Eagles are facing adversity with their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, out with a shoulder strain. The last time these two teams met, the Cowboys were without their franchise QB, Dak Prescott, on the road.
Each week we open up the Advanced Stat Notebook to analyze how each team ranks in EPA, DVOA, ANY/A and Toxic Differential. These four key metrics have a high correlation to win probability.
Jan 8, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) passes the ball under pressure from Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Raequan Williams (61) and Eagles defensive end Ryan Kerrigan (90) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
With DVOA, teams are looking for a higher percentage offensively and a lower percentage defensively. On offense and special teams, the objective is to perform above league average while defenses are looking to force their opponents to perform below league average.
Information via Football Outsiders.
- The Eagles have a large advantage in passing DVOA, ranking seventh with a DVOA of 26.2%. The Cowboys rank eight spots lower and 15.2% behind.
- The Eagles lead the league in rushing DVOA with an impressive 19.5%. The Cowboys rank fifth with a DVOA of 8.1%
- Eagles RB Miles Sanders leads the league in rushing DVOA at 20.5%. The Cowboys dynamic duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Pollard both rank in the top 12. Pollard ranks 10th with a DVOA of 10.1% and Elliott ranks 12th with a DVOA of 7.1%.
- Offensive DVOA favors the Eagles who sweep this category. The Eagles rank second overall with a DVOA of 18.4%. The Cowboys rank…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Cowboys Wire…