It is starting to feel like a playoff atmosphere for the Dallas Cowboys after that win against the Seattle Seahawks.
With Philadelphia coming to town, the pressure is only going to thicken.
This rivalry existed before I was born and will stand long past when I take my last breath. Dallas' record against the Eagles stands at 73-56, including regular season and postseason, according to thefootballdb.com.
Now, they look to add another check mark in the win column to reach number 74.
Standing in their way is their most significant test and stretch of competition thus far this season. While formative, each team on the schedule also contains a list of flaws for the Cowboys to expose.
Starting with the Eagles, but that also extends to America's team.
Dallas was so close to winning an unexpected win in the first matchup. Some players stepped up, and those that exited stage right.
Now, on Sunday, if we're looking for a change in the result, some players who didn't fare well the first time will need to play much better.
Terence Steele failed miserably in the first matchup, but he wasn't alone
Can anyone say low-hanging fruit?
I was hesitant to approach Terence Steele again, but it's practically impossible to talk about players who need to improve without starting with him.
The Cowboys coaching staff need to own some of this as well. If you see a player who looks like a turnstile, please provide him with some help.
They didn't, and it caused Dak to either take sacks or throw the ball prematurely in pressure situations.
Unfortunately for Steele, he hasn't performed well in many games, but Philly stood out like a sore thumb.
Maybe it was because of the Pro Football Focus score of 15 for pass blocking.
It could also be the 12 pressures and four sacks. It wasn't much better against the Seahawks, either.
Terence Steele allowed 5 pressures vs SEA making it the 4th time this season he's allowed 5+.
For reference, he allowed 5+ just 4 times the previous 3 years combined and did it 0 times all of 2022.
— Defy (@defytalkcowboys) December 3, 2023
The Dallas Cowboys front office may have opened their pockets too soon, but there's not much you can do about that now.
Steele will be on an island at some point, especially when Dallas deploys their 11 personnel—the matchup against Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, or Brandon Graham.
He fared somewhat better in the run sets. Maybe that's what Dallas must do to slow down their pass rush and give Steele a fighting chance.
Unless Terence has significantly improved his ability to get off the ball in a matter of a few days, going back to the well with him on an island won't change the results.
Donovan Wilson names comes up frequently but not in the way we want
We could probably use Jayron Kearse in this area, but Wilson will suffice.
Reports came out that Philadelphia Tight End Dallas Goedert will potentially suit up and be ready to go on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/jasrifootball/status/1732510587106525574?t=ZdLr12AnkiyBYgT8T9dX9A&s=03
With that being said, the safety position will be front and center.
Donovan Wilson's ability in coverage has been average at best. Even in zone, the inefficiencies exist. I mentioned in another article that he left DaRon Bland out to dry on the first touchdown of the game to DK Metcalf last Thursday.
He gets another chance on Sunday, not just against Goedert but in run support, which he's been consistently lacking.
One tackle just won't cut it against this team. If Dallas wants to split the series this season, the uber-active Wilson will need to return.
Some fans have called for Juanyeh Thomas to get more snaps.
It doesn't feel like that will come to fruition, so an improvement from Wilson is all we can hope for.
Brandin Cooks' play is more about opportunities it appears
Now that we've seen what Cooks can do when he gets an opportunity, there's no time to backtrack.
We all knew he could ball. In six of his previous nine years, he included 1000-yard receiving seasons. It's doubtful he will reach 1K with Dallas, but there should be plenty of targets to keep him involved.
Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and the crew are not world-beaters.
They're not a group that should prevent a team from getting one of their playmakers involved. That's why I point the finger at the head coach and offensive coordinator.
If Cooks ends Sunday with another two targets against Philadelphia, I urge you to keep your money in your bank account. That would be a bad bet.
Dak gets the ball out before rush gets to him, finds Brandin Cooks for 7-yard TD
Cowboys 17, Seahawks 7pic.twitter.com/aMMQniLBP4
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 1, 2023
Over the last four weeks, the 10-year vet has been given 5 – 6 targets per game. There's little to no correlation between his targets and wins, but I wouldn't want to chance my luck.
Whether Dak need to consult with McCarthy or Schottenheimer or Cooks need to yell at him in the game, he needs to get involved. While CeeDee Lamb has been great, relying on him in these types of games alone seems foolish.
Dallas has the talent, grit, and ability to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
It's not like Philly is coming to Dallas with their chest poked out. They walked into a shellacking of their own against that team out west.
That's neither here nor there. What's important is these three players play differently so that Dallas can climb closer to their rightful place at the top of the NFC East.
