The last two weeks have not gone according to plan for the Philadelphia Eagles. After getting blown out by the San Francisco 49ers at home in Week 13, they went on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14. They were met with the same outcome.
The Cowboys were able to exact some revenge from earlier this season, defeating the Eagles 33-13. Dallas jumped out to an early lead, scoring a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, and never looked back.
It was a sloppy performance in many regards by the Eagles, who turned the ball over three teams, losing three fumbles. Defensively, they didn’t have any answers for the Cowboys, who were able to consistently move the ball and get into position to score.
It was a second straight embarrassing defeat for the team, which is now in a Wild Card spot with a 10-3 record. That led to one veteran, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, challenging the team after the game for real leadership to rise up.
NFL News & Rumors: Fletcher Cox, Jalen Hurts, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles Updates
“I think the biggest thing for this team now is really find out who the dudes are,” Cox said. “I’ve been a part of teams where the dudes in the locker room do something about it, and I’ve been part of teams where it kind of crumbles. And now it’s time to see the real leadership, the real players, the guys that’s elite on this team, myself included, step up and do something about it.”
There is no shame in losing to the 49ers and Cowboys, two of the better teams not only in the NFC but in the entire NFL. But, how the Eagles lost, is what is concerning. Slow starts offensively have plagued them in recent weeks, as they could have easily had another loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 12 if not for some late-game heroics from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Sunday night was the sixth straight game in which Philadelphia trailed at halftime. It was also the first time with Hurts as their starting quarterback in which they failed to score a touchdown in the game.
“This is something we’re going through, not necessarily stuck in,” said Hurts. “We have to be able to learn from it, and we will. There’s an eagerness to continue to press on.”
NFL News & Rumors: Fletcher Cox, Jalen Hurts, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles Updates
Once the front-runner for the MVP award, Hurts had an underwhelming performance against the Cowboys. He completed 18-of-27 passes for 197 yards and had a momentum-changing fumble on the team’s first drive of the game when they were in scoring position.
The Eagles control their own destiny if they want to win the NFC East title over the Cowboys. If they win out, the division is theirs based on tiebreakers. After a Monday Night Football matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, the Eagles will face the New York Giants twice and Arizona Cardinals to close out their season.
While this setback in the last two weeks is certainly a disappointing one, there is still a path for the Eagles to win the division. If a team knocks off the 49ers, Philadelphia can also claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs.
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