FRISCO, Texas -- To kick off the Cowboys' stretch of three games in 12 days, Dallas returns to AT&T Stadium and plays host to the Philadelphia Eagles.
After dropping the season opener to the reigning Super Bowl champions 24-20, the Cowboys are looking for revenge and for the chance to win their first back-to-back games of the season.
Is Dallas' defensive showing against the Raiders last Monday enough to prove that they can be drastically improved the rest of the year? Will the offense have success once again with an Eagles defense that has allowed just 16 points in the last two weeks?
Our staff gives their predictions for how Sunday afternoon will play out:
Tommy: I know this will come as no shock to Cowboys fans, but I'll say it anyways: The next three games not only define your season, but also how the season will be remembered when it's all said and done. This is about as grueling of a three-game stretch as you could imagine, and it begins with a physical football team in the Eagles that are incredibly talent-rich and have one of the best defenses in the league. We saw how Dallas did against their defense in Week 1, and another elite defense in the Broncos in Week 8, will things be similar with Jalen Carter (presumably, but who knows anymore at this point) back in the lineup? What about the Eagles offense which has struggled to get the ball to their playmakers consistently and find rhythm? I think Dallas actually has an advantage on that side of the ball and can keep the Eagles' struggles going. If that's the case, I feel good enough about the Cowboys offense against a secondary that has struggled in Philadelphia and will have to face a red-hot George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb. I'm taking the Cowboys in a grinder of a game. Cowboys 21, Eagles 20
Patrik: These teams often split, and that's where I stand on it. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' offense was good enough to defeat the Eagles in Philly in Week 1, if not for some untimely drops. Yes, the Eagles were without Jalen Carter and some would argue that's why they were within spitting distance of the defending champs in the first place, but I'll counter with how the Eagles didn't face a Cowboys' defense that had Quinnen Williams, or Logan Wilson, or DeMarvion Overshown (who I believe will make a massive impact on this game). And so that leads me to believe Dallas' defense will be even better against a mostly similar Philly offense but, oh wait, Lane Johnson isn't playing, huh? Exactly my point. Will the Cowboys' offensive line have a long day up front? Absolutely. Will the Eagles have a longer day up front? Absolutely. The rest will handle itself. 27-20, Cowboys
Mickey: Have a sneaky suspicion this will be a different story the second time around against the Eagles, 24-20, winners over the Cowboys the first game of the season. And this doesn't have as much to do with the Eagles likely having Jalen Carter in the game this time, getting thrown out of the first game for spitting at Dak Prescott. By my count the Cowboys will have the services of at least 16 players who either were not on the team for the season opener, or those making their Cowboys debuts, rookies making their NFL debuts or Cowboys players who had not played in any sort of game for quite some time until Week 1. And to think, despite all that the Cowboys did score 20 points in the first half of the first Eagles game and did hold the Eagles offense to 24 points. This will be a different story. Cowboys in an upset.
Nick: Wait, I thought I was going out on a limb to pick the Cowboys. Turns out, based off the previous answers here, this is the trendy pick. That's fine. I've said it all along that teams that play the way the Eagles are playing, eventually get beat. It's just the way the NFL is structured. Usually, things even out and I give a lot of credit to Philly for being able to win these close games. And if the Cowboys don't take care of business early in the game, and it stays close, then I give the Eagles an advantage. But as soon as we found out about the Marshawn Kneeland and tragedy and once it was OK to at least think about football, I did get a sense the Cowboys were about to go on a run. Winning one game is not a run. The key to beating the Eagles is going to come down to turnovers. Philly has only committed four all year. I think it's going to take two by the Eagle to win. I think Dallas plays inspired football once again and the Cowboys knock off the Eagles 31-21.
Kyle Youmans: I'll be completely honest here, I don't like looking around at the predictions of this game and seeing so many picks for Dallas within the building. The Eagles may not be playing their best football on offense, but they're 8-2 and playing some fantastic football on defense. They are still just as talented as any other Super Bowl contender in the league right now and have a very real chance to make another deep playoff run. But this week, in this situation, my gut feeling tells me something entirely different. Dallas is coming off a confidence-building win, with a new-look defense and a purpose to play for upon returning to AT&T Stadium this week. Additionally, Dak Prescott has played some of his best ball when facing NFC East opponents at home, where he is 21-2 over his 23 home games within the division. I believe Dallas is catching Philly at the right time and in the right place. Cowboys, 27-24.
