Down CeeDee Lamb and myriad other high-profile players, the Dallas Cowboys have their work cut out against the Philadelphia Eagles.
A brutal Cooper Rush pick-six in the first quarter has been the difference so far. However, Rush responded with authority, connecting with Jalen Tolbert on a goal-line fade against star rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
The Cowboys have put up a good fight against their largely healthy rival, but Philadelphia's offense has found a rhythm after a sluggish start. While Saquon Barkley has been held in check by Mike Zimmer's defense, Kenny Picket has hurt Dallas by making plays off-script.
Zimmer's secondary has prevented A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith from taking over the game, but it didn't take long for Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to identify the weak spot in the defense: cornerback Andrew Booth.
Andrew Booth is killing the Cowboys once again vs. the Eagles
Andrew Booth has been a disaster all year.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) December 29, 2024
Booth was acquired in a preseason trade with the Vikings. It looked like a nifty piece of business at the time as Dallas sent fellow cornerback Nahshon Wright back to Minnesota. A former third-round pick, Wright had fallen out of favor under Zimmer. It was a low-risk move.
While Wright has only appeared in one game this season, Booth has managed to stick around the entire campaign despite consistent poor play.
After a Jake Ferguson fumble, Booth allowed a wide-open touchdown to DeVonta Smith in the second quarter that extended Philly's lead to 14-7. That came after Booth was flagged for illegal contact on Smith that wiped out a Marist Liufau forced fumble on Kenny Pickett. While Dallas didn't recover the fumble, it would have pushed the Eagles back at least 15 yards.
As we were writing this, Booth allowed a 49-yard reception to Smith, who established at least five yards of separation on the play. It was initially ruled a touchdown, but Smith's knee was down on the half-yard line thanks to Booth's last-ditch tackle. Pickett converted a QB sneak two plays later to give Philly a 24-7 halftime lead.
It is worth noting that Booth hasn't started every game. He's bounced between the practice squad and active roster all season and he's only starting Sunday because Trevon Diggs is out and Amani Oruwariye was put on IR.
However, Dallas should have moved on months ago. They could have easily scooped up another cornerback off waivers, but this front office has a penchant to keep trade acquisitions around for too long regardless of performance.
The Cowboys would have been hard-pressed to beat the Eagles even if Booth brought his A-game, but the 24-year-old has been the single biggest detriment to their upset bid.