The Dallas Cowboys are the Philadelphia Eagles’ most hated rival. It doesn’t matter what the record is of either team, the animosity between the franchises, and their fanbases always reach an apex on Sunday.
Is Sunday’s game between the two teams big? Of course. The Eagles are looking for their first 6-0 start since 2004, and Cooper Rush is looking to move to 6-0 as a starting quarterback for Dallas.
Something has to give.
Eagles vs Cowboys is a marquee matchup
In the end, as big a game as this is for the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s important for the fans to understand that this is not the be-all-end-all for the 2022 season.
The Eagles are a team that is loaded with talent in all facets of the roster, have played well throughout the early portion of the season, and still have a very favorable schedule later on. It’s not outlandish to believe that the team could lose on Sunday, yet still, win enough games to win the division or get a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.
When looking at the bigger picture of the Eagles’ schedule, the Cowboys are arguably the toughest team Philadelphia will face this season. It’s important to remember that the birds still have another game in Dallas later in the year.
But even if the team struggles, or god forbid, plays well but loses, the season is not over. The same can be said for their quarterback.
Jalen Hurts is still a great quarterback, regardless of what happens on Sunday
Jalen Hurts has been excellent through five weeks as the starting quarterback for the Eagles. He has a fourth-quarter, game-winning drive under his belt, and is in the top 10 in passing yards, completion percentage, yards per attempt, and total touchdowns.
But is Hurts’ 2022 season really judged by how he looks (and wins) against the Cowboys? The short answer is that he shouldn’t be. Hurts needs time to develop and grow. The early signs of the 2022 season have shown he is making tremendous strides in his game in accuracy, pocket presence, and arm strength.
That doesn’t just go away if the Eagles lose or Hurts plays poorly.
The Cowboys are a good football team and Philadelphia has played great through the first month and a half. Would it suck if they lost a game to their arch-rival? Of course.
Would it be the end of the season? Absolutely not.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
