Eagles-Cowboys: Sunday Six Pack

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The annual trip to Dallas to face the rival Cowboys comes in Week 8 for the Eagles and it couldn't be at a more crucial point of the season.

The NFC East lead is on the line as the 4-2 Eagles face the 5-1 Cowboys. Dallas is fresh off a bye week, while the Eagles have more tests to come on their schedule. The Eagles are also in search of their first win against a division rival this season, and falling to 0-2 against the NFC East could prove to be detrimental to their playoff hopes.

Here are six players to watch in Eagles-Cowboys.

Carson Wentz – It seems like we mention his name every week, but there's good reason this week. Wentz was involved in three turnovers in last week's win over the Vikings, including throwing two interceptions. The rookie certainly needs to have a bounce-back game. In addition, the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry is the pinnacle of the regular season schedule. Not since Week 17 of the 2013 have the two played a truly meaningful game where both were in position to take the division lead this late into a season. If the Eagles are going to come out on the winning end, they need the Wentz they saw in the first three weeks to show up.

Dak Prescott – With that, let's turn our attention to the other rookie. Dak Prescott did not get the attention Wentz did on draft weekend, but he's earned it so far this NFL season. Much like Wentz, the kid has seldom made mistakes. To this point, he has seven passing touchdowns and one interception and a completion rating of 68.7 percent, tremendous numbers to open his career. The rookie has essentially unseated Tony Romo as the team's go-to quarterback, which says a lot about his ability. 

Brandon Graham – The Eagles defense was the focal point of last week's win and Brandon Graham was in the middle of almost every play it seemed. For the Eagles to have any success against Prescott and the Cowboys, they need a repeat of last week's performance, not so much in the numbers but the execution. Pressure will be everything against Prescott and the test is tougher for the Eagles this week, as they face one of the strongest offensive lines the league has to offer.

Ezekiel Elliott – The Cowboys are a formidable contender in the NFC right now and the main reason is two rookies. There's Prescott, who has overcome slipping into the fourth round of the draft and then there's fourth overall pick Ezekiel Elliott. This kid is a game-changer with incredible ability and a lethal combination of speed and power. The Eagles worst game defensively against the run came against Washington in their only other divisional game this season. They will need to be on top of their game today to stop Elliott from taking control.

Darren Sproles – The Eagles haven't played the checkdown game a whole lot lately, but that could change against the Cowboys, who have allowed sizeable yardage to running backs on passing plays. Sproles has been masterful on some screens for the Eagles and if they can get him involved early, he may be able to have an impactful play or two. Also watch Sproles on special teams, an area where the Eagles have shined in the last two weeks.

Sean Lee – The quarterback of the Cowboys defense has always provided a menacing presence. The veteran linebacker is always prepared, so expect him to be leading the charge in trying to put pressure on Wentz against an offensive line that showed improvement last week against Minnesota, but still has some holes.

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