Matchups and predictions for a pair of Eagles rivals in Week 4 of the NFL season

Cowboys offense versus Patriots defense

While this isn't something that we’re necessarily looking for in this game, it’s very important to note that Cowboys starting running back Tony Pollard has carried the ball 62 times this season. That's a lot of work, especially when you consider that last year he toted the rock 193 times through 16 games.

2022 showcased the largest workload of Pollard's career. Look at it this way. As we close the book on September, he has already reached 32% of last year's workload. For a guy whose durability has never been tested, that has to be alarming. 

For us? Meh. Who cares? Wear him out! Take all of the tread off the tires so you don’t have an efficient running back when it matters most. Start the season strong and end it in unceremonious and foolish defeat. This is what we're looking for.

Anyway, the Cowboys have a tough task ahead of them on offense this week. Versus Zona, the O-line was banged up. Tyler Biadasz, Zach Martin, and Tyron Smith were forced out of action. Things are more encouraging for this week, but things still aren't perfect. Martin and Biadasz have been limited at practice, but Smith is still out with a knee injury.

That’s going to be important. As we saw in the Eagles Week 1 game, the Patriots’ defensive line is the heartbeat of their defense.

The Cowboys have said that they want to be a run-dominant football team. Think about it. If a healthy Eagles’ offensive line had trouble with the Pats’ D-Line, an unhealthy Dallas O-Line is going to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

Prediction: Patriots +6.5

This will be a low-scoring game and a close one. As much as Dallas thinks itself a dominant offense, they’re really only dominant against awful defenses.

A Belichick-led defense is (and will always be)... not awful. If this game was in the noon slate of games, you’d never see it on Red Zone. The Cowboys win, but the Patriots keep it close. Bonus points to the Patriots if Mac Jones sack-taps Parsons like he did to Sauce Gardner last week.