The Eagles will look to secure first place in the NFC East when they take on their divisional rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, this Sunday night. Both the Eagles and Cowboys were favorites to come out of the NFC with double-digit wins, but plenty of mistakes and errors have kept both teams from achieving greatness so far this season. Can the Eagles secure a major road victory? Here’s what to watch for tomorrow:
1 – Sloppy Secondary: First, sloppy is being generous. The Eagles secondary was shredded by Kirk Cousins. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen combined for 224 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns against a porous Eagles secondary. Simply put, the Eagles are not playoff contenders if the back end of the defense plays like this. Opposing teams smell the blood in the water, and Dak Prescott will definitely be looking to carve up the corners and safeties. By far, the secondary is the most blaring concern for the Eagles.
2 – Secure the Game plan: I’m not sure what the Eagles identity is. When Jordan Howard gets a 5-yard rush, he gets pulled, and the Eagles either run with someone else or do three straight passes. Other times, the Eagles abandon the run and strictly utilize the pass, and vice versa. The Eagles need to establish a consistent rhythm; it isn’t confusing defenses, but it is confusing fans. Will the Eagles figure out their offensive woes, or will history be doomed to repeat itself?
3 – Help Yourself: The Eagles continue to be their own worst enemy. Whether it be costly penalties, weak secondary coverage, poor scheming, or many other bad mishaps, the Eagles hurt themselves far more than opposing teams do. Without errors, the Eagles are 5-1, possibly 4-2, and this game isn’t as vital. Now, because of the hole they dug themselves, this is a must win game. The biggest thing the Eagles can do to achieve victory: help yourself. Stop limiting your own success and potential.
4 – In a Slump: This is a golden opportunity for the Eagles to secure a major road win. First, the Cowboys are coming off an embarrassing road loss against the winless Jets; as a result, their spirits are definitely dampened. Second, the Cowboys are just as banged up and weakened as the Eagles after suffering injuries to their offensive tackles and receivers. This is the best chance the Eagles will get to establishing divisional dominance. The Eagles are down, too, but what better way to lift those spirits than a win in Arlington, TX?
5 – History: The Cowboys maintain a decent lead in the historical match-up against the Eagles with a record of 68-52. The Eagles have been 6-4 in their last 10 games at the Cowboys, and they also have been 6-4 with the last 10 overall games against the Cowboys (combining both home and away). Can the Eagles notch a major victory against the Cowboys, or will they fall like last year against their divisional rivals?
Tune in to NBC at 8:20 to catch the action… You can also follow the action and join the conversation as we live tweet on Twitter: @BirdsInformer during the game.
Eric Fenstermaker 