It’s finally here. Week 7. Dallas VS Philly. Eagles VS Cowboys. Weirdly, in the middle of the road to Sunday night, one rivalry has gone a little unnoticed. Sunday Night Football will host a battle that’s four years in the making, a heavyweight bout that could be the definition of entertainment for years to come. It’s Wentz vs Prescott.
On one end, you have the Eagles quarterback who has found his way back after missing games in back to back seasons due to injury. Things haven’t been so sunny in Philadelphia for the North Dakota product as his offense has struggled to find consistency and even find their identity. So far on the season, Wentz has thrown for 1,458 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Unfortunately, his completion percentage has taken a huge dip from last year to now. Last year he completed 69% of his passes but this year he’s only completed 61%. Granted, he’s been without his deep threat this year and the wideouts can’t seem to keep their hands on the ball either.
Its been a tough break for the Eagles so far this season, on both sides of the ball. With the offense, the play-calling has been a bit suspect at times but the loss of DeSean Jackson has really compressed the offense. Even though, Wentz has done all he can to help put this team in positions to win. One could argue that the Eagles are two drops away from being 5-1 on the season but the NFL isn’t based on hypotheticals.
Now on the other side of the rivalry, Dak Prescott had looked like an MVP candidate heading into week 4 but ever since, the team has lost three straight while also losing keep players in their offense. The addition of Amari Cooper last year really put a jolt into the Cowboys offense while making Prescott look elite. Now, there’s a chance that Prescott may be without his best receiver this Sunday as the Eagles may be without theirs. So as of right now, where do both NFC East QBs stand in the season?
Dak Prescott – 69.7% completion percentage, 1,884 passing yards, 8.9 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and has been sacked 7 times.
Carson Wentz -61.2% completion percentage, 1,458 passing yards, 6.8 yards per attempt, 12 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and has been sacked 10 times.
The big difference between the two QBs has been the big-play ability of the receivers in Dallas compared to the Eagles wideouts. Its been the bread and butter for Prescott and the Cowboys so far. Unfortunately, Wentz hasn’t received the same production since week 1. DeSean Jackson had two deep passes thrown his way against the Redskins that were both for more than 50+ yards. Since then, rookie running back Miles Sanders has been the big playmaker that Wentz has leaned on. Sanders has five catches of 30 yards or more this season.
Outside of this season, Dak Prescott has the upper hand in the rivalry with a record of 3-2 against Wentz. Granted, Prescott has had the better supporting cast for the last several years as Wentz has never had a running back like Ezekiel Elliot, a wide receiver like Amari Cooper and a defense like the Cowboys have. All in all, Wentz has still found ways to will his team to victory no matter the odds. This may be the first time in the existence of this rivalry that playing field is actually leveled.
Head to Head Stats
Carson Wentz vs the Cowboys
• 67% completion, 1,203 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, 1 interception, 100 QBR
Dak Prescott vs the Eagles
• 63% completion, 1,373 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 83.2 QBR
Prescott will have a chip on his shoulder as he’ll be taking on the #2 overall pick from this draft that just signed a pretty big contract extension. As many of you know, Prescott has yet to be extended and it seems like maybe this matchup will play a factor in the Cowboys decisions. Not a big one, but I’m sure Jerry Jones will use any leverage he can before reward such a big contract.
As for Wentz, the Eagles quarterback will be forced to play with an edge this coming Sunday. The offense has only been in sync several times this season but not enough to carry into the next game. Carson needs help and there’s no denying that, so all eyes will be on the Eagles offense Sunday night.
The rivalry will be something special for years to come, no matter what side you stand on. Wentz is an elite QB right now and will be for a long time so long as Howie Roseman places the right pieces around him. The jury is still out on Prescott after struggling against teams with wins versus dominating against teams that have struggled this year (Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins).
This game has been the talk of the week so far, starting with the Doug Pederson stating that “We’re going down to Dallas, and our guys are gonna be ready to play. And we’re gonna win that football game, and when we do, we’re in first place in the NFC East.” Although Pederson said he never guaranteed a win, many have taken that as a guarantee.
Jason Garrett followed that statement by saying, “We’re excited for the challenge.” but Defensive tackle, Antwaun Woods responded to Pederson’s comments and didn’t sound too happy about it:
“That’s cool for him… It’s easy for him to say in a little press conference, in an air-conditioned room. At the end of the day, he can’t go out there and play for his team.” He then continued by saying, “We’ll just see how it be when its time to put the hand in the dirt on Sunday.”
It’s going to be a special matchup on Sunday nonetheless. The winner can start separating themselves from the mess that is the NFC East and possibly make a big run, but it all lies on the shoulders of both young quarterbacks. Who will win in Dak VS Wentz VI??
Mandatory Photo Credit: AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth
