Nov 17, 2017
Cowboys dealing with suspension, injuries ahead of Eagles clash
The Dallas Cowboys are on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff picture. A win over one of their biggest rivals this weekend could go a long way towards changing that.
The Dallas Cowboys are on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff picture. A win over one of their biggest rivals this weekend could go a long way towards changing that.
Dallas will host the Philadelphia Eagles in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season so far on Sunday Night Football. At 5-4, the Cowboys are three games back of Philadelphia in the NFC East and one game back of the Seattle Seahawks for the final NFC wild-card spot. They need a win in prime time to avoid falling any further off the playoff pace.
Second-year quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz will be in the spotlight when they take the field Sunday night. The 33 combined wins between Prescott (18) and Wentz (15) are the most combined wins by quarterbacks entering a meeting within their first two seasons in the Super Bowl era. Prescott is 5-0 at home in prime-time games. While he needs to be the Cowboys best player, Prescott will need some help if Dallas is going to beat the Eagles in Week 11.
While running back Ezekiel Elliott’s absence is a substantial blow, there is another major concern that the Cowboys need to correct following last week’s 27-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Prescott was sacked eight times in the loss to Atlanta, including a franchise-record six sacks recorded by Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who attacked from the quarterback’s blindside. Left tackle Tyron Smith missed that game and could remain sidelined with a groin injury this week. If Smith can’t play, Dallas likely turns to Byron Bell after he replaced Chaz Green at left tackle versus Atlanta. Bell didn’t play at all last season and was inactive for three games before being forced in to action last week. Ineffective play at left tackle absolutely crippled the Cowboys offence against the Falcons. The coaching staff needs to adjust against a dangerous Eagles pass rush in order to give the offence a chance this weekend.
Philadelphia ranks in the top-10 in the NFL with 25.0 sacks this season, so Dallas will need to account for their ability to get after the quarterback. Four different defensive ends have recorded at least 2.5 sacks for the Eagles this season. One of the biggest surprises from last week’s loss to Atlanta was the coaching staff’s decision not to adjust and provide additional help for Green or Bell at the left tackle position. When Smith is healthy, the Cowboys rarely slide help in his direction.
However, neither Green nor Bell is the same calibre of tackle as Smith, so in order to compensate they need additional help on the outside. The coaching staff has several options at its disposal. The team could opt to keep an extra tight end in to block or chip next to the left tackle. Another option is to slide protection towards Bell while keeping a running back in for additional protection.
Dallas has allowed 3.3 sacks per game in four games without Smith over the last two seasons compared to just 1.6 sacks per game when Smith is in the lineup. The bottom line is that the Cowboys need to do a better job of protecting Prescott against the Eagles. If they don’t, it could be another long day for the Dallas offence.
As for the Cowboys rushing attack without Elliott, it won’t matter who is available to run the football if they’re forced to play from behind. Alfred Morris averaged 4.8 yards per carry while rushing for 53 yards against the Falcons. However, Dallas fell behind by double-digits in the third quarter and Morris was limited to 11 touches.
It won’t be a surprise if Dallas commits to giving Morris and Rod Smith a heavy workload early on against Philadelphia in an attempt to establish the run and take some of the pressure off of Prescott and the pass protection. However, the Eagles own the top-ranked run defence in the NFL, so moving the football efficiently on the ground will be another difficult test.
On the other side of the football, the Eagles offence will look to build off its most dominant performance of the season after scoring 51 points in a lopsided win over the Denver Broncos in Week 9. Philadelphia owns the second-highest scoring offence in the NFL and has put up at least 33 points in each of its last three wins. With an extra week of preparation following the bye, the Eagles offence could feature a few unexpected wrinkles this weekend.
Carson Wentz has thrown a league-high 23 touchdowns while averaging 251.0 passing yards per game in his second season. One of the biggest knocks on Wentz throughout his rookie year was his lack of touch on short to intermediate passing routes. While he was a capable deep ball thrower, Wentz routinely sailed passes intended to travel within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage over the heads of his targets.
The short-to-intermediate passing game is where Wentz has demonstrated the biggest improvement this season. According to Pro Football Focus, his 135.5 passer rating on intermediate throws is the best in the NFL.
Coaching has played an integral role in Wentz’s development as a passer, particularly when it comes to Doug Pederson’s desire for him to excel in three-step drop-back concepts. Wentz leads the league with 73 completions for 698 yards and nine touchdowns on three-step drop-back throws this season. Pederson’s emphasis on a quick passing attack has forced Wentz to make quicker decisions with the football. Wentz’s improvement throwing those short to intermediate passes has resulted in the Eagles’ offence becoming that much more efficient.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Pederson deploys running backs LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi versus Dallas. Ajayi had eight carries for 77 yards and a touchdown in his debut for Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago. Blount had nine carries for 37 yards while Corey Clement had 12 carries for 51 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles have a versatile and talented group of running backs with Ajayi, Blount, Clement and Wendell Smallwood healthy and available.
They also have one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the NFL led by center Jason Kelce and left tackle Lane Johnson. With Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest, Philadelphia should attempt to exploit this favorable matchup. The Dallas defence ranks in the bottom-10 in yards allowed per carry this season so it won’t be a surprise if the Eagles remain committed to their ground game on the road in Week 11.
For Philadelphia, a win would push them one step closer to locking up the NFC’s top seed and home advantage for the playoffs at 9-1. For the Cowboys, a win would close the gap behind the Eagles in the NFC East to two games while keeping them in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Dallas enters Week 11 with a 23 per cent chance to make the playoffs. A win would increase their chances to 35 per cent. A loss would leave their postseason chances at just 11 per cent. The Cowboys have reached the playoffs after a .500 record or worse through 10 games only once in franchise history. Both teams have a lot to play for heading in to Week 11. That will add to the intensity of this NFC East rivalry when it continues on Sunday Night Football.