Eagles Host Cowboys Without Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia faces Dallas on Monday night with its quarterback out and four straight losses, while Dallas seeks to bounce back after two poor offensive games.
By Nour Haddad ·
The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field, with the game scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. Both teams enter the Week 7 matchup looking to end losing streaks. Dallas leads the odds as a 4.5 point favorite, with a total points line set at 43.5 by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Philadelphia has lost four consecutive games after starting the season 2-0. The Eagles are dealing with major absences. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is out with blood clots in his calf and lungs. Wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks will also miss the game. Saquon Barkley, Landon Dickerson, Jonathan Greenard, and Jalyx Hunt are all listed as questionable to play.
Dallas has lost its last two games, scoring only 29 points in those combined efforts against the Buccaneers and Packers. The Cowboys had scored over 30 points in each of their previous three games. Their offense struggled against blitzes in those recent losses. Dak Prescott completed 20 of 38 passes for 194 yards without a score when facing extra rushers in those two contests.
The Eagles' defensive strategy may differ from the teams that beat Dallas recently. The Eagles blitz on only 24.1% of dropbacks, the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL. The Buccaneers and Packers blitzed on 38.8% of dropbacks against the Cowboys in Weeks 5 and 6. Vic Fangio, the Eagles' defensive coordinator, has not used such a high blitz rate since taking over the position.
Tanner McKee will start at quarterback for Philadelphia. He is expected to throw more often than Hurts, as he lacks the mobility to run the ball. Last week, McKee dropped back to throw 48 times. His career stats under pressure show he is 16 of 45 for 179 yards with no touchdowns and a 15.1% sack rate. The Cowboys have allowed opponents to average 4.7 yards per carry this season.
Saquon Barkley practiced fully on Friday for the first time since a hamstring injury. He has averaged 5.5 yards per carry in the two games he has completed healthy this season. If Barkley plays, the Eagles may lean on the ground game against a Dallas defense that has allowed at least 165 rushing yards to five of its six opponents. The Cowboys will aim to protect their offense while trying to generate pressure on McKee.
