Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles at Cowboys: Preview, Predictions, and More

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

With the NFC East seemingly ripe for the taking, the divisional leaders in the Dallas Cowboys welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to AT&T Stadium for Sunday Night Football in NFL Week 8. Needless to say, the stakes of the division and this rivalry have people salivating for this game in primetime.

The Eagles started out on fire with a 3-0 record thanks in large part to the stellar play of their rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. They had an early bye week and then struggled with two-straight losses before upsetting the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7.

Like the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys have been led by a rookie quarterback, Dak Prescott. After a one-point loss to start the season, Dallas has reeled off five wins in a row and come in fresh off their bye week.

Here are the keys to victory for each team on Sunday Night Football.

Dallas Keys To Victory

1. Don’t stop what’s been working: Dallas has been great at mixing things up. They are running the ball better than anyone in the league, but they also have done great with emptying the backfield and letting Prescott pick a defense apart. They should stay the course and keep the Eagles guessing. It’s worked so far; stick with it.

2. Get Dez involved, but don’t force feed him: Wide receiver Dez Bryant will be back for the first time since Week 3 against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. He is a game changer and needs to see the ball come his way, so it’s imperative that he gets involved in the game plan. It’s also important that the Cowboys do this without forcing the ball to him. There needs to be a healthy balance there.

3. Don’t let the wall break: This defense is led by Rod Marinelli, who couldn’t care less about yards surrendered. He only cares about points given up. His guys have been less than spectacular, but they have done a great job at keeping teams out of the end zone. They have surrendered 20-or-more points in only two games. Those were the first two games of the season. Since then they have given up 17, 17, 14 and 16. That’s impressive. In order to win, they just need to make sure the defensive philosophy of bend but don’t break doesn’t finally break.

Philadelphia Keys To Victory

1. Contain Zeke: This one won’t be easy, but the Eagles have a tough enough defense to believe they can keep Ezekiel Elliott from running wild on them. They need to play disciplined football and stay in their lanes. Zeke will get his, but the key will be to limit the damage.

2. Control the Clock: Dallas loves to pound the ball and keep their defense fresh. This is exactly what Philly needs to do against Dallas. Keeping Elliot and Prescott on the sidelines will be key. Not only will it keep them out of rhythm, but this defense really isn’t very good. The longer they have to play, the more they will be exposed.

3. Win the 3rd Down Battle: Dak Prescott has handled third-downs like a seasoned vet, not like a fourth-round rookie. In order for the Eagles to win this game, they need to make stops on third down. Every time Prescott and the ‘Boys move the chains on these key downs, their confidence only grows.

Odds

Point Spread: Dallas -4
Moneyline: Philadelphia +166, Dallas -200
Over/Under: 43.5

Prediction

The Eagles have gone 1-2 since the bye, but their victory over the previously undefeated Vikings was impressive. The difference in this game, though, is that Dallas has a much better offense than Minnesota did. There won’t be a stretch of five turnovers in 10 minutes by these teams.

Look for Dallas to impose their running game on the usually strong defense to control the clock. This should be a close one. But as surprising as it would have seemed in April, Prescott is the more polished of the rookie quarterbacks who can be trusted not to make a mistake late in the game.

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles: 21, Dallas Cowboys: 27