Nick Harris: What to watch in Cowboys-Eagles NFC East battle on Sunday

Just two weeks remain in the 2024 season for the Dallas Cowboys after they saw their slim playoff hopes evaporate with a Washington Commanders win a week ago, but that hasn’t stopped Dallas from playing spoiler.

Even with the playoff destiny written before kickoff, the Cowboys fought to a 26-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to knock them out of the NFC playoff picture. On Sunday in the final game of the year against the Philadelphia Eagles, they will have the opportunity to impact the seeding at the top of the conference going into the season’s final week.

In a noon kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the Cowboys will look to get back to .500 for the first time in 10 weeks while the Eagles look to stamp their claim on the NFC East with a win.

Here is what to watch for in Sunday afternoon’s matchup.

Hurts Doubtful

Despite Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts having been in the NFL for five seasons, he has matched up against Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott just three times. It was already determined that the two NFC East headliners would not face off in 2024 when Prescott went down with a torn hamstring in early November, but now it’s Hurts that may need a replacement on Sunday as well.

After being knocked out of the Eagles’ loss to the Commanders in the first half last week with a concussion, it is unlikely that Hurts suits up after not getting on the practice field during the week. As a result, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett is expected to start in his place.

“We’re spending more time on Pickett,” head coach Mike McCarthy said during the week. “Obviously his play in the Washington game and so forth, so just watching what’s going on there and understanding that they signed a third quarterback to the practice squad. So, just paying attention to what’s going on this week.”

Pickett is also battling a rib injury that he suffered last week but is expected to play. The Eagles also signed Ian Book to their practice squad as insurance in case Pickett further injures himself on Sunday.

Tolbert’s Opportunity

It was announced on Friday that Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb would be shut down for the season as a result of the shoulder injury he has played through for the last two months.

With that, third-year wide receiver Jalen Tolbert is next in line to take on a big share of the targets in a year where he is second on the team with 482 receiving yards entering week 17. Coming off back-to-back games with a touchdown reception, Tolbert is growing more confident in the connection with backup quarterback Cooper Rush.

“He’s a smart quarterback, he’s a great quarterback to have out there,” Tolbert said. “When we’re out there with him, the confidence grows with him and the confidence grows in the offense. It’s fun to go out there and compete and play with your brothers. We’re behind Coop, and Coop has done a great job.”

Wide receiver Jalen Brooks, who hyperextended his knee in a practice late last week and missed the game against the Buccaneers, will also be one to watch on the active/inactive list. If he can’t go, it will be rookie Ryan Flournoy that will step up in his place.

Controlling the Clock

In looking at the Philadelphia defense, it’s tough to find a true weak spot.

After a 2023 season that saw the Eagles finish 30th in pass defense, general manager Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia front office went to work on rebuilding its secondary by adding rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the draft and bringing back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency.

The change in personnel has vaulted Philadelphia to the second-ranked pass defense in the league entering week 17 with just 178.8 passing yards allowed per game.

“Saw it coming out of our game, I thought they played well, very consistent,” Mike McCarthy said of the young secondary. “I think it’s natural when you’re going against a rookie, and you have a veteran like [Darius] Slay on the other side, the natural reaction is to go toward the rookie more. I think those guys have played at a very high level.”

If the Cowboys want to find sustained offensive success, the strategy might fall on handing the ball off to Rico Dowdle. Sitting just 97 yards away from 1,000 on the season, it could benefit everyone involved if Dowdle can help Dallas control the clock and wither down the Philadelphia defensive front as the day goes on.

Barkley’s Breakthrough?

With two games left in the season, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is firmly in the mix for the league MVP award, as he has rushed for a league-high 1,838 yards and has been the key machine for a Philadelphia offense that’s eighth in the NFL with 26.8 points per game.

“He’s taken their run game, which was always very good, to a whole different level,” Mike McCarthy said. “Not only the consistency, but the ability to hit the home runs, the big runs. So, he’s playing at an extremely high level. And as we know, playing against him every year, he’s an exceptional receiver too. Dynamic player having a huge year.”

While Barkley has had vast success against just about every team in the NFL, he has yet to have a breakthrough game against the Cowboys despite 11 career matchups. He has averaged just 58.8 yards per game and has scored only three touchdowns in those games, including a pedestrian 66-yard, zero touchdown performance against the Cowboys in November.

If he will have any shot at catching Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, he will need to have a career performance against Dallas on Sunday afternoon.

Bonds-McGwire? No, Aubrey-Fairbairn.

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is tracking down league history once again, as his two 58-yard field goals a week ago against Tampa Bay have given him 14 50-plus-yard field goals on the season, an NFL record.

While that record stands, Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is experiencing a similarly strong campaign in the Lone Star State, as his 13 50-plus-yard field goals are also more than any kicker in league history entering this season.

Aubrey will have the leg up going into his week 17 contest, as the Texans couldn’t get Fairbairn on the field for any scoring opportunity in their 31-2 loss on Christmas Day to the Baltimore Ravens.