FRISCO, Texas – First place in the NFC East is on the line Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Most of the headlines entering the game will center on rookie quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz. According to Elias, this is the first time since the 1970 merger that rookie quarterbacks will meet with a combined winning percentage of .750 or better with a minimum of three starts.
The Eagles have one thing in their favor: they have won three straight games at AT&T Stadium.
NFL Nation reporter Tim McManus offers up a scouting report on the Eagles:
OFFENSE
QB Carson Wentz: The No. 2 overall pick has fallen into a mini-slump. Over the past two games, Wentz has completed just 54 percent of his throws and has one touchdown to three turnovers. Coach Doug Pederson pointed to a mechanical issue that they’ll be looking to clean up in practice this week. It’s probably no coincidence that the downward turn began at the same time right tackle Lane Johnson started serving his suspension. Even though his replacement, rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai, settled in some last week against Minnesota, Wentz still seemed out of his comfort zone. Perhaps the Cowboys can prevent him from rediscovering his groove by applying pressure early.
WR Jordan Matthews: The Eagles have not received consistent production from their wide receivers. Matthews is the best they’ve got, but he’s dealing with knee tendinitis and is coming off a three-catch, 10-yard performance against the Vikings. The third-year pro had a lot of success against Dallas last season, totaling 15 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns – including a game-winner in overtime in their second matchup – and will be looking to regain that spark this week. He lines up on the outside a bit under Pederson, but still does the majority of his work from the slot.
RB Ryan Mathews: The Eagles want to keep Wentz out of third-and-longs and his throw count down, and the best way to achieve that is through a successful ground attack. Mathews is the Eagles’ lead back. He is averaging just under 4 yards per carry and has three rushing touchdowns on the season. Fumbles have been an issue recently. He turned it over late against both the Lions and Vikings. The one in Detroit proved costly. The Eagles could lean more on rookie Wendell Smallwood and veteran Darren Sproles depending on their concern level.
DEFENSE
S Malcolm Jenkins: Slot cornerback Ron Brooks suffered a ruptured quad tendon against Minnesota and will miss the rest of the season. Jenkins will slide into that role in nickel situations moving forward. He had that responsibility last year and did the job well with one notable exception – against Dallas last November, when receiver Cole Beasley went off for nine catches, 112 yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins admitted afterwards that he played a good portion of that game with a concussion. That needs to be factored in, but this is a tough matchup regardless.
LB Jordan Hicks: Cowboys fans are probably well aware of who this guy is. It was Hicks’ hit last September that knocked Tony Romo out for the bulk of the season, and it was his interception return for a touchdown in the second matchup that helped the Eagles to a win at AT&T Stadium. Hicks injured his pec in that game, ending a promising rookie campaign. He got off to a quiet start this year before posting 11 tackles and a sack against the Vikings on Sunday. The middle linebacker in Jim Schwartz’s attack scheme, he’ll be looking to continue his playmaking ways against the Cowboys.
DE Brandon Graham: Graham is coming off a monster game in which he registered six quarterback hits and a sack on Sam Bradford. He leads the team with nine hurries on the season. Graham and the rest of his linemates were going up against a decimated Minnesota front and will undoubtedly face a stiffer test this week, but Graham has been producing all year.