Very slow fantasy scoring start for Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

The Eagles beat the Cowboys 28-23 in a battle of NFC East rivals. Follow along with The Athletic's NFL experts and insiders.

Jon Machota, Saad Yousuf, Brooks Kubena and The Athletic NFL staff

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Very slow fantasy scoring start for Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

Tony Pollard has been a disappointment for fantasy managers of late, as the Cowboys have been using him as a bellcow back despite Pollard not being built for that type of role.

That has caused Pollard’s scoring pace to drop significantly since Week 3 and that has continued today through the first quarter, as Pollard ended that stanza with only 0.6 PPR points. He has since added a reception but will need a lot more than that to break out of his scoring slump.

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Jake Ferguson back-to-back games with TD

The 4-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Jake Ferguson ties the game 7-7 and gives Ferguson his second score in as many games.

Ferguson had one touchdown in the Cowboys’ first six games this season.

Lincoln Financial Field is rocking

The atmosphere in Philadelphia is absolutely electric. It's not often, even on the road, you see a crowd so distinctly anti-Cowboys. It's an especially stark contrast with the Cowboys' last road game being in Los Angeles, which is basically a second hub for Cowboys fans.

Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox stayed down on the field with an injury late in the first quarter. During the stoppage, Eagles fans began a loud "Dallas sucks!" chant, pivoting then to applause when Cox was helped off the field.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown trending towards another 20+ PPR point game

A.J. Brown is currently on a three-game streak with 20+ PPR points, a streak that trails only Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson for the longest streak of that caliber this season (Hill and Jefferson each have four-game streaks.) He also has five games with 20+ PPR points, which is tied with Puka Nacua for second in that category, behind only Hill’s six games.

Brown is already on pace to add to his streak and overall total here, as he posted four receptions for 48 yards on the Eagles' first drive and thus already had 8.8 PPR points in this contest.

Eagles convert fourth down twice on TD drive

The Eagles converted a pair of fourth downs on their touchdown drive, the second time this season they have converted multiple fourth downs en route to scoring a touchdown.

Philly is the only team to do more than once this season.

Eagles strike first

The Eagles go 77 yards on 13 plays, including two fourth-down conversions, and cap the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Gainwell, his second in three weeks. A.J. Brown had four receptions for 46 yards on that opening drive for Philadelphia. The Eagles are up early over the Cowboys, 7-0.

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Eagles start fast again

The Eagles get on the board first following a 13-play, 77-yard scoring drive capped by a 12-yard rushing score by Kenneth Gainwell.

It’s the seventh time in nine games that Philly has taken the first lead, second most in the NFL behind the Ravens (eight).

Eagles are aggressive on their first drive

It's a brotherly shove on fourth-and-1 at their 32. Looked like Jalen Hurts tried to draw the Cowboys offside, then, usually when teams call timeouts, they actually snapped and got the first down.

Cowboys’ success against Eagles begins with disrupting Jalen Hurts: ‘Win up front’

On Wednesday, Jalen Hurts ended his weekly news conference with Philadelphia media with an exasperated smile, shaking his head and walking off without answering the question.

A reporter asked the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback for an update on how his left knee was feeling. Hurts, who fielded questions before about his knee, including after the Eagles’ win Sunday over the Washington Commanders, had been reluctant to talk about the injury.

Hurts may not want to talk about it, but how he is physically is a major point of interest as the Eagles host the Cowboys on Sunday. The Eagles have a lot of weapons throughout the offense, from a stellar offensive line to talented running back D’Andre Swift and stud receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Cowboys will have plenty to worry about with the supporting cast, but slowing down the Eagles’ offense begins with slowing down Hurts.

“Jalen is an explosive guy, a guy that can do it with his legs or his arm,” Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons said. “He’s really been coming on here the last couple of years. We’ve definitely got our hands full with a mobile quarterback and what era and where we are right now.”

Read more here.

Possible breakout fantasy scoring day for Cowboys WR Michael Gallup

(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

Dallas wide receiver Michael Gallup has been very quiet in fantasy scoring of late, posting only 12.5 PPR points over the past three weeks combined. That trio of contests followed a two-game stretch where Gallup tallied 26.2 PPR points, so he has shown a penchant for putting up solid points at times.

Today’s matchup against Philadelphia may be another of the impact game variety for Gallup, as he is likely due to face Eagles cornerback James Bradberry in coverage. Bradberry is a quality cornerback, but he is by far the Philadelphia cornerback teams like to target, as since Week 5 Bradberry has allowed an insanely high 22.4 PPR PPG (per Stathead). A big part of that is the five touchdowns Bradberry has allowed, which is tied for the most in the league in that span.

Add it up and Gallup is someone to strongly consider for a flex spot.

Betting odds trends for Cowboys-Eagles

For those considering placing a wager on today’s Cowboys-Eagles game, here are some odds trends courtesy TruMedia:

• Dallas is 5-1 against the spread when the line is between -3 and +3 since 2022. The Cowboys are currently listed at +3 points for this game, per BetMGM.
• Philadelphia-Dallas games have hit the over in total points in all four of the games between these clubs since 2021. The over/under in total points for this matchup is 46.5, per BetMGM.
• Dallas is 14-7 against the spread in road games since 2021.
• Dallas is 18-8 against the spread in its last 26 games as an underdog.
• Dallas is 10-3 against the spread against division opponents since 2021.
• Philadelphia is 1-4 against the spread in its last five games in November.

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Low over/under betting odds for Jalen Hurts passing yards

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been one of the most prolific passers in the 2023 season, as he started Week 9 ranked seventh in passing yards this season. Hurts has also been one of the most consistent passers, as he has thrown for 277 or more passing yards in every game since Week 3.

