Jalen Carter has forced three fumbles for the Philadelphia Eagles this season, and the Dallas Cowboys have turned it over five times in their last two games. That is the first thing Dallas has to clean up before Monday night’s trip to Lincoln Financial Field, where a 2-4 Eagles team is trying to snap a four-game losing streak with Jalen Hurts on injured reserve.
“Five turnovers in two games, not very good. Got to find a running game,” Brian Schottenheimer said after the 23-13 loss in Green Bay, per the team’s website. “The ball matters more than anything in the National Football League. It’s the ball.” Dallas has three things to fix before then.
Dak Prescott has to protect the ball against Jalen Carter
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Dak Prescott threw two interceptions Sunday night. Safety Evan Williams picked off the first in the red zone, and cornerback Brandon Cisse caught the second after CeeDee Lamb slipped. Green Bay pressured Prescott 21 times, and he went 11 of 19 for 74 yards and a touchdown under pressure, an average of 3.9 yards per attempt, according to the team. It was the second straight week an aggressive pressure plan bothered Dallas, and those problems against the blitz are now on film for Vic Fangio.
Carter is the Eagles defender most likely to cash in. The defensive tackle has 16 pressures, three sacks and three forced fumbles, the most forced fumbles among 129 interior defenders, according to PFF. Two of those came on strip sacks against Jacksonville in Week 5, making him the first defensive tackle with two in one game since Chris Jones in 2020, per the Panthers’ website. His 59.8 overall PFF grade is modest, but he has played 360 snaps, second-most at his position. Prescott’s 8.7% pressure-to-sack rate ranked second among 34 quarterbacks entering Sunday, per PFF, while his 2.73-second average time to throw ranked 23rd. Against a defensive tackle who goes after the ball, those extra fractions of a second matter.
Javonte Williams needs more than 11 carries
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Dallas ran 15 times for 48 yards at Lambeau Field and threw 54 times. Javonte Williams had 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, and his 1-yard score came with 9:19 left in the third quarter. “I didn’t plan on coming to this game and having to throw it 54 times, that wasn’t the plan,” Schottenheimer said.
A 17-0 halftime deficit explains part of that. Still, we wrote before the game that a productive run game was the key to keeping Prescott out of obvious passing downs, and Philadelphia just showed how that can work. Chuba Hubbard ran 28 times for 120 yards against the Eagles on Sunday, with a career-high 133 yards after contact, per Carolina’s numbers. The Panthers held the ball for 34:48. Philadelphia entered that game 24th in total defense at 356.8 yards allowed per game and 27th in time of possession.
The defense has to get Tanner McKee off the field on third down
Green Bay converted its first six third downs Sunday and finished 11 of 18. Dallas entered the week allowing a league-worst 52.6% on third down, and senior defensive assistant Mike Pettine came out of retirement to join the staff with that unit still searching. DaRon Bland addressed the third-down struggles after the loss. “We’re doing good on first, and second, so we just got to get off on third down,” Bland said, per the team.
The pass rush gives Dallas something to build on. The Cowboys pressured Jordan Love 20 times and had their first three-sack game of the season. Quinnen Williams picked up his second sack Sunday, and he has 14 pressures and 10 stops this season, 22nd and 16th among 128 interior defenders, according to PFF.
McKee went 26 of 45 for 215 yards against Carolina in his third career start, and Philadelphia converted 6 of 15 third downs. “I need to get the ball out and live to see another day instead of taking a 10 yard sack or whatever it was,” McKee said, per the Eagles’ website. Behind him is Joe Milton, who left the Cowboys’ practice squad last week.
Philadelphia has been outscored 95-55 during its losing streak. Dallas has lost two straight and is already dealing with criticism after Sunday’s loss. One of these teams leaves South Philadelphia at 2-5.
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