The Dallas Cowboys will travel to Pennsylvania on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, to face the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 16 rematch from a Week 7 game that saw the Cowboys soundly defeat the Eagles. Both teams come into this week with a .500 record at 7-7 and the Cowboys are 6-2 this season versus teams currently at or below .500. The Cowboys lead the all-time series, 66-51, and have won the last four meetings. They are favored to win this matchup with a 54.9 percent win probability and would clinch the NFC East with another victory over the Eagles.
Dallas Cowboys Notables
The Cowboys come into Week 17 after a 44-21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams last week and have posted an average of 434 offensive yards and 323.6 defensive yards per game this season. Dak Prescott has completed 340 of 519 passes for 4,334 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions for a 99.3 rating. Ezekiel Elliott leads the Cowboys with 270 carries for 1,188 yards and 11 touchdowns while Amari Cooper has posted 71 receptions for 1,073 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. Robert Quinn has continually led the Cowboys in sacks while Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods each lead with two interceptions each. Kai Forbat,h who joined the team after the Cowboys released Brett Maher, is perfect so far with Dallas, kicking five of five extra points and completing three of three field goal attempts.
What To Watch For
Prescott is going for his fourth game in a row against the Eagles with a 100 or greater rating and posted two touchdowns and one interception for a 100.5 rating in the Week 7 matchup between the two teams. Prescott has averaged 9.3 air yards per attempt this season, good for fifth-most in the league.
Ezekiel Elliott is going for his third consecutive game with two or more rushing touchdowns and posted 147 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown the last time he faced the Eagles earlier this season. In his five career games against the Eagles, the Pro Bowler has recorded 815 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns, and he will be going for his sixth game in a row against Philadelphia with more than 140 scrimmage yards.
Amari Cooper posted five catches for 106 receiving yards in the prior matchup this season and is going for his third game in a row against the Eagles with 100 or more receiving yards.
On the defensive side, Quinn recorded a sack in the last meeting and is going for his third consecutive game against the Eagles with a sack. Michael Bennett also has three sacks in his three career games against Philadelphia. Sean Lee is also stepping up as of late, posting his fourth career sack and 14th career interception in Week 15 and is going for his fourth game in a row at Philadelphia with eight or more tackles. Lewis is the only defensive back with four or more sacks and two or more interceptions this season, which included a sack in the Week 7 matchup.
Philadelphia Eagles Notables
The Eagles also enter this week following a victory last week over the Washington Redskins, 37-27. Carson Wentz has completed 334 of 527 completed passes for 3,431 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 92.3 rating on the season. Rookie Miles Sanders leads the teams with 150 carries for 687 yards and two touchdowns while Zach Ertz has posted 84 receptions for 888 yards and six touchdowns. Brandon Graham leads the Eagles with seven-and-a-half sacks. Jake Elliott has only missed two extra points and two field goal attempts this season, kicking 29 of 31 and 19 of 21, respectively.
Wentz is aiming for his fourth game in a row with two or more touchdown passes, and in his six career games against Dallas, he has posted 11 touchdowns.
Sanders had his career-high 172 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns last week and his first career 100 plus rush yard game. Sanders has 687 rush yards and 1,120 scrimmage yards this season; both are the most by an Eagles rookie in franchise history. He is one of four rookies with 600 or more rush yards and 400 or more receiving yards in the last five years.
What To Watch For
Ertz has recorded 521 career catches and needs three receptions to pass Jason Witten for the most receptions by a tight end in his first seven seasons in the league’s history.
Fletcher Cox is going for his third game in a row against Dallas with a sack and posted a sack a forced fumble in the last meeting. Nigel Bradham is also one to watch on the defensive side as he had his fifth career fumble recovery last week as well as posting a pass deflection in the last two of three games.
The Cowboys will come into this game with a strong desire to win in order to clinch the NFC East, and with Dak Prescott being limited with a shoulder injury, his offensive line will have to step up to protect him and assist in his executions of plays. The Eagles’ defensive line will need to take advantage of Prescott’s limitations and keep the Cowboys from reaching the end zone in order to secure this victory and stay in possible contention for a playoff spot.
