Eagles offensive battle plans to short-circuit the Cowboys defense

It won’t be long now. The Philadelphia Eagles‘ toughest test of the season comes in Week 6 versus the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in front of a national audience. The stakes are obvious. The winner sits in first place in a surprising NFC East.

This is a game about matchups. That’s nothing new, but even though it will take a total team effort to pull out a victory, all eyes will be glued to the screen when the high-powered Eagles offense is on the field versus the vaunted Dallas defense.

Though there’s been some debate, that might be where Philly has its biggest advantage.

Here are three areas where the Eagles’ offense can focus its attack.

The Eagles are led on offense by their dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. They have playmakers everywhere. They lean on the NFL’s best offensive line. Let’s discuss battle plans.

1. Attack the Cowboys’ run defense with a heavy dose of Miles Sanders.

This one’s obvious. We’ve all said this all week. Attention Shane Steichen, run the ball at the Cowboys with Miles Sanders. Don’t try and run around them or past them. Often you won’t.

If the Eagles don’t phase their running backs out of the game plan, they will win this game, and they might do so easily. Much has been made about how stout Dallas has been versus the run. What we aren’t discussing is the fact that teams aren’t trying to do so.

Heading into Week 6, only ten teams were attacked with the opposing team’s running game less often than Dallas’ opponents have attacked them.

2. The Eagles must lean on their offensive line, the best O-line in the NFL.

Games are won and lost in the trenches. In Week 6, that will prove to be true. As stated earlier, this game will more than likely, go the way of the team that wins the battle between the Eagles’ offensive line and the Cowboys’ defensive line. Though there’s talent on both sides in both units, Philadelphia has an advantage on their sideline.

At the time this story was written and published, there’s been no word on Jordan Mailata’s status. We expect to see Andre Dillard in the lineup if 68 can’t go.

3. Give Dallas Goedert plenty of opportunities to make plays for the Eagles offense.

Again, just as obvious as it is that the Eagles must run the ball, it’s equally as important that the Birds employ a large dose of their YAC monster, Dallas Goedert. Sometimes, we complain about forcing the ball to one player. This is an exception.

Philly must go to Dallas Goedert early and often, and that shouldn’t be a problem because the Cowboys’ secondary should have its hands full with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Zach Pascal, and Quez Watkins. That will open up some soft areas underneath.

Get the ball to Number 88, and let him work. Dallas is talented at the second level of their defense, but trust us on this one. Making their linebackers cover will frustrate them. Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr don’t want to get into that type of fight all afternoon. They’d rather run downhill and attack.