'Like The Chance Carson Wentz Has To Silence Critics': CBS Sacramento's Marshall Harris Breaks Down Eagles-Cowboys Matchup
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Eagles' 2019 season comes down to this Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Tied at the top of the NFC East with hated rival Dallas Cowboys, the Birds welcome Jason Garrett's squad to the City of Brotherly Love with a chance to take over the top spot.
The hopes of a postseason bid have seemed slim in the midst of injuries, offensive ineffectiveness and a porous defense. But the hopes are still alive, albeit on life support. As Eagles fans are well aware of by now, the Eagles need to win this Sunday and next week against the New York Giants in order to clinch the division, thereby earning a spot in the playoffs. If they lose this week, they are done. Nothing like adding pressure to the already high stakes of any Eagles-Cowboys game, right?
The first time these two teams met this season, it was barely a contest. The Cowboys offense exploded for 37 points, and the game was over by halftime when Dallas held a 27-7 lead. The Eagles mustered just 283 yards of total offense. The bad news? The Eagles actually had most of their offensive weapons in that game. Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor both started at wide receiver, and Jordan Howard got the lion's share of the carries in the backfield. Now, Jeffery is done for the year, Howard has missed the last five games and Agholor's status remains uncertain.
The good news? The Eagles offense has looked better the last two weeks against the Giants and Redskins. Carson Wentz has seemingly developed chemistry with former practice squad receiver Greg Ward Jr., and Miles Sanders has erupted in both the run and pass games. But the biggest bugaboo from the first meeting remains -- the Eagles can't seem to cover anyone.
Last week, it was Washington's Terry McLaurin going off for over 100 yards for the second time this season against the Birds. The week before? It was Giants receiver Darius Slayton, who had five receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, the Eagles have allowed ten 100-yard games from receivers this season.
One of those 100-yard games was from Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper who, while he didn't score in the first meeting, seemed to get wherever he wanted to on the field. Cooper will face mostly the same secondary this weekend, though the Eagles have gotten corners Jalen Mills and Avonte Maddox back since that game. But Cooper and Prescott torched the Eagles defense last season as well, with Cooper hauling in 10 catches for 213 yards and three touchdowns in Week 14.
The Cowboys defense has been more vulnerable in the second half of the season, with opponents averaging 23.4 points per game since the bye. Prior to last week's game against the Rams, Dallas had given up 100-plus rushing yards in every game since their week off. The team is clearly missing linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who left the first meeting between these teams with a neck injury and hasn't returned to the lineup since. The team is reportedly "not optimistic" that he will return in 2019, and the Eagles could take advantage of his absence with Miles Sanders and Boston Scott.
In the end, we called in outside help to make a pick for this matchup. CBS 13 Sacramento sports director Marshall Harris weighed in, and he's rolling with Philly.
"I think it's crazy. But for some reason, I believe the Philadelphia Eagles are going to beat the Dallas Cowboys. I know both of those teams had two very different types of wins," said Harris. "I really like the chance that Carson Wentz has now to silence all the people in Philadelphia. We know the Cowboys are a hot mess. We know Jason Garrett is not coming back. I think the Eagles win this game, take the division."
The folks in Vegas don't feel quite the same way. As of this writing, the Eagles are listed as 2.5-point underdogs in front of their home fans. Kickoff for Sunday's matchup is set for 4:25 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field.