The betting public thinks that trend may end today, as the over/under for Hurts’ passing yards today is 253.5, with -115 odds on either side of that wager.

This shows a lot of faith in the Dallas pass defense to step up, which seems a bit odd considering that since Week 5 this platoon ranks 30th in fantasy points allowed per game on vertical throws (8.71, per TruMedia) and is 30th in sack percentage (4.10).

A.J. Brown is making NFL receiving history, leaving the Eagles and others in awe

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was frustrated in Week 2.

His team beat the Minnesota Vikings 34-28 to improve to 2-0, but TV cameras caught Brown on the sideline in the fourth quarter having a heated discussion with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Brown went largely overlooked in the second half of the game, catching four passes for just 29 yards. Coach Nick Sirianni eventually stepped in and assured Brown he remained a focal point of the Eagles offense.

The coach was right. And since then, Brown has been a man on a mission. He erupted in Week 3 with nine catches for 131 yards and has since reeled off performances of 175, 127, 131 and 137 receiving yards.

Then came the convincing 31-17 victory over the usually electrifying Miami Dolphins on Sunday, when the fifth-year pro continued his assault on NFL secondaries with a season-high 10 receptions and a touchdown. Brown’s dominance on a talented yet inconsistent Eagles offense has helped Philadelphia remain one of league’s elite teams.

Classic NFC East showdown

When it comes to NFC East rivalries, it doesn’t get much better than Cowboys–Eagles. This week, NFC-leading Philadelphia (7-1) welcomes Dallas (5-2) for a matchup that features the top two teams in one of the league’s most storied divisions. In the last seven seasons, both the Eagles and Cowboys have won the NFC East three times. However, Dallas has won four of the last five meetings with Philly, including a 40-34 shootout last Christmas Eve with Jalen Hurts sidelined with an injury.

The Eagles will try to give themselves an early cushion in the division, while the Cowboys aim to take steps toward overtaking their hosts. To do so, Dallas will have to slow one of the top offensive attacks in the game — a tall task. That Hurts-to-A.J. Brown connection is as strong as they come. Brown is riding a historic six-game streak of games with at least 125 receiving yards. However, the Cowboys have yet to allow 100 yards to a receiver this season. Which streak ends this week?

Cowboys enter measuring stick game vs. Eagles fully healthy on offense

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Much like their measuring stick game against the San Francisco 49ers a month ago, the Cowboys head into a huge divisional, and conference, game against the Eagles fully healthy. Tyron Smith missed last week's game against the Rams but picked up his practice workload during the week and was listed as questionable, as was his backup, Chuma Edoga, who got hurt in that Rams game last week. Both offensive linemen are officially active, giving the Cowboys their full arsenal up front.

Tyron Smith is expected to start at left tackle, with Tyler Smith next to him at left guard. Tyler Biadasz is at center, Zack Martin at right guard and Terence Steele at right tackle. The Cowboys will not only need all five guys to be present but they will need them at their best, individually and as a unit, against a talented Eagles defensive front. Aside from Smith being active, the Cowboys are completely at full strength. Obviously, they're without a couple of key defensive pieces in Trevon Diggs and Leighton Vander Esch, both out long term with injuries and neither on the Cowboys roster anymore, but Dallas is otherwise fully available.

High fantasy scoring ceiling for Eagles TE Dallas Goedert

Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert has been very inconsistent this year, as he was a subpar scorer in Weeks 1-4 (21.8 PPR points in that entire span) and has since posted games with 25.7 and 18.7 PPR points to go along with two games below the 10-PPR point mark.

Today’s game against Dallas trends Goedert towards the upside, as the Cowboys rank 30th in PPR PPG allowed to tight ends since Week 5 (17.23, per TruMedia). That makes Goedert a very strong flex candidate at the very least and may land him in the top five tight ends in Week 9.

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Jalen Hurts continues to find end zone on ground

(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts leads all quarterbacks with six rushing touchdowns this season and Hurts has 32 in his career. With one rushing score Sunday against the Cowboys, Hurts would tie Cam Newton (33) for the most by a QB in their first four seasons in NFL history.

With at least two rushing touchdowns Sunday, Hurts would tie Newton (10) for the most career multi-rush TD games by a QB in NFL history.

Eagles inactives: Nolan Smith likely to get more snaps with Derek Barnett scratched

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Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that "we're really excited about" edge rusher Nolan Smith, the team's No. 30 overall pick in April. Smith has totaled 47 snaps through eight games (never more than nine), but there are signs that his usage will ramp up starting today against the Cowboys.

Derek Barnett, who practiced all week, has been named a healthy scratch within the team's inactives list. Barnett has played in 19.6% of the team's defensive snaps through all eight games, and he's produced three, tackles, one tackle for loss but no sacks and no quarterback hits. Smith has recorded one sack and two quarterback hits while playing in 9.31% of the team's defensive snaps.

Eagles inactives vs. Cowboys:

• QB Tanner McKee
• CB Bradley Roby
• RB Boston Scott
• DT Moro Ojomo
• TE Grant Calcaterra
• DE Derek Barnett

Cowboys-Eagles game prediction

Eagles 27, Cowboys 24.

I think this one lives up to the hype. I predict the Eagles will pull out to an early lead but the Cowboys will claw back in it and have a chance late. But I’m going with the home team in both of the Cowboys versus Eagles matchups this season. Dallas will have a chance to get a stop late in the fourth quarter but will come up short on a tush-push play that allows Philadelphia to run out the clock. The Eagles will run that play three times Sunday and convert all three times.

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