The Cowboys are a Super Bowl contender according to Dan Orlovsky. There is a time and a place for this.
TheNFC East is back after a long time.
The division has more wins than any other. The Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants are all perfect. The Washington commanders are mentioned. They're not very good at 1-4.
On Sunday night, the Eagles host the Cowboys in a game that will be watched by millions. There are implications for both the divisional race and early jockeying for playoff positioning in the NFC. It features a pair of top 10 defenses, two quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Cooper Rush, who have exceeded expectations, and a host of rising stars, including Dallas defenders and Eagles players.
It's been a long time since it was good in the east. The Eagles and Cowboys are being looked at by two reporters.
The Cowboys are doing things that haven't been done before. In their first five games, they have not given up more than 19 points. That was done in 1972 by the original Doomsday. They have not given up more than one touchdown all season. In three of the five games they've played, they've played against Tom Brady.
Through five games, the Cowboys have had the fourth most sacks with 20. Dallas has nine players with at least one sack and is tied for the league lead. They may be vulnerable to the run this week against the Eagles, but it has improved each week.
The Eagles have a more complete defense than any other team. Philadelphia's pass rush is more versatile and has more success attacking from the inside than Dallas' edge rush.
Dallas has the edge in sacks with 20 to the Eagles' 17 but Philadelphia is tied for first with 11 and the Cowboys have seven. The main attraction for the Eagles are the two corners, James Bradberry and James Slay, who each have two intercepts and five pass break-ups to their credit.
If you want flash, the team with the star on its helmet is for you. If you're bigger on substance, it's the Eagles, who have the second-most efficient defense in the league. The Cowboys are in the top six in that category.
The archer was efficient and mistake-free.
Rush has been doing a good job. It's hard to argue with a four-game winning streak, but for those who want him to continue as the starter even when he's healthy. The offense put up 24 or more points in 10 of the 11 wins that the Cowboys had as a rookies. Under Rush, the Cowboys have scored at least 24 points.
The team isn't turning the ball over and that's why Dallas has won. The offense and defense are reminiscent of a different era of football. They will need to score more than 25 points to win a game.
The man is dynamic.
Hurts is a force on the ground, but his improvement as a passer has him in the running for the league's Most Valuable Player award. After finishing 26th in completion rate a year ago, he is fifth this year with a 67.9% completion rate. The addition of Brown has made his life simpler, but Hurts deserves most of the credit. He has been working on his mechanics and has a good command of the system. He knows where the football is and has been using it correctly.
He has been taking a lot of hits. Through five games, Hurts is the leader in quarterback contacts. The number could go up further this week with left tackle Jordan Mailata, guards Landon Dickerson, and Isaac Seumalo, and center Jason Kelce all injured.
Cowboys pass rush against the Eagles.
This will be a great place for the football nerds. Strong vs. weak. In sacks, the Cowboys are second. Although the Eagles' offensive line is considered one of the best in the league, they enter this one banged up. The pass rush goes beyond him even though he gets a lot of attention.
Eagles fans know a lot of people. In 14 games against the Eagles, he has three sacks and nine tackles for loss. Lane Johnson has not allowed a sack since the 11th week of the 2020 season. One of the sacks is off the career-high he set a year ago. The Cowboys play a lot of games up front with twists and stunts that can cause problems for linemen. Nobody has slowed down the Dallas pass rush yet, despite Hurts' ability to run. The Cowboys are in first place in the division if the Eagles don't.
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The man is A.J. Brown.
The league has nine pass break ups. He had two interception returns for touchdown last year. His consistency as a defender has gone down in the early going of the season. The quarterbacks are completing less of their passes against him.
It will be boom-or-bust against Brown if the trends continue. He is fifth in receiving yards and sixth in yards after the reception. They don't have to worry about covering Brown because they can get him to the ground after short crosses and slants over the middle.
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