5 Reasons to Believe the Eagles Will Defeat the Cowboys in Week 9

There seems to be a lot of anxiety over the Week 9 matchup this Sunday afternoon at the Linc between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.

As the Eagles head into their bye week, they want to secure another divisional and conference victory to match last year's 8-1 start. This one would be better because they would be unbeaten in the conference. Here are a few positive thoughts to get you ready for the NFC East matchup!

Jonathan Gannon and one of the worst rosters in the NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals held the Cowboys to just 16 points! The Cards have given up an average of 28 points in their seven losses.

Wait, this one isn’t as bad..or is it? It was supposed to be the showdown of two NFC powerhouses.

The 49ers defeated the Cowboys by 32 points! I ask you, do you see ANY team beating the Eagles by 32 points? I don’t. Under pressure by the 49ers front, Dak Prescott was anxious and threw three interceptions. The Eagles need to create similar havoc because Dak has a history of throwing the ball away.

The Cowboys have beaten the Giants, Jets, Patriots, Rams, and Chargers. Those teams collectively average just 2.8 wins. That is not exactly a Murderer’s Row of success. The opponents the Eagles have beaten team with an average of 3.4 wins.

Why have the Cowboys had regular-season success over the Eagles recently? Ezekiel Elliott dominated them on the ground.

In his 12 career starts with the Cowboys vs. the Eagles, he averaged 92 rushing yards per game, another 30 yards receiving and scored six touchdowns. That is an average of a whopping 122 yards gained per game. Good Luck Tony Pollard against the best rush defense in the NFL.

The Cowboys are 2-2 on the road and unbeaten 3-0 at home. A third road loss is in order.

The Eagles could put a complete stranglehold on the NFC East on Sunday. They did that last year, and it allowed them to navigate their final three games with resting players and nursing Jalen Hurts' shoulder injury. Plus, it would set them up in the driver's seat to again grab that top seed.

They could set themselves up to punch their ticket to Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII with just two home wins.

The Eagles secure two turnovers, and the pass defense improves. They play one of their cleaner games of the year and avoid turning the ball over. It’s a rough divisional fight, but the Eagles will prevail 31-24.

The Philadelphia Eagles improved to 7-1 in Week 8 of 2023 NFL season with a road win against the Washington Commanders. The 38-31 victory certainly didn't look perfect, but the Eagles own the best record in the NFL.

The defending NFC champs will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.

The Eagles improved to 23-5 since the beginning of the 2022 season. Despite their dominance against the majority of NFL teams, their division opponent continues to give them headaches.

Sam Howell had a career game with 397 yards and four touchdowns. Washington hasn't gone done easily against the Eagles in recent seasons. However, Nick Sirianni has survived a few scares to earn a 5-1 career record against them. 

Jalen Hurts outdueled Howell in the NFC East shootout. He threw two touchdown passes to A.J. Brown, one to DeVonta Smith, and one to Julio Jones.

The franchise quarterback continues to struggle with turnovers. He fumbled at the goal line on the notorious "tush push" play in the third quarter.

Brown has established himself as one of the most dominant players in the NFL. He eclipsed 125 receiving yards for the sixth consecutive game, the longest streak in NFL history. Defenders look helpless against his physicality and athleticism.

Trade acquisition Kevin Byard played every defensive snap in Washington in his first game with the Eagles. Reed Blankenship returned from an injury, and the two will make up the starting safety tandem if they remain healthy. 

The Eagles hope to get offensive guard Cam Jurgens back in the lineup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.

Julio Jones played 24% of the offensive snaps in his second game with the Eagles, while Olamide Zaccheaus played 48%. The Jones will likely play an increased role as he adjusts to the new surroundings, but Sirianni and the coaching staff look like they'll trust Zaccheaus in the meantime.

Additional injury news will also affect the Eagles Week 9 starters. 97.5 The Fanatic will have updates on Jurgens and other players dealing with injuries leading up to Sunday.

Quarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020

Running Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)

Wide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)

Wide Receiver, #6
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (10th overall) in 2021

Wide Receiver, #13
University of Virginia
5th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (April 2023)

Tight End, #88
South Dakota State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018

Left Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018

Left Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021

Center, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011

Right Guard, #51
University of Nebraska
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (51st overall) in 2022

Left Tackle, #65
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013

Defensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018

Defensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012

Defensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022

Defensive Tackle, #93
Louisiana Tech
3rd NFL Season, Drafted in 3rd Round (73rd Overall) in 2021

Edge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)

Linebacker, #17
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 3rd Round (83rd overall) in 2022

Linebacker, #52
Vanderbilt University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (August 2023)

Cornerback, #2
Mississippi State
11th NFL Season- Acquired in trade from Detroit Lions (March 2020)

Cornerback, #24
University of Arkansas/Samford University
8th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (May 2022)

Safety, #31
Middle Tennessee State
8th NFL Season, Acquired in trade from Tennessee Titans (October 2023)

Safety, #32
Middle Tennessee State
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)

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