Dallas City News

In continuing with the X-factor series, today we have the hated Philadelphia Eagles, whom the Cowboys will face in early November and for a crucial matchup in the regular season’s penultimate week. Of all the Dallas Cowboys’ rivals, there isn’t one team/fanbase that is more gratifying to beat. Admittedly, the Eagles have fared better than the Cowboys in recent years regarding postseason success, making the Super Bowl during the 2022 season. However, when everyone expected the Eagles to repeat as NFC champions, things took a spiraling downturn as they lost five of their last six games after starting the season with a 10-1 record.

It’s as if a divide formed in the locker room, with the performance of quarterback Jalen Hurts at the forefront. In the offseason, the Eagles made several changes. Their coordinators, Brian Johnson and Sean Desai, were ultimately replaced. Longtime Eagles Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox announced their retirements. Head coach Nick Sirianni was the subject of rumors about his job security but managed to keep his job for at least another season. We know the Eagles have their sights on the Cowboys to prevent them from repeating as NFC East division champions, which would be the first time an NFC East team has done that since 2004. Here are some Eagles x-factors who could stifle the Cowboys and dethrone them as NFC East champions.

Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

2023 record: 11-6, 2nd place in the NFC East

Date(s) on the schedule: Week 10 Nov 10th & Week 17 Dec 29th

Kellen Moore

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline when they play the Eagles. Kellen Moore spent eight seasons with the Cowboys, the last four as their offensive coordinator. When Moore took the job to lead the Cowboys offense, many envisioned the next great play designer in the NFL, similar to Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay. Unfortunately, despite putting up points and yardage, Moore’s offenses fizzled out in the postseason. Moore spent one season with the Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Eagles. Some have maintained that the organization suppressed Moore while he was in Dallas, and the front office shackled his creativity. There seems to be a need for a cathartic closure with Moore, and there is intrigue about whether he is the one who got away now that he’s away from Dallas.

Moore has his work cut out for him in Philadelphia. The Eagles will immediately expect to see an impact on the Eagles’ offense with Jalen Hurts as a passer. Hurts is a good athlete and productive runner with the football, but his field vision as a thrower leaves much to be desired. There are several questions Moore must answer with the Eagles. How does he adapt his offense to keep a sometimes-mercurial A.J. Brown happy? Does he also understand the best way to use Saquon Barkley so that he isn’t burnt out the way Moore wore down Ezekiel Elliott? There’s more pressure on Moore in Philadelphia than there was in Dallas. Within a season, he could be the toast of the town or just toast. However, if Moore can resurrect the Eagles’ offense and take them to new heights, the division could easily be theirs.

Bryce Huff, Edge rusher

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Huff is a player who started from the bottom, and the Eagles might be capitalizing on a late-bloomer. Huff went undrafted in 2020 before signing with the New York Jets. In his first three seasons in New York, he only had 6.5 sacks before setting a career-high in 2023 with ten. Despite the Jets’ efforts to keep Huff and decline offers to trade him away, the Eagles landed him and signed him to a $51.1M contract. Huff fills a need for the Eagles, as they traded away Hasson Reddick, and Brandon Graham is another year older. Huff functions somewhat as a specialist:

“Huff was masterful as a pass-rusher in 2022. Despite being inactive for the first three games, he finished first in pass-rush win rate, second in true pass set pressure rate, and third in QB hit rate. He set a Next Gen Stats record with his 21.3% pressure rate (min 150 pass rushes). Huff also became the fastest player in pass-rush get-off over the last five seasons at 0.67 seconds.

A lack of double-teams and playing exclusively in pass-rushing situations could have been factors in some of these eye-popping stats, but it’s hard to argue with the results, regardless.

The Jets gave Huff one job, and he did it at an elite level. With 81.2% of his snaps coming on third and fourth down, he showcased himself as a dangerous pass-rusher in the NFL.”

Seth Walder’s tweet further cements Huff’s impact at attacking the edges.

With the Cowboys infusing their offensive line with so much youth, opposing edge rushers are going to play with extra motivation to collapse the pocket and pressure Dak Prescott. Tyler Guyton and Cowboys fans must recognize Bryce Huff twice this season.

Quinyon Mitchell, Cornerback

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles are known for aggressive player acquisition and astute drafting. Last year, it was Jalen Carter during the draft. This year, it’s Quinyon Mitchell. Many considered Mitchell as the top cornerback in the draft, and his selection by the Eagles at 22 is a promising sign for the team’s future.

As a prospect, Mitchell has it all. He’s built so he won’t struggle with strength as Washington Commanders’ cornerback Emmanuel Forbes did in his rookie season. Mitchell has tremendous speed and should be able to keep up with Brandin Cooks downfield. He’s also aggressive at the point of the catch and may be able to grapple with CeeDee Lamb on fade routes in the end zone. Mitchell has to prove that he can do this consistently in the NFL, but he comes with a great foundation at a position the Eagles needed most.

The Eagles were struggling in their secondary, and veteran cornerback James Bradberry was showing that he lost a few steps in man coverage, most notably during a Monday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks, where he was beaten in coverage several times on the game-winning drive. The Eagles may have found their solution on the field and balance sheet by adding Mitchell. The Eagles could get off Bradberry’s contract after next season for a $10M cap hit that pays for itself with the low cost of Mitchell’s salary. It could be a matter of the future now versus later for the Eagles. Should he hold his own against Lamb and Cooks, it would be a significant boon for the Eagles. We’ll also see if what he learns in the first matchup against Dallas will carry over into the second one.