It’s Dallas week, Part II. However, this matchup doesn’t have the punch it typically packs when these two divisional rivals typically meet. The Cowboys are eliminated from playoff contention and are without star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Eagles have another chance to clinch the NFC East but will try to do so with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett making the start with Jalen Hurts ruled out with a concussion.
However, there are still key matchups that can determine the outcome of this game.
Kenny Pickett vs. Cowboys’ Pass Defense
After being thrusted into the game in the middle of the second offensive drive for the Eagles at Washington, Pickett did what he could with the unexpected playing time. The backup quarterback threw for 141 yards with a touchdown and an interception and put the Eagles in a position to potentially win the game had it not been for some miscues.
Now, with a full week of practice as the expected starter with Hurts still in concussion protocol, Pickett should be positioned to have more success which will certainly bode well not only for the Eagles as they look to clinch the division, but also for Pickett’s stock moving into next season.
The former Pitt Panther showed promise during his collegiate career, hearing his name called 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He started in 24 of 25 games played with Pittsburgh going 14-10, throwing for a total of 4,474 yards and completing 63% of his passes before being to the Eagles before this season.
Pickett has a friendly matchup against a Dallas defense, plagued with injuries, that ranks 22nd in passing yards allowed per game at 223.7 and have given up even more over the last three games at an even 270 yards per contest. The Cowboys also allow the fifth-highest completion percentage to quarterbacks this season, allowing opposing gunslingers to complete 68% of their passes.
Couple that with a homecoming for the Ocean Township, New Jersey native, Pickett could live out quite the childhood dream of clinching the historically difficult NFC East division with a solid performance against one of the lower tier defenses in the league.
Saquon Barkley vs. Record Watch
The weather forecast appears it will not be as much of a factor as it looked earlier in the week. Nonetheless, expect a healthy dose of Barkley to alleviate the pressure from Pickett. However, the Eagles’ offensive line and the offense as a whole has to be more successful running the ball when it’s expected. Last week against Washington, once Hurts went down with the injury, the Commanders limited Barkley and the run game with great success. The Cowboys will most likely try the same gameplan, but containing Barkley has been tough all season.
The star running back is 268 yards shy from breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record set back in 1984. Barkley needs to rack up 134 yards over the last two games to break the record, albeit with a potential two extra games to do so, much to the chagrin of the record holding Dickerson. Regardless, Barkley certainly can push to break the record after his incredible first season as an Eagle against the 27th ranked rush defense in the league. The Cowboys are giving up 136 yards per game on the ground this season.
Barkley has surpassed the century mark in rushing yards in 10 different games this season with six of those instances going for over 135 yards. In the first meeting at Dallas this season, Barkley rushed for 66 yards on 14 carries but wasn’t relied on as heavily due to the success of the passing attack for the Eagles. He is once again in store for a potential massive game.
Eagles’ Secondary vs. Cowboys Receivers
It was a rare misstep last week for this Eagles’ secondary who has been arguably the best unit in all of football, allowing rookie Jayden Daniels to throw for five touchdowns. The secondary will look to put that performance in the rearview and look to feast on a much inferior quarterback and receiving combo that Dallas has at its disposal with Lamb being shutdown for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.
The wide receivers the Cowboys will have available are veteran Brandin Cooks, speedster KaVonte Turpin with Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks carrying a questionable designation into the game Sunday. A group that will be auditioning more so for next season.
Quinyon Mitchell allowed his first touchdown of the season against one of the top wideouts in Terry McLaurin. Keep an eye on how the rookie rebounds in this game.
Cooper Rush for Eagles’ Pass Defense
Don’t look now, but Cooper Rush is playing some of his best football in his seven-year pro career. He’s won four of five games for a second time in his career coming in as a backup for the Cowboys and he is starting to put up big numbers.
Last week against Tampa Bay, he threw for 292 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions while completing 74% of his passes in a 26-24 win. The week before, he torched the Carolina defense for three touchdowns and 214 yards in a 30-14 victory. Over his last five games, Rush has thrown nine touchdowns to just one interception.
Rush becomes a free agent after this season, but if he puts another strong performance against one of the best defensive units in the league, he might find himself a solid pay day and a potential starting role for a team in need of a quarterback.
Eagles Overlooking Cowboys
This is a mental matchup as these two rivals get set to square off. The Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoffs but would love nothing more than to play spoiler and make it more precarious for this Eagles team to clinch the division. Dallas is still playing for head coach Mike McCarthy who seemed to have his seat extremely warm over the last couple of seasons.
However, the Cowboys are one of the hottest teams in the NFL heading into Week 17 thanks to winning four of their last five games after losing five straight prior to this hot stretch.
As for the head-to-head matchups, the Eagles and Cowboys have split their regular season meetings every season since 2019, so the Eagles will look to avoid that trend from continuing at home after they beat Dallas handedly on the road back in November.
The Eagles host the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field with kickoff slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. It is also the Eagles second and final Kelly Green game of the season.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
