Cowboys-Eagles, perennial NFC East contenders — but not this year

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys entered the season with Super Bowl hopes and dreams based on the perceived strengths of their rosters and recent success.

Certainly, both teams could expect to continue to run the NFC East. Since 2016, the Eagles and Cowboys have finished first or second in the division every season but one. The Washington Commanders won the NFC East in 2020, the COVID year, with a 7-9 record.

Both head coaches, Nick Sirianni and Mike McCarthy, faced intense scrutiny after playoff missteps. Both teams had to replace iconic offensive linemen in Jason Kelce (Eagles) and Tyron Smith (Cowboys). Both teams have high-paid quarterbacks trying to prove they can not only get to a Super Bowl but win one. Both spent big on wide receivers.

One franchise shelled out major money at running back; the other did not. Both franchises hired proven defensive coordinators with head-coaching experience.

As they meet Sunday at AT&T Stadium for the first time this season, only the 6-2 Eagles remain a Super Bowl contender. At 3-5, the Cowboys’ season is in a tailspin and now they will have to play without Dak Prescott for at least the next four games.

ESPN NFL Nation reporters Tim McManus (Eagles) and Todd Archer (Cowboys) look at what has gone right and wrong so far in 2024.

Coaches

Cowboys

McCarthy entered the season on the last year of his contract and it’s difficult to see owner/general manager Jerry Jones handing out a new contract for 2025 and beyond based on how the season has gone. Not all of it has been in McCarthy’s control with the structure of the roster and the injuries suffered to so many key players, including Prescott’s trip to injured reserve (hamstring) for at least the next month. But he does bear responsibility for the fall off in offensive production, just as he deserved the credit for how well it went in his first year as a playcaller last season.

Eagles

It hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for Sirianni. His in-game decision-making has routinely come into question, including last week when his aggressiveness backfired in what should have been a blowout win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He jousted with fans and was serenaded with boos and “Fire Nick” chants during a close win against the Browns in Week 6. But a four-game win streak has calmed the waters a bit and strengthened the voices of his defenders, who are quick to note that he has the best winning percentage (.678) in team history.

Quarterbacks

Cowboys

Prescott is out until Dec. 9 — if not longer — due to his injured hamstring. Hours before the season started, he agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. His production in the first seven-plus games has not been good enough. He had 11 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He became the first Cowboys quarterback to have three straight games with multiple interceptions since Troy Aikman in 1992. A year after finishing second in the MVP voting and leading the NFL in touchdown passes (36), this season has been nothing but a disappointment for Prescott.

Eagles

The effectiveness of the ground game has made life easier for Jalen Hurts, who has zero giveaways the past four games after turning the ball over seven times in the first four contests. The offense is evolving under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, with motion, under-center plays and play-action on the rise. Hurts has reacted well to the changes while also successfully taking over pre-snap protections from Kelce this season. After an inconsistent showing last season, Hurts appears to be rounding back into form.

Running backs

Cowboys

They were willing to go with a running back by committee after losing Tony Pollard in free agency. They did not explore the addition of free agent Derrick Henry, who is now running wild for the Baltimore Ravens. They certainly didn’t look into Saquon Barkley, who signed with the Eagles. Perhaps none of them would be any better considering how the offensive line has played, but the Cowboys’ reunion with Ezekiel Elliott has not worked. The addition of Dalvin Cook hasn’t either. Thanks to last week’s 137-yard effort, the Cowboys rank 31st in rushing.

Eagles

The Eagles went out of character and spent a good bit of money (3 years, $37.75 million) on a running back, believing Barkley was a special player and would be rejuvenated in this talent-rich offense. Boy were they right. From reverse-leaping a Jaguars defender on Sunday to averaging more than 10 yards per carry against his old team, the Giants, in Week 7, Barkley has been a marvel. Philadelphia has switched its offensive identity to be more run-heavy because of him, helping spark this recent string of success. The idea that running backs can’t be major difference-makers in today’s NFL is being dispelled by Barkley, run after game-altering run.

Receivers

Cowboys

CeeDee Lamb‘s start to the season may have been slowed by his training camp absence as he awaited the contract that made him the second-highest paid receiver in the NFL. The chemistry he and Prescott had last year when he led the NFL in receptions was missing. He has one 100-yard game so far with 53 catches for 660 yards and four scores. Good numbers, but not what was expected when the season started. It has not helped that the Cowboys have trailed by such large margins that it made it easier for defenses to focus on him even more with their coverages.

Eagles

One of the NFL’s top WR tandems is being paid like it. The Eagles gave A.J. Brown a three-year, $96 million extension not long after inking DeVonta Smith to a three-year, $75 million extension in April. Brown’s impact is undeniable — the Eagles are 5-0 with him in the lineup this season compared to 1-2 when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury — and Smith’s spectacular one-handed TD catch against the Jags was just another example of how special he is. The Eagles dished out a lot of money to skill players this offseason and to this point have gotten very sound returns.

Offensive line

Cowboys

For most of his 13 seasons, the Cowboys could count on Tyron Smith protecting their quarterbacks’ blind side. They could also count on him missing time. He had not played a full season since 2015. But when he did play, he remained one of the best left tackles. The Cowboys felt the cost to keep him was prohibitive, so he left for the New York Jets. The Cowboys selected Tyler Guyton in the first round to be Smith’s replacement and it has taken time for him to feel comfortable. He has been penalized 12 times (nine accepted) and given up six sacks, despite missing one full game.

Eagles

It’s hard to fill bigger shoes than center Jason Kelce’s, but Cam Jurgens has more than held his own. The 2022 second-round pick out of Nebraska is tied for second among interior linemen in pass block win rate (97%) and leads a front that is second to only the Ravens in rushing yards per game (174.8). The tush push is not quite as automatic — they were stopped twice on the play against Jacksonville — but even with some injuries, the O-line continues to be a strength under coach Jeff Stoutland.

Defensive coordinator

Cowboys

For three years, Dan Quinn coordinated a Dallas defense that could take the ball away and affect the quarterback. No team had more takeaways from 2021 to 2023. With Quinn now the head coach in Washington, the Cowboys have lost their ability to take the ball away. Mike Zimmer’s first season as DC has not gone the way anyone thought — last in red zone defense, 30th in rushing, 29th in yards per play, 27th in yards per game. Injuries have sidelined LB Micah Parsons and DE DeMarcus Lawrence since Week 4 and CB DaRon Bland all season. Even their eventual return to the field might not change much.

Eagles

Things have smoothed out considerably of late after a bumpy start for the defense under new coordinator Vic Fangio. The Eagles are now third in opponent yards per game (290.1) and ninth in both points allowed (19.4) and opposing QB rating (82.3), though they have faced some below-average offenses in recent weeks. Their edge rushers remain a concern, but that’s been largely offset by a secondary that has been boosted by the play of rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Source: www.espn.com