Recap
The Eagles beat the Cooper Rush led Cowboys by a score of 26-17 on Sunday night. After a slow start, a 20 point 2nd Quarter fueled the Eagles to a 20-3 halftime lead and never looked back. Philadelphia’s defense showed up on a night where the offense looked mediocre which ultimately was a main contributor to the win; Cooper Rush threw 3 interceptions which set the Eagles offense up with short fields. Overall the Eagles were able to overcome a rough second half to get the victory.
Positive Observations
1.) Defense
The Eagles defense was firing on all cylinders on Sunday night; the secondary tallied three interceptions on Cooper Rush, which were the first three interceptions that Rush has thrown this season. The defense constantly disguised their coverages and got pressure on Rush which forced him into errant throws. Overall good game by the defense.
2.) 2nd Quarter
For whatever reason, the Eagles have looked absolutely unstoppable in 2nd Quarters throughout the season, and Sunday night was no different. The Eagles scored 20 points to Dallas’ 3 points in the 2nd Quarter, as well as recording 2 interceptions. I’m not sure what the training staff is putting in the gatorade to cause the Eagles to play so well in the 2nd Quarter, but it is certainly working.
3.) Jalen Hurts
Hurts did not have a flashy stat line on Sunday night; he completed 60% of his passes for 155 yards and 2 Touchdowns, as well as adding 27 yards rushing. Although he didn’t have an outstanding game in regards to his stats, he did do a fantastic job at protecting the ball. The Cowboys defense is quite the formidable opponent, there’s no question about it. Hurts’ ability to protect the ball was key in the victory over the Cowboys.
4.) Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
CGJ had his breakout game in an Eagles uniform against the Cowboys; he tallied 2 interceptions and 4 tackles. Credit to Howie on this pickup- CGJ has been a valuable addition to the Eagles secondary so far this season. His attitude embodies the city of Philadelphia, and he has backed up his smack talk with his play.
Negative Observations
1.) 3rd Quarter
The Eagles almost let the Cowboys back into the game solely in the 3rd quarter; the birds were unable to put any points on the board and allowed Dallas’ first touchdown in the 3rd quarter. This has been an unfortunate theme regarding the Eagles this season and this must be fixed before it comes back and bites them. Ultimately, the Eagles were able to hold on for the win, but their 3rd Quarter performance was concerning to say the least.
Standings
With the Eagles coming off of a BYE week, the NFC East standings have shaken up a little. The Giants are on a roll and the Cowboys bounced back after their loss to Philadelphia with a win over Detroit. Surprisingly enough, the Commanders were able to muster a win against Green Bay. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Philadelphia Eagles: 6-0
- New York Giants: 6-1
- Dallas Cowboys: 5-2
- Washington Commanders: 3-4
Upcoming Game
The Eagles host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a cross town game on Sunday at 1pm. The 2-5 Steelers look to spoil Philadelphia’s perfect season behind efforts from rookie QB Kenny Pickett. Although every game should be treated as if the Eagles could lose, I believe that a rebuilding Pittsburgh team simply does not have the firepower to keep up with the Eagles. My prediction is that Philadelphia wins by a large margin.
Final Thoughts
In past seasons, the Eagles certainly had some trouble beating Dallas. Though it is comforting to see them finally get that elusive win, there is much work to be done going forward. With that being said, the Eagles have certainly impressed me during this season. The sky is the limit for this team, and it’s been an insane amount of fun watching them. As always, Go Birds!
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Nate Eichner is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Nate, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
