Eagles vs. Cowboys: Questions Remain for Both Sides Ahead of Week 17 Matchup
The Philadelphia Eagles have the chance to clinch the NFC East with a win versus the Cowboys. However, they will have to do it without their quarterback Jalen Hurts. He suffered a concussion last week against the Commanders and is still feeling the effects of it. Former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett will start in his place. Pickett filled in for Hurts early in the first quarter after he was injured during a scramble. The backup quarterback threw for 143 yards and a touchdown and interception in place of Hurts.
Another big storyline in this game is the Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. He has the chance to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record in the next two games. Dickerson set the single-season record in 1984 with 2,105 rushing yards. Barkley is looking to break that, and he currently stands at 1,838 yards. The Eagles running back needs to average 268 yards over the next two games to break the record. This will definitely be something to pay attention to as the game wears on.
The MVP race certainly should involve Barkley’s name. Breaking the single-season rushing record that has stood for 40 years would certainly deserve recognition. Dickerson said via ESPN that he actually doesn’t want Barkley to break his record. This will just be another layer that is added to a great divisional matchup.
The Eagles will be facing off against a Cowboys team that is already eliminated from playoff contention. Nonetheless, they still have questions that they need to get answered concerning their coach, Mike McCarthy. The coach of the Cowboys has been under fire for the team's underperformance lately. They were expecting to once again contend in the division and have found themselves in third place.
This division game will certainly be an interesting one for both teams. Cooper Rush is starting for the Cowboys, and the aforementioned Kenny Pickett is starting for the Eagles. Rush is starting once again after the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott. The game will be kicking off at noon CST at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
