Eagles beat writers make their predictions for the Cowboys game

The Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Here are the game predictions from the beat writers.

The 5-2 Cowboys have had some high highs (a 40-0 shutout of the New York Giants in Week 1, for example) and low lows (a 28-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 and a 42-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5). On the whole, they have been playing strong football, boasting the second-ranked scoring offense and fourth-ranked defense in points allowed. Unlike the Eagles, they’re winning the turnover battle, forking the ball over just seven times (fifth in the league) while forcing 13 turnovers (fourth in the league).

Still, they’re not infallible, and they’re certainly not unbeatable. One of the common themes of note in the two Cowboys losses this season is that opposing offenses ran the ball with great success. The Cardinals racked up a staggering 222 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries and the 49ers collected 170 passing yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries.

While dominating in the run game against the Cowboys may not be the only way to win, the prospect of doing so falls at an interesting time for the Eagles.

Last week against the Washington Commanders, the Eagles’ run game was lackluster, picking up a season-low 59 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. It’s worth noting that quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is dealing with a left knee injury, posted a career-low (as a starter) 6 rushing yards on four carries, with two of them being kneel-downs and another being the failed “tush push” that resulted in a fumble.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts has grown as a passer, and the Eagles are winning without heavily relying on the run game

On the flip side, Hurts had his best day of the season as a passer (319 passing yards, four touchdowns, 135.7 passer rating). Coach Nick Sirianni said that the Eagles’ lack of a run game was more about opportunities in the passing game. Still, the run game wasn’t efficient over the last two games, as the Eagles picked up just 2.9 and 2.7 yards per carry against the Miami Dolphins and the Commanders, respectively, the two lowest clips of the season.

Can the Eagles get the run game going against the Cowboys? Can Hurts contribute in that area? D’Andre Swift showed in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he can be a workhorse in the run game (205 rushing yards total), and perhaps we see his resurgence on Sunday.

Despite the knee problem, Hurts has been playing some of his best football in the pocket lately. If the offensive line can contain pass rusher Micah Parsons, if the secondary can keep wide receiver CeeDee Lamb from doing too much damage, and if the Eagles generate a positive turnover differential, they should head into the bye with a win.

Prediction: Eagles 28, Cowboys 24

» READ MORE: What the Cowboys are saying about the Eagles ahead of Sunday’s NFC East showdown

Let’s set aside all the pomp and circumstance attached to every Eagles-Cowboys matchup, because this game has legitimate stakes on its own.

The Eagles could plant themselves firmly in charge of the NFC East and the conference as a whole with a win, which would put them 2.5 games ahead of the Cowboys going into their bye week. A loss, though, would give Dallas a chance to erase the gap between the two teams by the time the Eagles play their next game, later in November.

This game will likely come down to the Eagles’ elite offense against Dallas’ elite defense. The Cowboys rank third in efficiency by FTN Fantasy, which measures defense-adjusted value over average and have managed that success using a heavy dose of man coverage under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Quinn is one of the few defensive play-callers still fond of the Cover-3 looks that have gone out of style a bit in recent years. It works for Dallas, though, bouncing between man-to-man with a single safety playing center field and dropping three defensive backs over the top.

Man coverage is usually a bad idea against a mobile quarterback like Hurts, but Hurts’ knee injury may make it more effective for the Cowboys. Even though Hurts had one of his best games as a passer last week, his mobility will be even more important if available this weekend.

As will generating explosive plays, which are easier to achieve against a scheme like the Cowboys’. Like most weeks, there’s reason to feel good about A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith creating big plays, albeit against a capable cornerback duo consisting of red-hot DaRon Bland and veteran Stephon Gilmore. As talented as Parsons is, the Eagles have bookend tackles particularly for games like these. The Eagles’ track record against Parsons supports this: The star edge rusher has just a half sack in three games against them in his career.

Good offense typically edges good defense, and this Cowboys group has been edged before. I think the Eagles can score.

On the other side of the ball, things are a little more dubious. Lamb lines up in the slot about two-thirds of the time, which means he’ll likely see a good amount of Sydney Brown or Eli Ricks. Ricks has overachieved this year, but that’s a daunting matchup for a group that just surrendered 31 points to a lowly Washington offense.

» READ MORE: The Eagles defense hopes to rise to the occasion against another top passer in Dak Prescott

Taking away Dak Prescott’s first read and getting the pass rush involved will be paramount for the defense. Easier said than done, though. I think the Cowboys will be able to move the ball, but their 29th-ranked red-zone offense suggests they may not be able to keep pace with the Eagles offense.

All of this to say, this has the makings of a high-scoring game. I picked these two teams to split going into the season and I still think that will be the case. In the first matchup, give me the home team.

Prediction: Eagles 31, Cowboys 26

The Eagles have historically struggled with defending Prescott at home. But they’ve never had this complete a roster in those previous matchups.

Last year, the coaching staff showed it was capable of successfully game- planning against Parsons. Without Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys’ pass defense is still playing at a high level. The Eagles counter with perhaps the hottest connection in the NFL right now in Hurts-Brown. The complete recipe to victory, though, should involve a healthy dose of Swift, who ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards. The Eagles have obvious reasons to fall in love with the pass, but this Cowboys defense is susceptible to allowing big gains on the ground, and Swift should be looking to take full advantage.

Defensive coordinator Sean Desai has displayed the ability to frustrate some of the league’s top passers in the Rams’ Matthew Stafford and the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa. Coach Nick Sirianni described how Prescott is playing at an incredibly high level, but he also has been turnover-prone at various points of his career. The Eagles haven’t won the turnover battle in past weeks — they’ll likely need to turn that script if they want to have a chance of increasing their lead for first place in the NFC East.

The Eagles are the best team in football. They’re bound to drop another game over their next month and a half, but the bet here is they head into the bye with their chins held high.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Cowboys 21

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