Cowboys-Eagles matchup promises NFC East fireworks

The NFC East, aft years successful the doldrums, is back.

No part has much wins done 5 weeks (14). The Philadelphia Eagles (5-0), Dallas Cowboys (4-1) and New York Giants (4-1) person conscionable 2 losses betwixt them to this point. The Washington Commanders? Well, they’re 1-4.

The NFC East renaissance takes halfway signifier erstwhile the undefeated Eagles big the Cowboys connected Sunday nighttime (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), with implications not conscionable for the divisional contention but successful aboriginal jockeying for playoff positioning successful the NFC. It features a brace of top-10 defenses, 2 quarterbacks successful Jalen Hurts and Cooper Rush -- assuming Dak Prescott remains sidelined pursuing thumb country -- who person exceeded expectations, and a big of rising stars that includes Dallas defenders Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs and Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

It's bully connected bully successful the East, astatine agelong last. ESPN Eagles newsman Tim McManus and Cowboys newsman Todd Archer instrumentality a person look astatine the matchup:

Which defence is better? State your lawsuit for the squad you cover.

Archer: The Cowboys are doing things defensively that Dallas has not seen since 1972. They person not allowed much than 19 points successful their archetypal 5 games. The archetypal Doomsday pulled that disconnected successful 1972. They person not allowed much than 1 touchdown successful a crippled each play either. And they've played against Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford successful 3 of those 5 games.

They person 20 sacks, tied for the fourth-most the Cowboys person had done 5 games. Parsons is tied for the league pb with six sacks and Dallas has 9 players with astatine slightest 1 sack. They mightiness beryllium a small susceptible to the run, which is simply a large happening this week against the Eagles, but it has improved each week.

McManus: The Eagles person the much implicit defence from beforehand to back. Dallas' borderline rushers are elite, but Philadelphia' walk unreserved is much versatile, attacking from the wrong (defensive tackle Fletcher Cox has 3 sacks) and retired (linebacker Haason Reddick leads the mode with 4.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles).

And portion Dallas has the borderline successful full sacks (20 to the Eagles' 17), Philadelphia is tied for archetypal successful takeaways with 11 compared to 7 for the Cowboys, which is much mediate of the pack. Like Parsons up front, Diggs (9 PBU, 2 INT) is the main attraction, whereas corners Darius Slay and James Bradberry stock the load for the Eagles with 2 interceptions and 5 walk break-ups apiece.

It's each precise overmuch connected brand: if you privation flash, the squad with the prima connected its helmets is for you. If you're bigger connected substance, it's the workmanlike Eagles, who person the second-most businesslike defence successful the NFL per ESPN's metrics (75.50). The Cowboys fertile sixth successful that class (66.70).

Describe your quarterback's play successful 3 words oregon less

Archer: Efficient, mistake-free.

Rush has been good arsenic Prescott's replacement. Hard to reason with a 4-0 record, but for those wanting him to proceed arsenic the starter adjacent erstwhile Prescott is healthy, this isn't 2016. As a rookie, the Cowboys kept Prescott successful the lineup implicit Tony Romo due to the fact that of an 11-game triumph streak, but the discourtesy enactment up 24 oregon much points successful 10 of those 11 wins. The Cowboys person topped 24 points erstwhile nether Rush.

Dallas has won without a high-scoring discourtesy due to the fact that Rush has not had an interception and the squad isn't turning the shot over. It’s astir similar they are harkening backmost to a antithetic epoch of shot with this controlled discourtesy and hellacious defense. But eventually, they're going to person to people much than 25 points to triumph a game.

McManus: Dynamic.

Hurts remains a unit connected the crushed -- helium is tied for 2nd successful the NFL successful rushing touchdowns (six) and is 2nd among quarterbacks successful rushing yards (266) -- but it's his betterment arsenic a passer that has him successful the league MVP conversation. He ranks 5th successful completion complaint (67.9%) aft finishing 26th successful that class a twelvemonth agone (61.3%) and is averaging 8.5 yards per walk attempt, second-most successful the league. While the summation of Brown has surely made his beingness easier, Hurts deserves astir of the credit. He has diligently worked to creaseless retired his mechanics and has beardown bid of this violative system. He knows wherever to spell with the shot and has been getting it determination accurately.

The 1 interest is the fig of hits he's been taking. Hurts is acold and distant the person successful QB contacts (84) done 5 games. That fig could sprout up further this week with near tackle Jordan Mailata (shoulder), guards Landon Dickerson (leg) and Isaac Seumalo (ankle) and halfway Jason Kelce (ankle) each banged up to varying degrees.

Key Cowboys-Eagles matchup to watch

Archer: Cowboys walk unreserved vs. Eagles violative line

For the shot nerds, this volition beryllium heaven. Strength vs. strength. The Cowboys are 2nd successful the league successful sacks. The Eagles' violative enactment is considered 1 of the champion -- if not the champion -- successful the NFL, although, arsenic Tim mentioned, they participate this 1 banged up astir crossed the board. While Parsons gets a batch of nationalist attention, the walk unreserved goes beyond him.

Eagles fans cognize DeMarcus Lawrence rather well. He has conscionable 3 sacks successful 14 games against the Eagles but helium has 9 tackles for nonaccomplishment and 10 backmost hits. He volition spot close tackle Lane Johnson a bunch, and Johnson hasn't allowed a sack since Week 11 of the 2020 season. Dorance Armstrong has 4 sacks, 1 disconnected the career-high helium acceptable past year. The Cowboys similar to play a batch of games up beforehand with twists and stunts that springiness linemen trouble. Hurts' quality to tally mightiness mitigate immoderate of that connected Sunday, but cipher has truly slowed down the Dallas walk unreserved yet. If the Eagles don't, past the Cowboys are apt to beryllium successful archetypal spot successful the NFC East connected Sunday night.

McManus: A.J. Brown vs. Trevon Diggs

Diggs' 9 walk break-ups pb the league. He’s a large play waiting to happen, arsenic evidenced by his 2 interception returns for touchdowns past year. But his consistency arsenic a defender has dipped, astatine slightest successful the aboriginal going of the season. Quarterbacks are completing 63% of their passes against him, compared to 52% successful 2021. And he's already fixed up a brace of touchdowns, versus 4 each of past year.

If those trends continue, it volition beryllium boom-or-bust against Brown, who has adapted to Philadelphia's strategy good since being acquired from the Tennessee Titans this offseason. He ranks 5th successful receiving yards (436) and is sixth among receivers successful yards aft the drawback (168). Diggs and Co. don't person to conscionable interest astir covering the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Brown downfield, but getting him to the crushed aft abbreviated crossers and slants implicit the middle.