Cowboys vs. Eagles: Can Shifting Secondary Cover A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith?

Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith has emerged as a solid No. 2 pass-catching option behind lead wideout A.J. Brown. Is this a matchup the shifting Cowboys secondary can handle?

The Dallas Cowboys have been waiting for this one since October 16. 

Following their 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, Dallas has been waiting for the chance to prove that they will give the NFC's top seed all they can handle in their upcoming Christmas Eve matchup at home with their divisional rivals.

Don't mess with Texas ... and don't dismiss the Cowboys.

However, Dallas' surprising 40-34 overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday brought a notable concern to the surface regarding their highly-touted and statistically stellar defense. Their secondary has yielded the third-most points in the NFL to perimeter receivers in their last four games. In Week 15 against the Jags, Dallas' secondary allowed six catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns to receiver Zay Jones, while fellow wideout Christian Kirk chipped in with six grabs of his own for 92 yards. 

Aside from top cornerback Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys appear to be in need of some help with covering strong receivers on the outside. 

In that vein, Eagles second-year wide receiver DeVonta Smith may be poised to make a big impact on Saturday's matchup in Arlington. 

The Alabama product caught five of eight targets for 126 yards in Philadelphia's 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Smith's 45-yard reception in the second quarter set up a 32-yard Jake Elliott field goal for the game's first points. He also added a 38-yard catch in the two-minute drill to go over the 100-yard-receiving mark in the first half. Smith finished the game with five catches for 126 yards. Smith has now eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark in two of his past three games. 

Smith's ability to showcase his talents in the first half, allowed alpha receiver A.J. Brown to take control of the Eagles receiving attack in the second half. Brown hauled in nine passes for 181 receiving yards, as the pair of productive wideouts accounted for 307 of quarterback Jalen Hurts' 315 passing yards. While few would argue that Brown's spot atop the positional depth chart is being challenged, Smith is giving opposing defenses a lot for which to account on game day. 

With cornerbacks Anthony Brown (Achilles) and Jourdan Lewis (foot) lost for the season on injured reserve, the Cowboys have turned to second-year defensive back Kelvin Joseph, who has had his share of ups and downs as of late. Dallas may also give recently-added Trayvon Mullen, whom the team added following his release from the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month. 

The Cowboys say the "competition'' is on for the job, with those two and a handful of candidates vying for the spot.

While Diggs will likely take the majority of the snaps matched with Brown, whoever gets the assignment of covering Smith will have his hands full on Saturday. 

Kickoff between the Cowboys and Eagles is set for 3:25 p.m. CT from AT&T Stadium.

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL

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