Each week, I dive into the film of the Eagles’ upcoming opponent to get a feel for who they really are. Think of it less as a stats preview and more as an overview of what shows up repeatedly on film, and what the Eagles will be facing.
Pass Defense
The Cowboys’ pass defense is still the most volatile and structurally fragile part of their team, and the film has been remarkably consistent about where the problems lie. They rely heavily on soft variants of Cover 2 and spot-drop zone, which creates large voids in the intermediate and deep areas.
Their corners rarely reroute receivers, and their safeties are inconsistent with leverage and depth. That’s why Dallas has been one of the league’s worst defenses against vertical passes: they give up free access, free releases, and far too many unmanned windows downfield.
Personnel instability compounds the scheme issues. Malik Hooker and Kaiir Elam have had uneven seasons, and even Daron Bland has alternated between sharp, aggressive reps and coverage busts where he loses the ball or misjudges leverage. Dallas rotates defenders at an unusually high rate which creates constant communication breakdowns. On film, you see players passing off routes to nobody, vacating zones too early, or looking at each other post-snap because the spacing isn’t right. Motion and stacked alignments make these issues even more pronounced.
I had to throw this one in there… I reckon we will see Crash (short in and a deep out) return this week. If I’ve seen this, the Eagles coaches sure have!
The front four has taken a clear step forward with Quinnen Williams now in the lineup. His power, leverage, and quickness force protections to slide toward him, which frees up cleaner paths for Kenny Clark, Donovan Ezaraku, and Jadeveon Clowney.
Clark, in particular, looked revitalized this past week. Still, the Cowboys struggle to generate consistent pressure. They can create splash plays, but not the disruption needed to cover for a shaky secondary. They do have some talented pass rushers, though. It’s a decent group.
The recent return of DeMarvion Overshown gives the pass defense more range and athleticism at linebacker, but he was still on a snap count this past week. It’s a shame the Eagles couldn’t play them a couple of weeks ago, because the linebacker play was genuinely horrendous.
Run Defense
Against the run, Dallas is steadier inside and Quinnen Williams is a major reason why. He’s a block-destroyer and he dramatically raises the floor of the entire defensive line. Kenny Clark is freed to play more aggressively, and Overshown’s sideline-to-sideline speed gives them a tool they haven’t had this year.
But despite the added talent inside, the run defense still shows soft spots. The Cowboys struggle with perimeter contain, especially when edges squeeze too far down or lose track of the force assignment. Their linebackers are inconsistent at triggering downhill on time, which creates cutback lanes. The secondary has struggled mightily against the run, particularly the cornerbacks.
Short yardage remains an issue. When teams get physical and compress formations near the goal line, the Cowboys’ front often gets driven off the ball.
New Additions
Previewing this Cowboys defense is unusually difficult because of the many significant additions and returns in just the last two weeks. They’ve added Logan Wilson at linebacker, traded for Quinnen Williams at defensive tackle, and gotten DeMarvion Overshown back from injury. That means the front seven you’ll see on Sunday barely resembles the one from earlier in the season. These are talented players being dropped into key positions that completely reshape run fits and coverage responsibilities.
The ceiling of the unit is unquestionably higher now, but the communication is still shaky, and the structure hasn’t had time to settle. That creates a defense that is harder to evaluate but still very exploitable, especially in the secondary.
Final Thoughts
This defense can create havoc in moments, especially with Williams’ collapsing pockets and some decent pass rushers, but it remains fundamentally undisciplined on the backend. For the Eagles, this is not a week where the defense can be expected to lock down Dak Prescott’s offense for four quarters. The offense must score, stay aggressive, and capitalize on Dallas’ coverage weaknesses. If the Eagles protect Hurts and force Dallas into space and communication, the Cowboys don’t have the back-end cohesion to survive a clean offensive performance.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
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