The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will play in the one-o’clock window in a crowded week of NFL action. The league removed the game from the late window in favor of the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers divisional matchup. This move is likely due to Jalen Hurts’s inability to play. Hurts suffered a concussion early in the game against the Washington Commanders, which the Eagles would lose in the final seconds.
That game effectively ended the slim hopes the Eagles had at the one seed. However, this outcome will likely allow the Eagles to rest their starters in week 18. So Jalen Hurts’s regular season is all but over at this point.
The Dallas Cowboys also had one of their stars recently shut down for the regular season. CeeDee Lamb’s season is over due to a shoulder injury he played through on Sunday Night Football. He appeared to aggravated on a long catch. He stayed in the rest of the drive, which led to an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown. However, his season is now over as Lamb and the Cowboys turn their focus to 2025.
Hurts and Lamb being injured, coupled with one of the lowest projected totals on the slate. It only made sense to move this game to an earlier time slot. Kenny Pickett will now try to capture an NFC East crown for the Eagles. Pickett didn’t look fantastic in relief, and the interception was the only real blemish for Pickett. Sure, the team didn’t move the ball as well as they do with Hurts, but that shouldn’t be the expectation for Pickett.
The final score does not tell the whole story for Pickett and the offense. It was a tough day after the Washington Commanders came back despite turning over the ball five times. It was a rough showing for the team, but after losing their starting quarterback, they took it down to the wire. The narrative might also differ if some plays went the team’s way. There is no time to play the “what if” game, as a win here would secure some much-needed rest for the Eagles.
Get in Rhythm
The Cowboys have looked better lately, so this game isn’t a sure thing. Especially with Jalen Hurts out of the lineup. The Eagles are still seven-point favorites, and deservedly so. Even with their recent win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they still have to come into Philadelphia without their star receiver. The Cowboys are down several pieces, including Lamb, Dak Prescott, and others.
No matter the case or injuries, the offense has to find some rhythm. The Cowboys neutralized Mike Evans by shading a safety in his direction. Jalen McMillan had his third solid game in a row in response to the added attention on Evans. The Cowboys can’t afford to do that to A.J. Brown on the outside. So, their game plan will be a little different.
This Philadelphia Eagles team with Hurts made quick work when the sun was out of their eyes in Dallas. Will the team be able to establish that kind of dominance the second time around? That will fall on Saquon Barkley and the offensive line.
The Cowboys are currently the fifth-worst rushing defense in the league. Barkley is hunting for the rushing record and could make a substantial dent in his chase if Kenny Pickett could get the Cowboys to respect the passing game.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith could help with some quick timing routes that they hopefully got to work on this week in practice. However, this seems like a Saquon game with him being this close to the record and no Jalen Hurts. Bucky Irving found success on the ground last Sunday night, and Saquon Barkley should be able to do the same.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys Prediction
I was pretty confident with my prediction last week. From the early feel of the game, it seemed like the Eagles were heading that way. However, injuries happen, and the Eagles are locked into the two-seed.
This week, I am going to go bold. I believe Saquon Barkley registers 180 yards on the ground. That will make sports talk shows all that more interesting, being less than 100 yards from the record and potentially resting. He would also be going against his former team to break the record potentially. As for the score of this game, my prediction is it ends 24-14 Eagles, with Saquon scoring twice.
Even without Hurts, this Philadelphia Eagles team is still very talented. They will likely be without Nakobe Dean on defense, but we should trust this team.
Last week was rough, but it was good for this team to face some adversity before the playoffs. I wish it was with our starting quarterback, though. The Eagles should return to their winning ways this weekend against a Dallas team also dealing with their own injuries.
Hopefully, we hear some positive news on Jalen Hurts during the week leading up to that Giants game. As for now, it is Kenny Pickett’s time, a kid who grew up an Eagles fan who now gets to lead the Eagles to a possible division crown over the Dallas Cowboys. It’s safe to say that’s what dreams are made of.
