Eagles and Cowboys square off in NFC East showdown
DALLAS (5-2) at PHILADELPHIA (7-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m., EST, FOX
BETTING LINE: Eagles by 3, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Dallas 5-2; Philadelphia 4-2-2
SERIES RECORD: Dallas leads 70-54.
LAST MEETING: On Dec. 24, 2022, the Cowboys defeated the Eagles in Dallas 40-34, but without Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts, who was sidelined by a shoulder injury.
LAST WEEK: Cowboys beat the Rams 43-20; Eagles won at Washington 38-31.
EAGLES OFFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (7), PASS (7), SCORING (3).
EAGLES DEFENSE: OVERALL (8), RUSH (1), PASS (26), SCORING (19).
COWBOYS OFFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (11), PASS (16), SCORING (2).
COWBOYS DEFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (18), PASS (4), SCORING (4).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Cowboys plus-6; Eagles minus-3.
EAGLES PLAYER TO WATCH: WR A.J. Brown has caught passes for at least 125 yards in an NFL record six straight games. He ranks second in the league in receiving yards (939) and fourth in catches (60). Against Washington last week, Brown had eight receptions for 130 yards and two TDs, the first of which was a 16-yard, one-handed grab.
COWBOYS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR CeeDee Lamb set career highs for catches and receiving yards with 12 for 158 while adding a pair of TDs against the Rams. Lamb, a former teammate of Hurts at Oklahoma, has 19 catches for 275 yards in his past two games.
KEY MATCHUP: Eagles secondary vs. Lamb. Dallas secondary vs. Brown. Offenses have had success throwing against coordinator Sean Desai’s Philadelphia defense, which allows 247.5 yards per game. The Cowboys have been stingier, with 178.6 passing yards per game allowed.
KEY INJURIES: Cowboys LT Tyron Smith (neck) didn’t play against the Rams. ... Hurts played through a left knee injury that limited his running, but didn’t hamper his passing against the Commanders. … DT Jalen Carter (back) left in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Commanders, but was a full participant at Wednesday’s walkthrough. CB Bradley Roby (shoulder) has missed two straight games and sat out Wednesday’s practice. TE Grant Calcaterra (concussion) also was out during the midweek practice.
SERIES NOTES: The longtime rivals renew their battle for NFC East supremacy that seemingly has gone through Dallas or Philadelphia for the past two decades. The Cowboys have won four of the past five meetings.
STATS AND STUFF: Cowboys CB DaRon Bland is one pick-6 away from tying the NFL record of four in a season. Bland had a 30-yard return of Matthew Stafford’s pass last week against Los Angeles. … Dallas K Brandon Aubrey needs one more field goal for an NFL record for consecutive makes to start a career. The 28-year-old rookie has hit 18 consecutive kicks. ... Philadelphia has started 7-1 or better through eight games for the ninth time in club history. … The Eagles are 24-2 in the past 26 regular-season games started by Hurts. Philadelphia’s QB is second in the NFL in total TDs (19) and third in total yards (2,420). He was 29 of 38 for 319 yards and four TDs without an INT and a 135.7 passer rating against Washington last week, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.. … Philadelphia’s 50 percent third down completion rate is tops in the NFL. … The Eagles rank second in the league in time of possession (33:49). … RB D’Andre Swift has combined for 263 yards in the past five games, cooling after a hot start. The Eagles haven’t rushed for 100 yards in three straight games. … DE Haason Reddick had the game-clinching sack against the Commanders and ranks eighth in the league with 6½ sacks.
FANTASY TIP: Philadelphia backup RB Kenneth Gainwell was criticized for his fumble in the red zone against Washington, followed by his reaction on social media to a fan during halftime. Coach Nick Sirianni has backed Gainwell, and don’t be surprised if he gets some primary touches in the red zone this week. If he’s available on your waiver wire, Gainwell might be a good addition for a backup spot in your lineup this week.
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