The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are bitter longtime NFC East division rivals. Each year their matchups seem to be deciding factors in who wins the division and likely advances the farthest come playoff time. Sunday’s clash in Philly won’t be any different, in fact it’s not only for first place in the division, but also in the NFC conference as a whole.
Coming into the matchup both teams know what they’ll need to do in order to come out of the game victorious. For the Cowboys it starts and ends with their dominant pass rush, which is led by reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year runnerup, Micah Parsons. Games like this are always won in the trenches and Parsons knows that’s the key to getting what would be a huge win for the Cowboys.
Parsons Says It All About Winning Up Front
Speaking to reporters this week, Parsons, the former Penn State standout, was pretty blunt in his response when asked what it would take to win on the road over the Eagles.
“We gotta rush out butts off,” Parsons answered. “Most games are won up front. For us to win this game, we gotta win up front. Facing their offensive line is always a great challenge, but at the end of the day, they gotta face us too. I know they’re looking over like, ‘When Micah is here what are we gonna do?’ When Micah is there, what are we gonna do?’ At the same time, they gotta scheme me, and I gotta prepare to go against them. Iron sharpens iron, it’s gonna be a battle up front on Sunday.”
Parsons is correct, the Cowboys arguably possess the best pass rush in the NFL. They’re relentless. They’ll be going up against an Eagles offensive line that tackle to tackle is widely considered the best group in the league.
How defensive coordinator Dan Quinn utilizes Parsons will be key, as he may look to avoid him having to deal with Eagles star tackle Lane Johnson, who handled Parsons last season when they matched up.
Making Hurts uncomfortable is imperative if the Cowboys want to have any chance of leaving Philly with a win.
Parsons DPOY Candidate Again
In his first two NFL seasons, Parsons was a stud, and he’s done it from all over the field. After tallying 26 combined sacks in those seasons, Parsons has six sacks, 14 QB hits and 22 tackles and one forced fumble this season.
He’ll look to get his first career sack against the Eagles in the team’s fifth matchup with their division rival in his three-year career.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott holds an 8-3 record against the Eagles and a 28-7 record versus the NFC East, an 80% winning percentage.
