Sunday | 4:25 ET
The Dallas Cowboys will head to Philadelphia to face off against the Eagles in a high-octane NFC East showdown on Sunday afternoon. Dallas comes in at 6-2, fresh off of a dominating 43-20 win over the Rams. The Eagles come in with the best record in the NFL, 7-1. Oddly enough, it still doesn’t feel like they are playing their best football.
The Eagles offense revolves around its offensive line. Left tackle Jordan Mailata ranks first in PFF grade among tackles, and right tackle Lane Johnson ranks ninth. Center Jason Kelce is arguably the best in the league, ranking fourth in PFF grade this year and Landon Dickerson is also fantastic at left guard. This collection of talent has allowed running back De’Andre Swift to be very efficient this year. He ranks 8th in the NFL in yards per carry (4.9). Cowboys edge DeMarcus Lawrence ranks first in PFF run defense grade for his position, so he may be able to cause some disruption.
In addition to the fantastic offensive line, wide receiver AJ Brown is on an otherworldly run. He recently recorded his sixth straight game with at least 125 receiving yards, setting an NFL record. It feels like as long as quarterback Jalen Hurts gets the ball in his vicinity, Brown is going to come down with it.
The Cowboys defense is excellent at creating pressure, ranking third in PFF pass rush grade. A big matchup to watch is the battle in the trenches when the Eagles have the ball. These are probably the two strongest position groups in the game, and whoever has the upper hand will tip odds in their team’s favor.
On the other side of the ball, I see Philadelphia with the upper hand. Despite not having their bye week yet, the Eagles have given up the least rushing yards in the NFL so far. Dallas has been surprisingly inefficient running the ball this season, ranking 19th in yards per carry and 18th in total rushing yards. I don’t see running back Tony Pollard having a productive game. The Cowboys will become one-dimensional and too much pressure will be put on QB Dak Prescott and the passing game’s back. WR Ceedee Lamb is fantastic, but the Eagles secondary is loaded. I expect newly acquired star defensive back Kevin Byard to see the most of Lamb. CeeDee will get his yards, but I see S Reed Blankenship, and CBs Daniel Bradberry and Darius Slay shutting down the other facets of the Dallas passing attack.
The Eagles pass rush should also be mentioned. Rookie DT Jalen Carter has been phenomenal thus far, ranking second in PFF grade among DTs. Edge rusher Hassan Reddick was second in sacks last year and is tied for eighth in the NFL this season. The Cowboys offensive line is also great, but may have some trouble this week.
I have the Eagles winning a close game. Four of Philly’s win this year have been by less than a score, and I expect Week 8 to fall into the same category. The Eagles will be able to run the ball down the field well, and the Cowboys will be one-dimensional on offense.