The Eagles' defensive staff will need to adjust its game plan if they're going to contain the newly revamped Cowboys pass rush, which made a significant impact in Monday's 16-7 win over the Raiders. While Dallas still faces challenges, with the loss of key players at tackle and linebacker, the recent additions of Jadaveon Clowney and Quinnen Williams have bolstered their edge and interior presence.
However, the question remains whether the Cowboys are an improved defense that can sustain this level of performance or just a one-week wonder. The answer might be somewhere in between. Williams is undoubtedly one of the NFL's better interior pass rushers, with 12 sacks last season and three consecutive Pro Bowl selections under his belt. He brings experience and talent to the Cowboys' defensive line.
Clowney, on the other hand, has been a journeyman for seven years but still manages to make an impact as a situational pass rusher when surrounded by better talents. His ability to generate pressure is amplified in such situations. The addition of Clowney adds depth to the Cowboys' edge group, which had struggled against the Raiders.
The Cowboys' interior trio of Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark generated consistent pressure against Las Vegas, collapsing the pocket and forcing errant throws. Their performance was particularly notable when they blitzed at close to 30% rate, often coming from four-man rushes that exploited gaps in the defensive line.
However, it's essential to remember that this was against a hapless Raiders team with backups at major positions on the offensive line. The Cowboys will face stiffer competition in the Eagles, who have struggled to move the ball and are dealing with injuries of their own.
The Eagles' defensive staff will need to factor in the absence of franchise right tackle Lane Johnson, who is out indefinitely from a Lisfranc foot sprain, and Cam Jurgens, who has come off concussion protocol. The Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, showed adaptability by blitzing frequently against Las Vegas but may not have such freedom with his scheme in the Eagles.
The question for the Eagles will be how they adjust to this revamped Cowboys pass rush. Can their own interior pressure generation and edge play hold up against Dallas? The answer will become clearer on Sunday when these two teams meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
However, the question remains whether the Cowboys are an improved defense that can sustain this level of performance or just a one-week wonder. The answer might be somewhere in between. Williams is undoubtedly one of the NFL's better interior pass rushers, with 12 sacks last season and three consecutive Pro Bowl selections under his belt. He brings experience and talent to the Cowboys' defensive line.
Clowney, on the other hand, has been a journeyman for seven years but still manages to make an impact as a situational pass rusher when surrounded by better talents. His ability to generate pressure is amplified in such situations. The addition of Clowney adds depth to the Cowboys' edge group, which had struggled against the Raiders.
The Cowboys' interior trio of Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark generated consistent pressure against Las Vegas, collapsing the pocket and forcing errant throws. Their performance was particularly notable when they blitzed at close to 30% rate, often coming from four-man rushes that exploited gaps in the defensive line.
However, it's essential to remember that this was against a hapless Raiders team with backups at major positions on the offensive line. The Cowboys will face stiffer competition in the Eagles, who have struggled to move the ball and are dealing with injuries of their own.
The Eagles' defensive staff will need to factor in the absence of franchise right tackle Lane Johnson, who is out indefinitely from a Lisfranc foot sprain, and Cam Jurgens, who has come off concussion protocol. The Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, showed adaptability by blitzing frequently against Las Vegas but may not have such freedom with his scheme in the Eagles.
The question for the Eagles will be how they adjust to this revamped Cowboys pass rush. Can their own interior pressure generation and edge play hold up against Dallas? The answer will become clearer on Sunday when these two teams meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
the new cowboys pass rush is straight fire! 12 sacks from quinnen williams alone lol 
but they gotta prove it against a real team like the eagles 
i mean matt eberflus showed off his blitzing skills vs the raiders but can he do it against lane johnson and cam jurgens out? 
guess we'll have to wait till sunday to find out 
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matt eberflus is a genius but can he adjust his scheme to counter williams & clowney? 
but the eagles have been struggling 2 move the ball so maybe this is their ticket 2 victory 
think the key is gonna be the Eagles' O-line, gotta keep clowney and williams from getting to jalen hurts... 1-2 weeks of decent play vs a whole season? also wondering if odighizuwa can stay healthy for the entire game 
, but it's too early to say if they're actually an improved defense or just having a one-week win 
. jadaveon clowney and quinnen williams are bringing some serious heat to the edge, and their interior trio is generating some consistent pressure 
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. The Cowboys' blitzing scheme worked well in that game, but it might not be as effective against a more cohesive unit like Philly.
. The Cowboys' pass rush has definitely stepped up their game with the addition of Clowney and Williams, and it'll be tough for the Eagles to contain them, especially without Lane Johnson on defense 
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. And who knows, maybe the Cowboys' blitzing scheme won't work as well in Philly due to the traffic 
. The Cowboys are looking strong right now, but you can never count out the Eagles with Jalen Hurts leading the charge 
. Losing Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens is definitely gonna make things harder for them, especially since the Eagles have been struggling to move the ball in the first place 
We'll just have to wait and see on Sunday how it all plays out... 
i feel u, eagles fans are probably freaking out right now thinking about that revamped cowboys pass rush 
but at the same time, the eagles have been dealing with injuries of their own & jurgens is still on concussion protocol 
. But seriously, if the Eagles' defense can't contain that interior pressure, it's gonna be a long day for Carson Wentz. And with Johnson and Jurgens out, things are gonna get even more interesting 
. And what about Lane Johnson's injury - that's a big void at tackle. Can Jurgens even fill in for Cam without falling apart under pressure 
and i'm curious 2 see how the eagles adjust their game plan 2 contain them 
theyve got jadaveon clowney now and quinnen williams who can even argue that team can take on any team? its like theyre unstoppable... but at the same time im thinking about the eagles and how theyre gonna handle this new pressure... lane johnson is out which means their oline is already compromised... cam jurgens is also still recovering from a concussion so i dont think they can just wing it against dallas defense... its like a chess match now between both teams who will come out on top
. The Cowboys' pass rush is looking legit 
. But at the same time, I gotta give credit to their O-line for doing some crazy things against the Raiders