The Eagles (13-1) are looking to lock up the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win on Christmas Eve in Dallas against the rival Cowboys (10-4).
Buy Eagles TicketsA win in any of the next three games will give Philadelphia a division title and the NFC No. 1 seed. The Eagles are 54-72 all-time against the Cowboys and 6-8 at AT&T Stadium.
The Birds will look to wrap things up on Saturday, allowing injured quarterback Jalen Hurts time to rehab his injured shoulder.
With kickoff fast approaching, here are five burning questions.
1. How will Philadelphia attack Cowboys defense?
Gardner Minshew can still run the RPO scheme, but the realistic expectation is that the Eagles would prefer to establish the run organically, utilizing their Pro Bowl running back.
Philadelphia will look for Minshew to do his part in the passing game and a critical part of that expected success is Shane Steichen utilizing the league’s top offensive line to wear down the Dallas defensive front.
2. How long with Jalen Hurts be out?
When the news initially broke, the expectation was that Jalen Hurts could miss the next two weeks of action after suffering a sprained shoulder in the Eagles win over the Bears on Sunday.
Hurts miraculously stayed in the game after being injured and even completed a deep bomb to wide receiver A.J. Brown despite taking the huge hit.
On Friday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Hurts could also miss the Eagles’ Week 17 home matchup against the Saints.
Philadelphia (13-1) needs one more win to secure the NFC East and home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Eagles would prefer Jalen Hurts not go a month without playing a meaningful football game, but that could be the trajectory.
3. How will Jonathan Gannon attack Dak Prescott?
Philadelphia has been dominant up front over the past four weeks by utilizing a heavy rotation of pass rushers, coupled with stunts and games up front.
4 . How will Dallas counter DeVonta Smith opposite Trevon Diggs?
Dallas held an open competition at cornerback with Nahshon Wright, Kelvin Joseph, Mackensie Alexander, DaRon Bland, and Trayvon Mullen.
Philadelphia would prefer Joseph, who has allowed 12 receptions on 18 targets this season per PFF and just allowed Jacksonville wide receiver Zay Jones to go for 109 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday.
5. Can Philadelphia contain the Dallas RB Duo?
Ezekiel Elliott has been solid in what could be his final season with Dallas, logging 188 carries for 774 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Tony Pollard will soon be the lead back, and he earned his first Pro Bowl nod/
Pollard has 969 yards, good for eighth in the NFL, and nine touchdowns on 177 carries. Philadelphia was able to load the box in the first matchup due to Cooper Rush being the quarterback, but they’ll now deal with a healthy Dak Prescott.
Can the Eagles contain the talented duo, thus forcing Dallas to be one-dimensional?
