The Cowboys are in need of a win in a bad way to right the ship on a season that is starting to slip away from them following back-to-back losses to the Buccaneers and Packers. Now at 2-4, next up is the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, who are also struggling at 2-4 and will be playing with some new faces due to injuries.
Jalen Hurts is out for the remainder of the season with blood clots in his lungs, which means that third- year pro out of Stanford, Tanner McKee, will be under center Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
McKee and Philly are coming off a 25-14 loss to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. He went 26-of-45 for 215 yards passing and a touchdown.
It's imperative that the Cowboys take advantage of a banged-up Eagles squad on the road and reel in win number three and get back in the hunt to win a wide-open NFC East. Here are some keys to coming away from the City of Brotherly Love with a big victory and reversing the negative vibes surrounding the team.
3 keys to a Cowboys victory over the Eagles
1. Take advantage of all the Eagles' injuries
The Cowboys didn't take advantage of getting to face Tampa Bay's backup QB Jalon Daniels two weeks ago. They have to jump on the inexperienced Tanner McKee early and not allow him to get into any kind of rhythm. The Eagles will be without Hurts, receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontavyion Wicks, RBs Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley and All-Pro left guard Landon Dickerson.
Saquon Barkley, who is having his worst year as a pro and is questionable to suit up with a hamstring issue. If Barkley can't go, it will be Dameon Pierce getting the majority of the totes, and the Cowboys have to continue to improve their tackling. They were better against the Packers, but have to bring even more effort to wrap up backup skill players like Pierce and receivers Darius Cooper and Hollywood Brown in space.
2. Exploit a weak Eagles secondary with explosive plays
The Eagles come into Monday night's game with the 25th-ranked passing defense that yields 244.5 yards per game. Safety Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps have been vulnerable to the big play, and normally reliable corner Quinyon Mitchell and nickelback Cooper Dejean haven't had good seasons thus far.
The Eagles also haven't been able to get to the quarterback as well as they have in the past. They have only 8 sacks through 6 games, which is tied for second-to-last in the league. Only Miami has fewer, with 4. Dak Prescott should have time in the pocket to allow CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy to get to the top of their routes and create separation.
3. Neutralize the big interior of the Eagles defensive line
Whenever you play Philadelphia, former Georgia Bulldogs Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis will be looking to establish themselves down in the trenches. These two have been playing together for 8 years in both college and the NFL, and can wreak havoc if you aren't physical with them at the point of attack. Carter has three sacks and five tackles for loss and is widely considered one of the top interior linemen in the league.
The Eagles are without their best pass rusher, Nolan Smith Jr. (another Georgia Bulldog), so the Cowboys will be getting another big break because of the injury. Their best linebacker is their green-dot captain, Zack Baun, who has already notched 42 tackles, second behind fellow LB Jihaad Campbell.
Make no mistake, this is a reeling Eagles team that has just lost their All-Pro, Super Bowl MVP-winning QB, Hurts, for the year, and possibly longer. Their roster has been ravaged by injury.
The Cowboys should win this game and simply have to have it to avoid going 2-5 and putting themselves squarely behind the eight ball.
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