It’s Dallas week, and the Cowboys are walking into it with pressure all over the place.
The matchup with the Eagles is one of the most anticipated on the schedule every season, and this one comes with a different look. Jalen Hurts will not be playing, but Saquon Barkley is expected to make his return. Dallas, meanwhile, could get a needed lift on defense with Cobie Durant and DeMarvion Overshown expected back in the starting lineup.
That matters because the Cowboys defense has been fighting through injuries all season. The first injury report for Week 7 listed 11 players, with Von Miller getting a veteran rest day and KaVontae Turpin dealing with ribs and Dee Winters with a calf injury.
George Pickens also showed up on the report, listed as limited because of a shoulder injury. With the offense looking to get back on track, Dallas can’t afford to lose another weapon.
The pressure is also landing squarely on Brian Schottenheimer. The Cowboys’ second-year head coach has had plenty to say, but the results have not followed. After back-to-back losses, the frustration around the team is only getting louder.
“We’ve got to play better; I’ve got to coach better,” said Schottenheimer.
That message hasn’t changed much in Week 7, and Schottenheimer knows people are tired of hearing it. He addressed the noise directly.
“No one likes it. I block out most of it; some of it gets to me, but at the same time, I’ve got strong shoulders,” Schottenheimer said.
“I know what a great coach I am, and I know what this team is capable of. That’s what I focus on.”
On the field, the Cowboys offense has run into a specific problem: the blitz. Dak Prescott, who has long handled extra pressure well, has looked much different this season.
The last two opponents, Tampa Bay and Green Bay, each blitzed him 17 times, the two highest totals he has faced this year. The Dallas offense has struggled in that stretch, with big plays drying up, deficits piling up, and the running game losing both production and volume.
There’s a real question now about whether teams have found a formula against Prescott and this offense, or whether Dallas can adjust its protection rules and swing things back the other way.
The good news for the Cowboys is that Monday night offers a chance to reset quickly. They’re 2-4 after the loss to Green Bay, but Philadelphia is also 2-4 and has dropped four straight. With Hurts out and another young, inexperienced quarterback on the other side, Dallas has a real shot to change the conversation.
In Other News...
George Pickens Put On Notice Before Cowboys Eagles Showdown
George Pickens has given the Cowboys the kind of perimeter production they expected when they brought him in, and Brian Schottenheimer is making it clear that the next step is about more than just catching passes. The Dallas coach pointed to Pickens work as a blocker in the run game, saying the receiver can help the offense in a different way by doing a better job of springing Javonte Williams and easing some of the pressure on the ground attack.
Pickens heads into the upcoming matchup with Philadelphia having already built a solid start to his Dallas tenure, with 33 catches, 428 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles game gives him another chance to show he can be a complete piece of the offense, not just a downfield threat, and for a Cowboys unit looking for every edge in the run game, that part of his assignment is suddenly front and center. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Just Turned Up The Heat On Brian Schottenheimer
With the Cowboys sitting at 2-4 and staring at a Monday night matchup with the Eagles, Jerry Jones said he has been in recent conversations with Brian Schottenheimer about where the team is headed. The owner and general manager framed those talks as practical and football-specific, centered on how Dallas wants to operate and what needs sharpening as the season tries to steady itself.
Jones said the discussion has focused on structure, schemes and play-calling rather than questions of effort or roster depth, which makes the temperature around the team feel a little different heading into a divisional spotlight game. For a coaching staff still trying to define its footing, that kind of feedback from the top is its own signal, and it leaves Dallas with plenty to prove against Philadelphia. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Faces A Cowboys Decision Fans Can't Ignore
The Cowboys are still sitting at 2-4, but the bigger picture in Dallas has not really changed: this team remains in the NFC East race and still has a path to the division if it can stabilize its offense. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has already signaled that the club could act as a trade deadline buyer, which says plenty about how the front office views the gap between where the Cowboys are and where they expect to be by seasons end.
What makes the decision so tricky is that the offense has struggled even with healthy talent in place, leaving Dak Prescott and the passing game to shoulder far too much of the load. Dallas has leaned heavily on the air attack while the run game has not provided the kind of balance the staff wants, and that leaves Jerry Jones weighing whether a move is needed to help fix a problem that has been there since the early part of the season. [Read more 🡒]