The Eagles will take on the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Both the Eagles and Cowboys are coming off strong performances against NFC North powerhouses. A share of first place in the NFC East is on the line. This Sunday Night showdown will kick off at 8:30 PM. ET.
On Sunday night, the Cowboys will return to the field after their bye week. Dallas is near the top of the power rankings and it’s no surprise by the way they’re playing. But, few would have predicted this at the start of the season. In the preseason, Tony Romo returned from an injury for only three plays before a devastating tackle knocked him out again for 8-10 weeks. Dallas fans, perhaps, thought it was the beginning of another long season.
That was before the Dak Prescott revelation. With Romo out, Prescott has emerged as his potential successor. Through 6-weeks as a starter, Prescott has completed 68.7 percent of his passes according to NFL Stats. He’s thrown seven touchdowns to only one interception. Prescott leads all rookie quarterbacks in passing yards, yards per game, and completion percentage according to NFL Stats. With Romo eligible to return in the coming weeks, there’s no doubt a quarterback controversy is brewing in Big D.
Last week against the Vikings, the Eagles defense put up a wall stopping the surging Vikings in their tracks. The Eagles defense generated six sacks in the game. Going into the game, the Vikings had not committed a turnover all season. They finished the game with four turnovers, including Bradford’s first interception of the season. The Eagles’ defense was on point all game, never relinquishing pressure on the Vikings offense. Philadelphia’s offense, however, struggled despite the dominant win.
This season, Carson Wentz has been the second best rookie quarterback, second only to Prescott. Wentz has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,324 yards and eight touchdowns according to NFL Stats. He’s completed 17 passes of 20+ yards and three passes of 40+ yards. Both Wentz and Prescott have shown an ability to throw the ball down field which is important for an offense. Wentz has protected the ball well, throwing only three interceptions on the season. Although, two of those three interceptions came last week when Minnesota’s stout defense forced Philadelphia into committing four turnovers. It was an all around sloppy game for both offenses.
Eagles against the Cowboys is a matchup of strengths. The Eagles defense is the heart of their team. Despite a four turnover game by their offense, the Eagles’ defense kept its composure and overpowered the Viking offense. The Cowboys offensive line has given Prescott tremendous protection and is known around the league as one of the most feared offensive lines.
Not only has their offensive line benefitted the passing game, but the Cowboys rushing attack leads the league with 161 yards per game according to NFL Stats. The man leading the Cowboys rushing attack is rookie Ezekiel Elliot. Through six weeks, Elliot is averaging 117 yards per game and his seven rushes of 20+ yards is tops in the league according to NFL Stats. Before their bye week, Elliot rushed for 157 yards on 28 carries in a dominant win over the Packers.
Cowboys Vs Eagles Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Cowboys favored to win the game by 4 points. The over/under on total points scored is 43. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
The Eagles defense has faced two high-caliber opponents this season and their record in those games is 2-0. However, this is perhaps their biggest test of the season to date. Defeating Pittsburgh and the Viking at home is impressive in its own right, but traveling to Dallas to take on a hot Cowboys team on two weeks’ rest is something entirely different.
The Cowboys have had the best offensive line in football for a few years now and its hard to imagine any defensive line having great success against them. Since losing in week one to the Giants, the Cowboys have been on a roll. Their offensive line won’t manhandle Philly, but expect them to take care of business at home. Go with the Cowboys to cover the spread.
Play: Cowboys -4 @ BetOnline.ag
Dallas Cowboys • NFL 2016 Sunday Night Pick • Philadelphia Eagles • Sunday Night Football