Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles: Week 6 Know Thy Enemy

What We’ve Seen and Possible Gameplan Against Dallas

Once again the Cowboys will be entering the game as an underdog, this time in a game that will determine who’s the top dog in the division.

The Eagles offensively have been putting up good numbers so far this season scoring an average of 27 points per game which has them fifth in the NFL in scoring. The addition of A.J. Brown to this offense has added the big-bodied, big-play threat this team has been looking for.

Pair that with speedy receiver DeVonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert catching passes down the middle of the field, and a strong running game led by Miles Saunders, and you’ve got a nice group of weapons to work with. That’s exactly what quarterback Jalen Hurts has been able to do.

Hurts is playing at a high level, completing 67% of his passes so far this season and also using his legs to run for 266 yards and six touchdowns. Now, as good as this offense has been on paper, we’ve also seen them struggle in games this season.

Detroit, Jacksonville, and Arizona all had them on their heels at one point or another in games thanks to effective pass rushing. Right now, Hurts has been sacked 11 times this season, but teams aren’t blitzing him as much as they should be.

The reason is that Hurts is currently playing behind this banged-up offensive line, and you know that this Dallas coaching staff is ready to bring the heat against another banged-up offensive line. The Eagles also know that Hurts isn’t the best at handling pass rushes with the consistency of most other quarterbacks around the league.

So to combat this threat, the Eagles have been very effective in balancing their rushing attack and passing attack to keep defenses honest and not let them pin their ears back and hunt the quarterback.

They also used a lot more RPOs to force defensive ends into making split-second decisions that allow Hurts to use his legs and pick up yardage. Against Dallas, they are going to continue that strategy but they are going to need to get the ball out of Hurt’s hands quickly and that involves more short passes as they try to protect Hurts. You can also expect them to try and take advantage of Smith’s speed on the outside against Anthony Brown who struggled at times against faster receivers last season.

The Eagles offense is going to be a tough matchup for the Cowboys, but if they still have issues with the offensive line going into this game, then look for a lot of pressure to be placed on Hurts’ shoulders to be smart with the football — something that hasn’t always been the case in these type of situations. If the Cowboys defensive line can win in the trenches, then Dallas will be able to win this game.