Cowboys Battle Eagles With NFC East Lead On The Line
By Shawn Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys have won five of their first six games of the 2016 NFL season and hold onto a one-game lead in the NFC East thanks to rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. The Philadelphia Eagles sit only one game back in the NFC East, also thanks to a rookie in quarterback Carson Wentz. This Sunday night, the Cowboys and Eagles battle with the NFC East lead on the line as the two rookie quarterbacks try to make their name early in this 2016 NFL season.
Philadelphia Eagles Season Record
The Philadelphia Eagles faced their toughest challenge in Week 6 when they battled the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, who were led by former Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford. The Eagles not only won the game, but they also won it in dominating fashion, thanks to their defense. This week, the Eagles play the Cowboys, who now share the NFC's best record with the Vikings. At 4-2, the Eagles hold the season in their hands and a win over the Cowboys would move them into first place in the NFC East.
Philadelphia Eagles On Offense
The Philadelphia Eagles offense is not the reason they're winning this season. Rookie Carson Wentz is doing what is asked of him, though. He has thrown eight touchdowns and only three interceptions so far in his rookie campaign, but his 92.7 QBR ranks 16th in the NFL. Meanwhile, running back Ryan Mathews is struggling with injuries once again and has only managed to run for 262 yards through six games with an average of 3.9 yards-per-carry. Neither man can win on his own, but the Eagles are managing to put up wins anyway.
Carson Wentz threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball three times, losing one of them, against the Vikings. Ryan Mathews ran for only 56 yards and lost a fumble in the game. The team's top receiver, Jordan Matthews, finished the game with three catches for 10 yards. Philadelphia will have to play much better if they want to beat the Dallas Cowboys, who are healthier and have more weapons than the Vikings.
Philadelphia Eagles On Defense
The Philadelphia Eagles defense is where they are excelling. Against the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles sacked Sam Bradford six times while hitting him 16 times through the game. That resulted in Bradford throwing an interception and fumbling the ball four times, losing two of them. Of course, the Eagles won't hit Dak Prescott that many times because the Cowboys have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and Prescott can run. However, they can work to confuse the rookie quarterback.
Philadelphia Eagles Players To Watch
Carson Wentz – The Dallas Cowboys had Carson Wentz as the No. 1 ranked quarterback on their 2016 NFL Draft board. However, the Cowboys chose to remain steadfast at the No. 4 spot while the Eagles traded up to get Wentz at two. As a result, the Cowboys drafted Ezekiel Elliott in the first round and Dak Prescott in the fourth. Now, all three rookies are starting and Wentz wants to prove that he deserved that second overall NFL Draft pick.
Rodney McLeod – The Eagles have a lot of stars on defense, and Rodney McLeod is really starting to come into his own. He has a total of 43 tackles on the season and had seven against the Vikings alone. He also picked up his first sack of the year against Minnesota and forced a fumble. On the 2016 NFL season, McLeod has three interceptions and could be someone that can fluster Dak Prescott this week.
Outlook
The Dallas Cowboys are playing flawless football right now. Their offense is clicking on all fronts, with great play from quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. They have the best offensive line in the NFL and overachieving wide receivers. Their defense is not as good as the Eagles, but Dallas should have enough firepower to put away Philadelphia this week.