Sunday Night Football Preview
- Dallas Cowboys (4-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
- Line: Eagles (-6.5) | O/U 42
The Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys in an early-season NFC East showdown at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles remained unbeaten last week with a narrow road win over the Arizona Cardinals. A dominant Cowboys’ defense held the Los Angeles Rams scoreless in the second half to help Dallas extend its winning streak to four games.
Team Breakdowns
The Cowboys will look to exploit an Eagles’ defensive unit that allows 5.0 yards per rush in a matchup with an over/under of 42. Philadelphia’s fifth-ranked ground attack squares off against a Dallas run defense ranked 18th. The Cowboys have won the last three meetings and pounded the Eagles 51-26 last season in the regular season finale. Dak Prescott tossed five touchdowns in the lopsided win. Gardner Minshew was under center for the Eagles but managed only 186 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The Cowboys:
Dallas is unbeaten since dropping the season-opening game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys knocked off the Rams in Week 5 but managed just 102 passing yards and 10 first downs. Dallas’ subpar offense averages a paltry 18.6 points and ranks near the bottom of the league in total yards with 310.4 per contest.
Cooper Rush has played turnover-free football with Prescott on the shelf. The undrafted sixth-year quarterback has completed 61 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions in 118 passing attempts.
The backfield duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard racked up 164 rushing yards last week against Los Angeles. Pollard broke loose on a go-ahead 57-yard touchdown run and averages 5.6 yards on 44 carries. Elliott tallied 78 yards against the Rams and has run for 305 yards and one score on 81 rushing attempts.
CeeDee Lamb is the top receiver with 28 receptions for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Noah Brown has caught 19 passes and a score, while tight end Dalton Schultz has nine catches in limited action.
The Cowboys have a stout defense that allows the third-fewest points. Second-year linebacker Micah Parsons has posted a league-high six sacks for a squad that ranks second with 20 quarterback takedowns. Dorance Armstrong and DeMarcus Lawrence have recorded four and three sacks, respectively.
Dallas’ defense ranks seventh in total yards (311.4) and eighth in passing yards (193.8). Safety Donovan Wilson has a team-high 31 solo tackles, and cornerback Trevon Diggs leads the Dallas secondary with two interceptions.
The Eagles:
Philadelphia is the last unbeaten team in the NFL heading into Week 6. The Eagles survived a late rally from the Cardinals last week and have the league’s second-ranked offense with 431.8 yards an outing. Philadelphia averages 27 points and features a rushing attack ranked fifth with 160 yards a game.
Dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts has passed for 1,359 yards and four touchdowns and has tallied 266 yards and six scores on the ground. The third-year field general has posted three rushing touchdowns over the past two games but has not thrown a scoring pass since Week 3.
Miles Sanders is the fourth-leading rusher in the league after five games. The fourth-year running back has 414 yards with three scores on 87 carries and is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
A.J. Brown headlines a talented trio of pass catchers with DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Brown has caught 28 passes for a team-high 436 yards and one touchdown, while Smith has racked up 353 yards on 28 receptions. Goedert has 24 catches, 335 yards, and one touchdown.
The Eagles have the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense and have limited opposing teams to 13.2 points over the past four weeks. Haason Reddick has posted a team-best 4.5 sacks, and Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox have registered three sacks.
Cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry have notched two interceptions apiece, and linebacker T.J. Edwards leads Philadelphia with 41 total tackles.
Cowboys vs. Eagles Prediction
Both squads feature dominant defenses that have struggled to stop enemy ground attacks. Hurts is a threat with his legs but has a talented group of receivers that will pose problems for Dallas. Rush has yet to prove he can consistently move the chains with his arm.
The game will be a low-scoring affair, and the team that protects the pigskin the best will be the favorite. The Eagles have the potential for big plays and should win the game unless Dallas forces Hurt into several turnovers.
Dallas has a one-dimensional offense without Prescott and will need a few big running plays to pull off the upset. But in a hostile environment against a Philadelphia squad that is playing at a high level on both sides of the ball, the Cowboys do not have enough offensive power to beat the Eagles.
Prediction: Philadelphia 20, Dallas 13
Sports Betting 101
Marvin is a sports fanatic who enjoys writing, daily fantasy sports, and coaching baseball. The native Texan loves traveling overseas and experiencing new cultures. Marvin is an avid fisherman and his favorite hobby is cooking Asian cuisine with his wife. People-watching at outdoor cafes, visiting different zoos, and watching vintage wrestling videos are among his favorite pastimes. He is fascinated with King Cobras, the Himalayan mountains, and the street dogs of Bhutan. His favorite TV shows include The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, and Have Gun – Will Travel. Marvin has coached baseball in Switzerland, Philippines, Brunei, and Bhutan.
