The Dallas Cowboys were never supposed to be in this game, and they weren’t. Their Week 10 matchup against the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles was a tale of two opposite moving franchises. Dallas, losers of their last three games, have been besieged by injuries in 2024. Poor performance, dated play-calling, and criminal roster building combined for the perfect storm.
For as low as the Cowboys were entering Week 10, Philadelphia was high. The Eagles, winners of their last five, have been thriving behind Kellen Moore and Saquan Barkley. The run-first offense has been a model of consistency in 2024 and when things break down, they just ask Jalen Hurts to tuck and run.
On Sunday afternoon the Eagles ran for 187 yards on the ground. Barkley was generally kept in check much of the day, only posting 66 yards off 14 carries but Hurts made up for his modesty, posting 56 rushing yards and two touchdowns himself with a 0.77 EPA/rush (which led both teams).
The Cowboys were largely stuck in neutral offensively. Not only did they commit five turnovers but starting quarterback Cooper Rush passed for just 45 yards on Sunday. That was not a typo.
45 yards.
Hurts wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire through the air either. Even though the Cowboys were committed to stopping the run and offering up huge opportunities in their secondary, Hurts struggled to hit his targets. His 202 passing yards blew Rush out of the water, but it was hardly a passing day to brag about.
Losing by the score of 34-6, Dallas has seemingly lost all hope of earning a postseason bid. They entered the week with just a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs, Week 10 was the nail in the coffin.
Nasty turnovers, different results
Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
The tale of the first half was sloppy play inside the 20s for both teams. Ezekiel Elliott fumbled the ball into the end zone for an EPA value of -6.4 and Rush fumbled a snap back inside his own 20 for an EPA value of -6.1.
Hurts added sloppy play of his own, throwing an interception to Trevon Diggs in the end zone for a -6.1 EPA. He was later strip-sacked by Micah Parsons inside his own 20 for another turnover worth 6.1 EPA in the Cowboys’ direction.
The primary difference between each enormous mistake is the Eagles were able to capitalize on the errors while Dallas just wasted their opportunities.
Conservative passing, predictable results
Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) defends a pass against Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
It wasn’t surprising to see Mike McCarthy take a conservative approach with Rush starting at QB. Dallas’ suspect-at-best pass protection and their receiver corps’ season-long struggle with separation turned the Cowboys offense into a dink-and-dunk passing attack.
McCarthy took some shots downfield but typically avoided them on late downs and other obvious passing situations. On first watch, Rush’s passes beyond the sticks only resulted in a 25 percent completion percentage. Dallas finished 3 for 14 on third downs with just four of their 11 total first downs coming through the air in Week 10.
Micah Parsons movement
Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) rushes the passer in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Mike Zimmer has always been willing to move his top pass rusher around to create opportunities, but in Week 10 the stage was set for a more focused approach. The Eagles were once again starting Fred Johnson at left tackle, providing a prime opportunity for Parsons to feast. Unfortunately, it looked like business as usual for Parsons with him logging more snaps on the left side of the defense and less snaps on the right against the replacement LT, Johnson.
Parsons still posted a successful afternoon, tallying two sacks, but if he would have focused on playing primarily right edge, he probably could have had more.
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Liufau stock up, Kendricks stock down
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 10: Marist Liufau #35 and DeMarvion Overshown #13 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrate a fumble recovery during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Linebacker Eric Kendricks has been a valuable player for Dallas in 2024. He’s provided veteran leadership and on-field accountability to a very undisciplined Cowboys defense. But Father Time is undefeated and playing in the open field and in coverage is not something Kendricks does well anymore.
Marist Liufau, on the other hand, specializes in those facets of the game. The rookie linebacker flies to the ball, and though he makes mistakes, he offers an exciting future for the Cowboys LB corps. The time for snaps to swing in Liufau’s favor is now. Kendricks still has to play, but in situations likely to be passes, Zimmer should look to his rookie more often.
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. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
