What to watch in the Dallas Cowboys’ NFC East showdown game vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened the week refusing to compare Sunday’s showdown between his Cowboys (5-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) to last month’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

He was still smarting from the 42-10 loss to the 49ers after calling it a measuring stick game for his team and didn’t want to “poke the bear.”

Jones’ misgivings, however, won’t diminish the importance and stature of Sunday’s Eagles game.

It’s a long-standing NFC East rivalry. The Eagles are the defending division champions and Super Bowl finalist.

They have the best record in the NFC.

And they are a team the Cowboys must overcome if they want to win the division and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

“It’s got enough meaning in the sense of who they are, them being in the division, having the success they’ve had over the past couple of years, being a great team, being great on offense and defense, and makes them a Super Bowl contender,” said quarterback Dak Prescott, who is 8-3 in his career against the Eagles. “But this rivalry has enough, even when these two teams aren’t playing this well, this game is still one people look forward to. I damn sure do. Especially playing in Philly. It’s a great one.”

It’s also one that the Cowboys must find a way to win.

They didn’t show up against the 49ers. And now they have another chance to make a statement.

“We’re not going to sugarcoat it like the Eagles don’t have a good team,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said. “They’re one of the best teams in the league, and if we want to solidify ourselves and say who we are and beat our chest, we have to come out with this win.”

To a man, the Cowboys say the 49ers game is behind them. But there are lessons they learned in the loss and how they prepared that them set up for a potential better showing against the Eagles.

They all challenged themselves to be better and it has showed in two consecutive wins against the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams.

“You know, as much as I challenged myself, so many men in the locker room, this building, coaches, everyone did,” Prescott said. “That wasn’t one that you come out of that game and it was this unit’s fault or that unit’s fault or any finger pointing, whether through position groups. Everybody could come back and take something away from that that they didn’t well, they didn’t plan well, they didn’t prepare the right way as we should have. And moreso than anything we didn’t answer the way within that game that we expect to and the standard that we hold ourselves too and the mentality.

“There was a lot. Credit those guys for answering that. Been better preparation. The weekly process has been better and guys are really dialed into the process, enjoying the process each day, taking it in that manner to put ourselves and have put ourselves in a good spot since.”

And now the Cowboys can prove it in Philadelphia.

“We don’t wanna put out the same feeling that we put out versus San Fran.” receiver CeeDee Lamb said.

Jones has even come around to hyping the importance of Sunday’s game.

“I heard someone say, ‘Well, this will be a good measuring stick.’ This isn’t about measuring sticks right here,” Jones said. “There’s a time when you have to quit measuring and just try to go get the win. Because the win itself means so much. This is what you’re supposed to be doing it all for. This is like the playoffs.”

What to watch Sunday:

Who wins the turnover battle

Much has been about Prescott leading the NFL in turnovers last season.

He had 15 in 12 games.

But Prescott has just five interceptions to 10 touchdowns in 2023 in leading the Cowboys to a 5-2 mark.

And three of touchdowns came in one game.

It’s Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts who has the turnover problem so far this season with eight (he has 13 touchdown passes). He also has three fumbles.

Keep in mind that the Eagles defense has just four interceptions this season and ranks 26th against the pass. The Cowboys defense is fourth in the league in takeaways and has recorded nine interceptions, including a league-leading three pick-6’s by cornerback Deron Bland.

Can the Cowboys stop the tush push

One of the biggest concerns for any team facing the Eagles is to stop Hurts on the quarterback sneak — better known as the tush push, on 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1.

It is has been nearly unstoppable, especially at the goal line.

Hurts has six rushing touchdowns on the season primarily because of the tush push. He leg presses more than 500 pounds. Center Jason Kelce is a former wrestler who knows who the use leverage and get low. And the backs push Hurts from behind.

It’s not only an impossible play to stop but it’s one you can’t simulate in practice to prepare for it because you don’t want put your players in harm’s way.

Lawrence is not spending any time worry about it. He said the Cowboys job is to keep the Eagles out of 3rd-and-1.

“The Tush Push does not matter to me,” said Lawrence. “That’s one play an entire game, and if we let one play beat us [that means] we’ve got way more to worry about than a Tush Push.”

“If you want to stop [it], don’t let them get down there,” Lawrence said.

Said edge rusher Micah Parsons: “We’ve just got to go out there and be aggressive. I don’t think there’s a real answer. You’ve just got to stop it. You’ve got to win first and second down. Not even letting them get to fourth-and-one, things like that, and get off the field on third down. We just can’t even let them get in that position.

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb will target Eagles pass defense

McCarthy said the biggest difference in the Cowboys offense that past couple of weeks is that has finally cut Prescott loose as a passer.

And that must be game plan against the Eagles on Sunday.

The Cowboys running game remains a work in progress and there is no reason to run into a brick wall that is the Eagles defense, which ranks first in the NFL against the run, giving up just 65 yards per game.

Again, the Eagles are 26th against the pass and that is area the Cowboys will target with Prescott and Lamb playing as well as any duo on the NFL.

When targeted by Prescott, Lamb has a passer rating of 131.6, third best in the league.

He has caught 46 of 56 passes thrown his way, an 82.1 % reception percentage that leads the NFL.

And with Eagles slot cornerback Bradley Roby out for the game with neck, Lamb should be able to feast against on Sunday.

Cowboys must contain Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown

The Cowboys must slow the Eagles rushing attack first and foremost.

But the most dangerous part of the Eagles is Hurts throwing to receiver A.J. Brown, who is put himself in the middle of the MVP conversation.

Brown has 939 receiving yards through eight games. He’s the first player in league history with six straight games of 125 yards or more. He’s on pace for 1,995, which would be a new record.

The Cowboys will have Bland or cornerback Stephon Gilmore on Brown, who is big, fast and explosive after the catch.

But the best way to limit Brown is get heat on Hurts, who playing with a brace on his knee.

The Cowboys have to keep Hurts in the pocket and off the edge where he is most dangerous.

And they must get him on the ground with Parsons and the other pass rushers.