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NFC East foes will be looking to stay relevant in a struggling division when the Eagles and Cowboys go at it on Sunday night.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-4) at DALLAS COWBOYS (2-5)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Philadelphia -3, Total: 44.5
Philadelphia (3-4 SU and ATS) saw its two-game winning streak snapped in their last game prior to their bye week at the hands of the unbeaten Panthers, due in large part to a season-high 204 rushing yards allowed by the Eagles defense, more than double the 94.8 YPG they’d allowed entering the Carolina game.
Dallas (2-5 SU and ATS) fell 13-12 to Seattle on Sunday, the team’s fifth straight loss overall, and third straight home loss, dropping them into last place in the NFC East.
Despite their early season struggles, both teams are still very much in the hunt for the division title, as the NFC East enters Week 9 as one of two divisions (AFC South) with no team above .500 on the season.
The Eagles might have to go without several key members of both the offense and defense for the battle at Jerry World: LBs DeMeco Ryans (hamstring) and Kiko Alonso (knee), OT Jason Peters (back), and WR Nelson Agholor (shin) are all questionable. For the Cowboys, the only major injury of note is that of DB Barry Church (ankle), who is questionable for this one.
Chip Kelly’s read-option offense continued to find success against Carolina, Philadelphia’s third straight game gaining more than 150 yards on the ground, raising their mark on the season to 114 YPG with a 4.2 YPA, both good for 15th in the league. It was the Eagles’ inefficiency against the Panthers’ secondary -- seven dropped passes, season lows in passing YPA and YPC, and fewest yards in their last five games– that resulted in the team’s biggest loss this season.
Despite their recent rushing success, the Eagles have struggled to control games this season, as their offense has been on the field just 44.5% of the time, and just 42.8% of the time in road games, which will put even greater pressure on their defense to keep the Cowboys offense, which has been on the field 55.8% of the time, from controlling the game.
Dallas’ offense has relied heavily on the run game, which has succeeded in spite of the passing game, which has continued to demise since Tony Romo’s Week 2 injury. Matt Cassel’s season-worst 91-yard performance against the Seahawks, even with the return of Dez Bryant, dropped the Cowboys’ to 24th in the league in YPG.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ running game (6th in the league in YPA and YPG) has stabilized (and then some) even in the aftermath of DeMarco Murray’s off-season departure to Philly, thanks to the combined efforts of Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle, but Randle was released by the team on Tuesday due in large part to his off-field issues, putting the hopes of Dallas’ ground game almost squarely on McFadden’s shoulders.
The Cowboys are 4-1 ATS against the Eagles since Chip Kelly took over as coach before the 2013 season, and the Eagles have lost SU both of their road games this season in which they entered as a three-point favorite.
