Cowboys news: Eagles/Cowboys preview, injury updates, and game predictions - which no. 19 shows up?

Sunday Night Football’ odds, line: Eagles vs. Cowboys picks, predictions from model on 70-43 roll - Staff, CBS Sports

This game marks the biggest underdogs the Cowboys have been all season. It looks like the confidence the oddsmakers have in the Cowboys matches that of their fans in recent weeks. The faith has disappeared.

The Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football” in a crucial NFC East game for both teams. The winner will gain a big edge as the second half of the season begins, all in front of a national audience. Philadelphia is a seven-point home favorite in the latest Eagles vs. Cowboys odds, up from an open of -5.5, while the over-under is 43.5. Dallas was humbled at home by the Titans last Monday night, while the Eagles edged the Jaguars and have won two of their last three.

Let’s check in on the most recent practice report and see who’s healthy.

Finally some good news: Dallas Cowboys roster improves for Philadelphia Eagles game - Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

While the Cowboys will be missing several players due to injuries, a couple key players will be returning.

Defensive tackle Randy Gregory and tight end Geoff Swaim are likely to return from injuries. Both missed Monday’s loss against Tennessee. Swaim, who sprained his right knee Oct. 21 against the Redskins, has been wearing a compression sock to help alleviate inflammation. He expected to play against the Titans but was sidelined when it was determined his route running was still limited. Gregory, who had minor knee surgery during the bye, was limited in practice this week. Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones is optimistic about Gregory’s availability.

5 matchups to watch in Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys, including Lane Johnson vs. DeMarcus Lawrence - Daniel Gallen, Penn Live

It looked like the Eagles might be without their All-Pro right tackle, but it appears he will give it a go. He’s been a huge piece in containing DeMarcus Lawrence in the past. Can he keep it going?

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a left knee injury during the 24-18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and it didn’t look good. He didn’t return to the game, and initial reports had Johnson missing a month or so with an MCL injury. Well, he was on the practice field this week with a black brace on that left knee, and it looks like he’s going to give it a go against the Cowboys. It’s not going to be an easy task, though. Johnson will be matched up against perhaps the Cowboys’ top pass rusher in DeMarcus Lawrence.

Lawrence is tied for 13th in the NFL with 6.5 sacks this season, and his performance comes on the heels of 14.5 sacks in 2017. Lawrence has a three-sack day against the Detroit Lions earlier this season. So even if Johnson — who has also battled an ankle injury this season — was completely healthy, it would still be a tough task. To the Eagles’ credit, though, they’ve done a nice job shutting down Lawrence before. He hasn’t recorded a sack in seven career games against Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Eagles: Sidney Jones is close, Jalen Mills out for awhile - Justin Grasso, Inside The Iggles

The Eagles are thin at cornerback and there was some hope that second-year CB Sidney Jones might play on Sunday, but it doesn’t look very likely now.

Sidney Jones has been out for a while now. He left the Thursday night game against the New York Giants with a suspected hamstring injury, and we haven’t seen him since. It was a positive that his injury had nothing to do with his Achilles tear from last year, but now that Jones is dealing with hamstring troubles, he continues to be a liability on the injury front.

As far as Mills goes, he ended up getting injured two weeks ago in London when the Eagles took on the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went down with a foot injury that he was able to walk on, but eventually, the trainers had him carted off the sideline and into the locker room. It didn’t seem that serious at first, but it looks like Mills will miss quite some time.

Here is the final practice report:

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The Cowboys are on Sunday Night Football, but what games will be on TV in your area during the day? 506 Sports hooks us up with their weekly across-the-country TV map.

I was really looking forward to catching Dez Bryant’s debut in New Orleans.

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Cowboys release WR Deonte Thompson, secure 2019 comp pick - K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys made some moves to their receiving group this week with the most notable one being the release of free agent acquisition Deonte Thompson. But as K.D. explains, this move has been expected for a while now.

Compensatory picks, awarded about a month before the draft, are determined by a complicated formula of players gained and lost in free agency the prior year. The Cowboys have a couple question marks whether or not losing CB Bene’ Benwikere to the Cardinals will count as a qualifying lost player or not.

The only way to ensure they lost more than they gained was by releasing Thompson. Players have to stick with their new club for 10 weeks in order to qualify for the formula. Now that Thompson is off the roster, the fourth-round pick for losing Anthony Hitchens to the Kansas City Chiefs is locked in. If Benwikere’s playing time continues to be high as a starter for Arizona, Dallas could end up with a fourth and a seventh-round comp pick come April.

Thompson was the team’s speed demon WR, but now they have a new guy for that.

Five things to look for in this week’s Cowboys-Eagles matchup: Cooper, turnover, turnovers, and more - Calvin Watkins, The Athletic

Watkins provides his weekly five things to look for, including how the Cowboys need to get more out of their newest offensive weapon.

Can Amari Cooper do more?

The new starting wide receiver was targeted eight times in his debut, and outside of an overthrow by Prescott and a mistake on one route, Cooper had a strong game against the Titans. The Cowboys need more from Cooper, if that’s possible — and this could be the game where that happens. Cooper might get more targets deep, and don’t be surprised if the Eagles try to take him away early. If that happens, Cole Beasley, Michael Gallup, and Allen Hurns will have opportunities of their own. Cooper is the game-changer the team needed, regardless of what anybody else does.

