Dak Prescott destroying Matt Patricia’s Lions should excite Cowboys fans for Eagles’ new era

Until further notice, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are looking up at the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. That could change as soon as next season, however, as the reigning conference champs endured myriad losses this offseason to both their roster and coaching staff.

After losing defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, the Eagles went out and hired former Lions head coach and longtime Patriots staffer Matt Patricia as a senior defensive assistant.

The hire sparked laughs throughout Cowboys Twitter, and understandably so given how Patricia has fared since he left New England in 2018.

Once viewed as one of the league's brightest defensive minds, Patricia's Lions defenses were a trainwreck, to put it kindly.

That's no secret to Prescott and the Cowboys, who have owned Patricia's defenses over the years. In fact, a video is making the rounds on Twitter of one of Prescott's best career regular season games against Patricia's Lions in 2019.

Look at the ease in which Prescott sliced and diced the Lions.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has owned new Eagles assistant Matt Patricia

Patricia never had the personnel in Detroit that he now has with the Eagles, but that doesn't paper over his disastrous Lions tenure. He compiled a 13-29-1 record in three seasons before getting fired, and funnily enough Detroit hired him after his Patriots defense allowed 41 points to the Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

Perhaps Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history, was the true mastermind behind the Patriots' dynastic defenses?

It's important to note that Patricia isn't taking over Philly's defense entirely. Sean Desai, who served as the Seahawks associate defensive head coach in 2022, replaces Gannon as defensive coordinator, but Patricia seemingly will have a major say in game prep and scheme as a senior assitant.

That's music to Prescott's ears.

In 2018, Prescott went 17-of-27 for 255 yards and two touchdowns to zero interceptions. The Cowboys offense tallied 414 total yards in the win. In 2019, Prescott went 29-of-46 for 444 yards and three TDs to zero picks. Dallas' 509 yards of offense was the second-most any Patricia-coached team has ever allowed.

Prescott has never lost to the Eagles in his career and is fresh off throwing for 347 yards, 3 touchdowns (and admittedly an ugly INT) in Dallas' Christmas Eve win over the full-strength Eagles.

Now, he gets an abbreviated version of that unit with Patricia pulling the strings.