Sunday’s huge NFC East clash between the Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) and Dallas Cowboys (9-3) will go a long way in determining who not only wins the division, but also who could have the the inside track to home field throughout the NFC playoffs. The San Francisco 49ers (9-3), who bullied both teams this season are also right in the mix. With the Eagles coming off an ugly 42-19 drubbing at the hands of the Niners last week, they’ll be looking to get back to their winning ways.
They’ll have to do so at Cowboys Stadium, which has become a house of horrors for visiting teams over the past 14 games. Dallas is riding a league-high 14-game home winning streak, their longest as a franchise since an 18-game streak from 1979-1981. Two key components in Sunday’s matchup that’ll go a long way in determining the outcome are Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Cowboys Star edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Ahead of their second matchup, Hurts and Parsons did their best to not poke the bear, and it’s safe to say both did a good job of it.
Hurts Has High Praise For Parsons
Parsons, the back-to-back runner-up for DPOY, is only 1.5 sacks from becoming just the second player in league history (joining the late Reggie White) to have three consecutive 13 sack seasons to begin an NFL career. Hurts, who’s been lauded for his leadership and smarts, is very aware of just how good Parsons is, having already faced him in the past and a few weeks ago in the Eagles’ 28-23 win. The former Alabama and Oklahoma signal-caller has plenty of respect for him.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, Hurts had this to say about Parsons.
“He’s a really good player,” Hurts said. “These guys have a different type of edge rusher, with him being a big-time player. There are a lot of other guys who are big-time players on that team, and you have to account for all of them.”
The Eagles haven’t suffered back-to-back losses since the 2021 season. Following their first loss this season, which was to the Jets, Hurts and the Eagles responded with a 31-17 win over the AFC-East leading Miami Dolphins. In that game Hurts was great, passing for 279 yards and three total touchdowns. That game was in the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field. This one is in Arlington, Texas.
Parsons’ Focus Is On Being Relentless
The thing that sets Parsons apart from other edge rushers in the league is just how relentless he is. The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year knows he needs to be a force if the Cowboys wanna be victorious in this crucial matchup. When asked how he plans to approach the matchup, Parsons told reporters, “For me, it’s all about the progression of the mentality. Sometimes you’re not going to get sacks. Sometimes they’re going to get it out. It just may not fall into your lap. But just the effort, the motor, can you keep going? Can you not let this faze you?”
“For me, that was one of the biggest things,” Parsons continued. :Can I keep going? Can I not be fazed? Can I be unstoppable — un-bleep-with-able — throughout the whole four quarters?”
Things will be testy and extremely chippy down in Arlington on Sunday afternoon. An Eagles win essentially wraps up the division, and a Cowboys win means it’s a race to the finish line.
