The Eagles beating the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday doesn’t quite guarantee an NFC East crown, but it makes anyone else winning the division pretty damn tough. While Dallas sports a losing record at 4-5-1, the Boys still have offensive potency that makes them a threat on any given week. The Eagles will once again lean heavily on their defense to get to 9-2, and also a few key rookies.
It’s very easy to explain Jihaad Campbell’s midseason regression. The former DROY favorite has seen his role change and his snaps diminish. When Nakobe Dean came back from injury, Campbell’s snaps got nearly halved and he saw more time playing as an EDGE defender instead of an off-ball linebacker. With Jaelan Phillips in the fold, Jalyx Hunt improving, and Nolan Smith playing good football, the Eagles have less need for Campbell there now too. So he’s in a weird spot. He only played 21 defensive snaps last week and there’s little reason that number will increase, barring injury.
The Cowboys have a really solid running game and a passing offense that can attack the mid level of the field with Ceedee Lamb and go deep to George Pickens. When Campbell is on the field, he will be stretched thin covering receivers and running backs in the intermediate game, coming up to stop Javonte Williams in the running game, and attacking Dak Prescott as a pass rusher. It’s quite a bit, but if he can make even one big play in his reduced snaps, it will make a big difference in this game.
The Andrew Mukuba Test
Andrew Mukuba has played better and better as the season has gone along. He’s cut down on missed tackles and his athleticism has been a huge asset over the top of the Eagles defense. The Cowboys have some seriously dynamic players on their offense who can stretch the field, pick up yards after catch, and break tackles with the best of them. In a game where the Eagles almost need it to be low scoring, keeping the big plays at bay for the Cowboys is crucial. If Mukuba can turn in another steady game, the Eagles probably win.
See More:
