By Alex Al-Kazzaz
This season, the Dallas Cowboys defense has been the center of attention. Quite frankly, the defense won the last two games for Dallas. The offense has sputtered and the play-calling has been controversially questionable, which has been the case for a long time. The offensive issues were well-documented in Dallas' wins against Washington and Los Angeles. The Week 1 offensive performance speaks for itself and can't go unnoticed. This is it for Dallas, this is their test; a trip to Philadelphia to take on the 5-0 Eagles.
Cooper Rush has done a great job filling for Dak Prescott. No disrespect to Rush, he's not in the MVP race and there's all that talk regarding the QB controversy going on in Dallas. Many strongly speculate or instead insist that if Prescott is ready to go, then put him in. Others truly beg to differ and say that taking out Rush when there's momentum and when the offense trusts him, everything will fall apart. Furthermore, some say that as long as Rush is able to do respectively well, then it's only logical to keep him as the starter until he is unably capable of taking charge.
At this point, it's more than just a QB controversy. Shall we say, it's mayhem and chaos due to all the differences of opinions? Regardless, there's no argument about the fact that Rush has done better than anticipated. But as far as Prescott goes, he needs to be 100 percent and go through a full week of practice before he can be activated.
Philadelphia averages about 420 total offensive yards per game, which makes them second in the league. In addition, Philadelphia's defense allows an average of 294.4 offensive yards per game, which makes them fourth in the league. Furthermore, Philadelphia's rushing offense averages 160 yards per game(fourth in the league) while Dallas' rushing defense allows an average of 118 yards per game.
Dallas' defense is second in the league with sacks(20) and Philadelphia's defense is tied for first in the league in turnovers(11). Philadelphia is also tied with Denver with the fourth-most sacks in the league(17). So it's clear that Dallas' defense is going to have its hands full against the Eagles. Overall, it's crystal clear that Dallas will have their work cut out for them on Sunday night.
There's no denying that the offensive has had problems. From the play-calling, the execution of plays, penalties, the unpredictable passing, and running game, etc. There are too many unanswered questions regarding the offense. Furthermore, the offense has blown too many scoring opportunities in the past two weeks. Many believe that if Prescott was playing, this wouldn't be happening. Whether it's true or not, the bottom line is that the offense has had opportunities, but they've failed to capitalize.
Lately, Dallas' red zone conversion percentage is far from convincing in a positive way. While the defense was able to miraculously bail them out each time, it's not going to work this week. This week, the offense needs to strongly excel and give some support to their defense. In other words, the Cowboys must play and excel as a team! The defense cannot carry them in this one.
Dallas can't afford sloppy offensive play against Philadelphia. They can't afford sloppy play period! So the offense needs to cash in on the opportunities on promising offensive drives. In other words, GET TO THE ENDZONE! If the offense can be well-balanced and be able to finish, the defense will have some breathing room. In addition, if the defense excels too, then Dallas can wrap up their trip on a very positive note as they return home for games against Chicago and Detroit.
This is Dallas' chance to prove itself. If they can win convincingly, they'll solidify themselves as a good team that deserves respect. But it starts with a strong win against the 5-0 Eagles.
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