Philadelphia and Dallas are on a collision course, and although Philadelphia is the undefeated team, the 4-1 Cowboys offer several dynamics to be concerned about.
On offense, Jalen Hurts will look to continue his torrid start at quarterback, but he’ll matchup with a defense with the speed and versatility to make things difficult on the perimeter.
The Eagles are much improved on defense but will have to avoid allowing Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush to get comfortable in the pocket.
With kickoff less than 24 hours away, here are three causes for concern on Sunday night.
Cowboys stunts and defensive line games
The Cowboys will bring pressure organically, and they’ll invent confusing looks by running stunts and playing games up front.
Philadelphia has the offensive line to offset such tactics and it’ll be on Hurts to make clear and precise decisions.
from Doug Farrar and Touchdown Wire:
This season, the Cowboys have run a total of 124 stunts. 90 of those stunts have come on passing plays. They have blitzed without stunting on just 25 passing plays, and blitzed with stunts on 22 passing attempts. They have blitzed with stunts on 33 total plays, and blitzed without stunts on 54 total plays.
If you suspect that the Cowboys have run the most stunts in the NFL this season, you’re on the right track — they’re doing so by a crushing margin. Per Pro Football Focus (via Fran Duffy’s Eagle Eye in the Sky podcast), the 49ers rank second with 82 stunts, then the Texans with 81, the Bears with 78, and the Steelers with 77.
Dan Quinn's brilliant rebrand
Quinn played chess early on while opposing offensive coordinators played checkers and connect four.
The Cowboys’ defensive coordinator has done a great job of getting his best pass rushers matched up in favorable one-on-one situations.
Seeing how impactful Micah Parsons is as a pass rusher, Quinn has utilized the linebacker on passing downs at a rate of 85.3%.
As a regular linebacker or dropping coverage, Parsons is doing that 14.7% of the time, down from the 48.2% he played in space as a rookie.
Quinn is also putting his secondary in a better position as well.
Dallas ranks second in the NFL in the rate it has used Cover-2 through its first five games. For Philadelphia and quarterback Jalen Hurts, it’ll be about reading a moving defender, while adjusting to disguise in coverage and design.
Tony Pollard breakout
The Eagles would probably be better served with Ezekiel Elliott getting the bulk of the carries, but backup running back Tony Pollard offers the biggest concern.
A star at Memphis before Kenneth Gainwell, Pollard’s dual-threat ability makes him the guy to watch and a player capable of gashing Philadelphia on the ground if the tackling doesn’t improve.
Pollard carried the ball eight times for 86 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 22-10 win over the Rams, and his 57-yard touchdown run firmly proves he’s the Cowboys’ home run hitter from the running back position.
