Nick Harris: Five things to watch in Dallas Cowboys’ first matchup vs. Philadelphia Eagles
It’s been a roller coaster week for the Dallas Cowboys as they prepare to take on their division rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Micah Parsons and some injured stars are expected to be back on the field, while quarterback Dak Prescott will miss the first of several games after he suffered a serious hamstring injury last week against Atlanta.
Regardless, the Cowboys (3-5) will trot out on Sunday still searching for their first win of the season at home against the Eagles (6-2) as they look for their new identity without Prescott.
As we head into the second half of the NFL schedule, here is what to watch for in the first Cowboys-Eagles matchup of the season.
Rush hour
After quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring in last Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Cowboys have turned to proven backup Cooper Rush to take over the offense for the foreseeable future.
It’s a fascinating opportunity for Rush, as the ninth-year quarterback out of Central Michigan is expected to see the most continuous action of his NFL career after filling in for Prescott for five games in 2021 and one game in 2022.
“Cooper Rush is respected as a backup quarterback that I would say since Rich Gannon when I was with Rich in the ‘90s with the Kansas City Chiefs,” head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He carries that type of credibility. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone you can see the young guys lean on. He’s wicked smart, instinctive, does a great job when he runs the scout team. He just does everything the right way. He’s an excellent pro. There will be plenty of confidence in him.”
Rush has a career record of 5-1 as a starter and is in the final year of his contract with the Cowboys. As is now backup quarterback Trey Lance who is also expected to see time on the field over the next few weeks in situational opportunities.
Return of Micah Parsons
Lose one, gain another. Despite losing Prescott, the Cowboys are expected to return three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons after he missed four games with a high ankle sprain that he suffered against the New York Giants.
It’s a much different situation that Parsons finds himself in than when he last walked off the field at MetLife Stadium, but he still has confidence in Cooper Rush and the team around him to make a run despite one of the most difficult remaining schedules in the league.
“It’s tough just because I feel like I can make an impact in those games [that we lost],” Parsons said. “There’s games where we’re losing by six points and I definitely believe I could make a difference in those games. Six-point game, you telling me, me and D-Law can’t make a difference? An extra stop in one point of the games? It’s hard for me to believe we can’t. So my goal is if I’m up this week to go out there and prove that.”
Despite a lengthy rehab process, Parsons said he will not be limited on the field when he does make his return.
“Yeah, once I’m playing, I’m playing,” he said. “That’s just the competitor in me. I was banged up plenty of times. I’m just like ‘Man, once I’m competing, I’m competing.’ It’s hard to restrain that.”
Out the gates
Stoppable object meets movable force? That is what could be on display when the Cowboys and Eagles kick off on Sunday, as two of the worst teams in the NFL in first quarter scoring will square off.
Dallas, a team that was first in the NFL in first quarter scoring in 2023 with 7.2 points per game, has fallen well below the threshold of mediocrity in 2024 with just 3.6 points per game in opening frames. That includes just six total points in the last three first quarters against Atlanta, San Francisco and Detroit.
On the other hand, Philadelphia has had an even rougher go of it in 2024. In the Eagles’ week nine win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, a first quarter touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley was the team’s first points all season in the opening frame. That wild statistic has the Eagles sitting dead last in the NFL with 0.9 points per game in the first quarter.
While the Cowboys are outmatched on paper with Vegas odds continuing to give the Eagles more leeway as the week goes on, a strong start could help Rush and Co. find themselves with a fighting chance as the day goes on.
Mingo debut
Jerry Jones promised last Sunday that the Cowboys would be active at the trade deadline, and he did just that by adding 2023 former second-round pick Jonathan Mingo to the receiver group in exchange for a fourth-round pick (a seventh-round pick also went to Dallas in the trade with Carolina).
Mingo began practice with the team on Thursday, as his late start to preparing for the Eagles may see him take the field in a more limited capacity than initially expected, but it will be the first time to see the Ole Miss product in a Cowboys uniform.
“We definitely liked him in the draft process and he has a lot of the characteristics you look for that I believe are necessary,” head coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re excited for the opportunity to have him part of it…We believe in our initial grade. We feel like there is obviously value there.”
In 24 career games, Mingo has hauled in 55 receptions for 539 yards. He is still searching for his first NFL touchdown after being drafted No. 39 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Old friends
It’s the third stop in the last three years for Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, as he finds himself back in the NFC East after four seasons as the offensive coordinator in Dallas and one season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Through nine weeks, Moore has the Eagles sitting 11th in the NFL in scoring offense (24.9 points per game) and sixth in total offense (377.1 yards per game). He’s incorporated running back Saquon Barkley into a rushing offense that ranks second behind only the Baltimore Ravens with 174.8 rushing yards per game.
When asked about his former offensive coordinator this week, Mike McCarthy praised the system he has carried into Philadelphia.
“It’s a system that has the opportunity to continue to grow in variation and put your players in position to be successful,” he said. “Frankly, I see him doing that in Philadelphia. Saquon’s playing as well as I’ve seen him play, the way they’re running the ball, some of the things they’re doing is reflective of how they’ve played in the past and you can see the things that he’s brought to the table.”
It will be the second time that Dallas has squared off against a Kellen Moore offense since his departure after the Cowboys defeated the Chargers in 2023, 20-17.
This story was originally published November 8, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
