Eagles vs Cowboys: Does Jalen Hurts actually need to run with knee injury?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The biggest game of the Eagles' season is on the horizon, one that is expected to determine the fate of the NFC East. The Cowboys are coming to the Linc with a 5-2 record, 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia for first place in the division.
A win for the Cowboys puts Dallas a half-game behind the Eagles but with the same number of losses in the loss column and the head-to-head tiebreaker for first place. An Eagles victory puts Philadelphia 2 1/2 games ahead of the Cowboys -- and the head-to-head tiebreaker in place.
This game is not an NFC East clincher for the Eagles, but the Birds will have control of their own destiny in the division with a brutal schedule incoming. The Cowboys are the first of six consecutive teams with a winning record the Eagles will face over the next six weeks, making Sunday's game even more important in the battle for division supremacy.
These are five questions the Eagles will have to answer ahead of Sunday's showdown with the Cowboys.
1. Does Jalen Hurts actually need to run with his knee injury?
Hurts injured his knee in the Week 5 victory over the Rams and hasn't been as mobile since. The Eagles -- and Hurts -- have been downplaying the injury, even though it certainly is taking out a valuable part of his game.
Hurts has just 23 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns in the last three weeks, averaging 3.2 yards per carry.
Good thing for the Eagles? Hurts is one of the league's best quarterbacks in the pocket. He has completed 74.4% of his passes in the pocket with 12 touchdowns to eight interceptions for a 101.2 passer rating (eighth in the NFL). Over the last two games, Hurts is 46 of 60 (76.7%) for 507 yards with six touchdowns and an interception (127.6 rating).
Hurts will need to scramble a bit to throw the Cowboys' defense off, but he's just as dangerous in the pocket.
2. Is the running game actually going to improve?
The Eagles' running game has severely stagnated since Week 3, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry since. There are 107 players in the NFL that have 10-plus carries since Week 4, which the Eagles' top two backs rank very low.
Kenneth Gainwell ranks 96th in yards per carry (2.4) and D'Andre Swift is 70th (3.7). Some of this has to do with Hurts and his knee injury, but neither Swift nor Gainwell have been good over the last five weeks.
Philadelphia doesn't have a good No. 2 running back behind Swift, which is affecting his performance. Gainwell isn't getting replaced as the No. 2 pick either, for Boston Scott or Rashaad Penny -- who has been a healthy scratch since Week 2.
"He's the number two -- I think I was asked about this, too, and I said there's things you don't see that were obviously in practice," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. "He's our number two because we believe it right now. He's the second-best running back on our team."
The Eagles are rolling with Swift and Gainwell, for better or worse.
3. How will the slot corner situation look this week?
With the addition of Kevin Byard at safety, the Eagles have their starting safety tandem intact with Byard and Reed Blankenship. That moved Sydney Brown over to the slot in a box-nickel package with Eli Ricks also moving inside. Opposing quarterbacks targeting Ricks over the last two games are just 3 of 8 for 12 yards for a 45.8 rating -- as Ricks has mostly played in the slot.
"He prepares like a pro and he's learning, and he's like a sponge," Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai said of Ricks. "He just wants more and more information and he's trying to take on all these roles and learn so many different things and he goes out there and he competes.
"When he was not up, and he was on the (scout team) and playing out there, he's competing in those reps and that's how you get noticed and you get elevated. In the meeting room he's prepared, and when you get your chance, you make the best of it and he's done a good job of that.
Brown also provides value in the slot, even though his coverage numbers last week weren't as good. Opposing quarterbacks targeting Brown went 4 of 5 for 41 yards with a touchdown (118.8 rating). Brown still has a role in box-nickel formation (three safeties on field), so he'll be in the slot at times.
This all comes down to Bradley Roby, who is still battling a shoulder injury. If Roby misses another week, Ricks and Brown will likely be responsible for facing CeeDee Lamb. If the Eagles get creative, James Bradberry could move to the slot and Josh Jobe goes outside with Darius Slay.
4. Is Cam Jurgens coming back?
The Eagles activated Jurgens from injured reserve this week, opening up the 21-day practice window for the starting right guard. Jurgens is highly likely to play Sunday against the Cowboys, and the Eagles' running game needs him.
In the four games Jurgens has started, the Eagles were second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (165.2) and third in yards per carry (4.7). The four games Jurgens missed? The Eagles are 19th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (99.2) and 28th in yards per carry (3.4).
The offense needs Jurgens back.
5. Can the Eagles actually beat Dak Prescott?
Prescott's numbers against the Eagles are historic. He's 7-1 in his last eight starts against the Birds, completing 72% of his passes for 286.0 yards per game with 17 touchdowns to just four interceptions and a 110.3 rating.
In his last three starts against the Eagles, the Cowboys have scored 40-plus points in each game, while Prescott has thrown 11 touchdowns to just one interception. Prescott is the only quarterback since 1950 to complete 75% of his passes and three passing touchdowns in three consecutive games against a single team.
Prescott does own the Eagles, but he as only faced Hurts in one of those matchups. The last time Hurts and Prescott squared off was in September 2021, a 41-21 victory which Nick Sirianni was in his third game as a head coach and Hurts was making just his seventh start. Things have significantly changed in the two years since.
Hurts and Prescott will square off for the first time in Philadelphia this Sunday, which is considered a must-win game for the Cowboys. The Eagles will have a challenge on their hands, and are expected to get the best out of Prescott.
The narrative could certainly change regarding Prescott's dominance over the Eagles if Philadelphia can pull out a win this week.
