Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys Preview: Keeping A.J. Brown Hot, Fending Off Micah Parsons
Week 9 features a classic NFC East showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. The 5-2 Cowboys are chasing the reigning NFC Champion 7-1 Eagles, who have the most wins in the NFL.
Prepare for fireworks, The Cowboys average the second-most points per game at 28.1. The Eagles are right on their tail, averaging 28 points per game.
This is the first matchup of the season between the rivals, and the two sides split the season series a year ago.
Including playoffs, the Eagles have won six games in a row in Philadelphia, averaging 31.7 points in those victories. However, if the Cowboys win in Philly, Coach Mike McCarthy will tie Mike Holmgren (161 wins) for 18th on the all-time wins list among NFL head coaches.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philly offense will need to keep an eye out for Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who has six sacks in seven games this season. On the other side, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, who has the second-most receiving yards (939) in the league, looks to keep the positive momentum going.
A.J. Brown (left) and Micah Parsons
But most importantly, the Eagles must win the turnover battle. Dallas' defense leads the NFL with four defensive touchdowns, the most defensive scores through the first seven games of a season in franchise history.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb connected early and often in a career-high day for Lamb in a Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Lamb finished with 12 receptions, 158 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
History shows that Prescott excels vs. division rivals. The Cowboys quarterback is 28-7 all-time against NFC East foes, the third-most division wins among quarterbacks since 2016 behind Tom Brady (31) and Patrick Mahomes (29).
FUN FACT: In the Eagles' win over Washington, Brown set an NFL record with his sixth consecutive game with 125-plus receiving yards. During his streak, Brown is averaging 8.2 receptions for 138.5 yards with five touchdowns.
RECORDS: Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) vs Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
ODDS: Philadelphia is a 3-point favorite vs. the Cowboys
GAME TIME: Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023 at 4:25 p.m. ET
LOCATION: Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA
TV/RADIO: FOX, 94WIP
THE FINAL WORD: Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai on Prescott:
“He’s operating in a highly efficient way right now,” Desai said on Tuesday. “Getting the ball out fast and he’s decisive with where he wants to go with the ball and he’s accurate.”
Follow Bri Amaranthus on Twitter and Instagram
