Photo Courtesy: Scott Ellis
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys
Sunday – December 10 – 7:20 p.m.
TV: NBC
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Records Before the Game
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2, 5-1 Away)
Dallas Cowboys (9-3, 6-0 Home)
This will be one of the highest viewed games of the season. The winner of this game will have a share of 1st place in the conference, while the losing team will be relegated to 3rd or 4th place in the NFC. Both teams play in the NFC East and the San Francisco 49ers are sitting pretty in 2nd place in the conference. Keep in mind that San Francisco has a win over both teams. Dallas is undefeated at home with a 6-o record while the Eagles has only one loss on the road this year. This game will be a good one from start to finish. Let’s take a closer look at this week’s Cowboys/Eagles rivalry game deep in the heart of Texas.
Keep Your Eyes Opened
Head official John Hussey will take the lead as referee for this game. The Eagles are 7-0 when he referees, including last year’s Monday Night Football game against the Cowboys and the NFC Championship game. In those games, the Eagles have been penalized only six times compared to their opponents 21 flags tossed against them.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have a very talented roster. You can say that they are the team to beat in the NFC. As of right now, the road to the Super Bowl leads right through Philadelphia. The Eagles offense averages about 27 points per game while the defense gives up 24 points on average per game. That’s pretty close between the two sides of the ball. Here’s the thing with Philadelphia, they get stronger as the game gets longer. The Eagles have a way of having success with their in-game adjustments. This is why they have been successful over the past 3 seasons coincidentally Jalen Hurts has been the starting quarterback during this same timeframe. I believe that the Eagles will game plan a lot of intermediate to deep passing routes against the Cowboys since they have a couple of great receivers in DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. The x-factor for this team will be the offensive line this week. They have to protect Hurts in this one for the passing game to be effective.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys will need to come out and play hard and smart! The last time these two teams met, Dallas lost by 5 points on the road in Philadelphia. Dallas had 406 total yards and gave up 292 to the Eagles. Dallas had more first downs 27-20 and the only turnover cost Dallas in the end. The defense will play a huge factor in this game. Linebacker Micah Parsons will need to move freely along the defensive line. It’s time for DeMarcus Lawrence to make some noise this season. Keep an eye on the offensive line opening holes for the Dallas running backs. The only way to beat a good team is to control the clock. Dallas cannot fall behind the sticks with costly penalties.
Prediction
ESPN has the Cowboys with a 65.2% chance of winning at home and taking control of the NFC East. The over/under is 51.5, so take the over in this one. I’m taking Dallas by 9!
Final Score
Cowboys – 36
Eagles – 27
