The Dallas Cowboys will be playing for nothing more than pride as they travel to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. No matter the records, though, there are reasons to love and hate playing the Eagles.
There’s always something on the line when these two rivals line up, pride. Despite the Cowboys’ tough season, beating the Eagles would make the end of the year surge even sweeter and there’s few places where it’s nicer for Jerry Jones’ team to win than in Philadelphia.
As the saying goes, you can throw the records out when these two teams get together. Here are three reasons to love, and hate (besides Nick Sirianni’s face), the Cowboys’ matchup with the Eagles in Week 17.
Love: Possibly facing a backup QB
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The Eagles have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season, but they might not look as formidable if starting quarterback Jalen Hurts doesn’t play. The signal caller is still in concussion protocol and has yet to practice after being removed in the first quarter of last week’s loss.
That’s not good news for the Eagles, who need to win if they want to clinch the NFC East title. Backup QB Kenny Pickett is a significant downgrade from Hurts and is dealing with an injury of his own with a rib issue. If Pickett were to get reinjured and Hurts can’t play, second-year QB Tanner McKee, who’s never taken an NFL snap would be next in line to play.
The Cowboys aren’t celebrating injuries, but they will love facing a second-string QB rather than a Pro Bowl player.
Hate: Saquon Barkley
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They might not have their starting QB, but the Eagles’ offense will still have MVP candidate Saquon Barkley running the ball behind one of the league’s best run blocking units. Barkley leads the NFL in rushing and has been on a tear in recent weeks.
Barkley has eight 100+ yard games in his last 10 outings, which includes 10 touchdowns. Three of Barkley’s last five scores have also come from over 68 yards out, so if he finds open space, he’s gone.
The veteran RB is not only heading towards surpassing 2,000 yards on the ground, he’s also on pace to break the NFL’s single season rushing record.
Mike Zimmer’s defense has been better against the run recently, but Barkley represents a different challenge. With Hurts likely out, the Eagles will lean on their running game with Barkley, not a good sign for one of the worst rushing defenses in the league.
Love: Pressuring the QB
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The Eagles have an explosive offense, but their offensive line doesn’t pass protect as well as they run block. With 43 sacks allowed this year, the Eagles rank ninth in the NFL, and Hurts has been taken down 38 times, which ties a career high.
Some of those sacks are on Hurts, but Pickett was sacked three times last week in relief and the offensive line gave up seven sacks in the two previous games.
The Cowboys have the most sacks in the league since Micah Parsons’ return and they’ll love being able to attack a vulnerable pass blocking team.
Hate: Elite WR tandem
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No matter who’s throwing them the ball, the Eagles have one of the top wide receiver duos in the game with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Despite missing a few games, Brown has already surpassed 1,000 yards on the season and is a big play waiting to happen. In the last two games Brown has been heating up, he’s gotten his highest target shares on the season, and he’s responded with 207 yards and two scores.
Smith has also missed time this year, but he’s still a dangerous weapon in the passing game, ranking second on the team in receptions (62), and yards (713), while also being tied with Brown in touchdowns with six.
They won’t be as potent a threat if Hurts doesn’t play, but it’s a top-notch tandem to hate at WR. The Cowboys will have a tough time shutting down the duo.
Love: Opportunity to pay spoiler
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The Cowboys aren’t playing for a playoff spot, but they do have the ability to spoil the Eagles’ shot at clinching the NFC East. If Mike McCarthy’s team can somehow pull off the upset, and the Washington Commanders win on Sunday night, the Eagles will have to play Week 18 to win the division.
The Commanders are two games back in the race to capture the division, if they win out, and the Eagles lose out, it would be Philadelphia who gets a wild card berth and must go on the road for the playoffs. The first step in that process is for the Cowboys to beat the Eagles in their own building, spoiling the celebration, and extend the regular season so the Eagles don’t get to rest players heading into the final week.
Dallas should relish the chance at playing spoiler and forcing the Eagles to expend more effort, possibly costing them the NFC East title.
Hate: Strong defense
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It won’t be fun for an offense missing their best player to be going up against a strong defense like the Eagles. Without WR CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys don’t have a threat in the passing game and Philadelphia’s run defense is inside the top 10, giving up less than 103 yards a game on the ground. That’s a tough combination for the Cowboys to overcome against a defense that has nine players making contributions who were drafted in the first three rounds.
The Eagles rank ninth in the league in sacks and have forced 21 turnovers this season while allowing under 19 points a game. Pass rusher Josh Sweat leads the team with eight sacks, as safeties Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have four interceptions apiece to top the defense. Meanwhile, defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are the keys to making it tough to run the ball.
There aren’t a lot of ways for the Cowboys’ short-handed offense to attack the Eagles’ stacked defense.