Blow ‘em out, Golden Tate to damage, more in Roob’s 10 random Eagles observations for Cowboys Week - Reuben Franks, NBC Sports Philadelphia

10 random observations for this week’s matchup, including an unfavorable tidbit about the Cowboys being on the wrong end of a blowout.

2. Speaking of blowouts … the Cowboys have lost 15 games by 26 or more points since 2000. More than half of those losses — eight of them — have been to the Eagles.

But despite all the struggles for Dallas this season, they haven’t lost by that margin yet this season. And one of those reasons is an improved defense.

3. One thing to keep an eye on Sunday night: The Cowboys are the best in the NFL at not allowing big plays. They’ve allowed an NFL-low 24 offensive plays of 20 yards or more and just three plays of 40 yards, third fewest in the league. Oddly, the Eagles haven’t hit a play longer than 22 yards in their last four games against the Cowboys. Carson Wentz had five completions of at least 30 yards against the Jaguars, and the Eagles need to continue to mine that mid-range to have offensive success.

But a new addition might make things more difficult for the Cowboys.

6. Tate is going to make a big difference immediately. Not next month, not next week. Now. Sunday night. Special player.

Will Golden Tate burn Dallas Cowboys yet again? - Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today

Tate is a name that comes up again and again as the team’s new the secret weapon to spark the Eagles offense.

Adding another weapon for the second half of the season was a crucial move for an Eagles offense that has been uneven. Running back Darren Sproles was expected to make his return this week, but he aggravated a hamstring injury and has already been ruled out.

Tate, however, can step in and turn short throws into big gains. Long viewed as one of the game’s most dynamic threats with the ball in his hands, he ranks second among all wide receivers with 289 yards after the catch this season.

Cowboys CB: Eagles ‘know we don’t like’ Golden Tate - Austin Knoblauch, NFL.com

Will the Cowboys be able to contain the Eagles new offensive weapon?

The Eagles will be hoping for a repeat of Tate’s Week 4 effort when he tallied 132 yards and touchdowns of 45 and 38 yards on eight catches via eight targets.

For Awuzie and the rest of the Cowboys secondary, he presents a significant challenge. Since 2014, Tate leads the NFL in missed tackles (108) and his 1,528 yards after the catch over the last three seasons is by far the best in the league (Jarvis Landry in second at 1,367), according to NFL Research. With numbers like those, the Eagles are hoping trading for Tate will help them produce the same result that their mid-season trade for Jay Ajayi helped create -- a Super Bowl title.

For the Cowboys, Tate, in combination with Alshon Jeffery, Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz will provide a tough test for their fifth-ranked passing defense (217.0 YPG).

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Let’s get some game predictions, shall we?

Eagles-Cowboys NFL Week 10 Predictions - Staff, NBC 10 Philadelphia

The staff for NBC Philadelphia have complete confidence in their team as they pick the Eagles across the board. And their most accurate prognosticator foresees a Sunday night blowout.

Reuben Frank (5-3)

Losing this game would be inexcusable for the Eagles. The Cowboys sputter into the Linc having scored 20 or fewer points in all but two of their eight games and are averaging less than 13½ points on the road. The Eagles’ defense should feast on the Dallas offense, with or without Amari Cooper. No excuses. I don’t want to hear about injuries or fluke plays or bad calls. It’s time for this football team to start playing up to its capabilities. The Cowboys are wounded, and the Eagles need to jump on them early, finish them off and send everybody home happy at midnight. They need to protect their home field. They need to put together a winning streak. They need to dominate their biggest rival. And I think they will. Bring on the Saints!

Eagles 37, Cowboys 13

It’s not surprising that “Team Philadelphia” all pick their squad to win, but that’s not homerism talking. It seems to be the general consensus as even Cowboys writers are predicting an Eagles victory.

SportsDay experts’ predictions for Cowboys-Eagles: Can Dallas save its season with a win in Philadelphia? - Staff, SportsDay

The SportsDay writing staff make their picks on Sunday night’s game and it’s completely one-sided.

Tim Cowlishaw

The Cowboys defense makes a comeback from an awful final three quarters against Tennessee but it’s not enough as Carson Wentz continues what Marcus Mariota began in converting too many third downs. Golden Tate adds yards after the catch to the Eagles attack, and Ezekiel Elliott continues to struggle to find holes against a solid Philly front seven. Dak Prescott has his most passing yards of the season but the Eagles win the turnover battle and the contest to put Dallas in a major hole.

Eagles 23, Cowboys 14

Gut Feeling: Predictions For Cowboys-Eagles - Staff, Dallas Cowboys

The mood over at the Mothership is quite different as they have some optimism sprinkled in for good measure. Hey, we’ll take it.

Nick Eatman: On the Cowboys Break, I wasn’t exactly ready to make my pick. I guess my “Gut” hadn’t given me the guidance just yet. But I did pick the Cowboys to win this 21-20, so I’ll stick with it. I really think this is going to be a tough game for the Cowboys, who absolutely have to play their best game. Yes, they have to play better this time around than they did against the Jaguars. What they do best, is what the Eagles stop the most – and that’s the run. Somehow, we’re going to have to see some passes down the field. You’d think they wouldn’t cut their fastest receiver, Deonte Thompson, but they weren’t using his speed anyway. The linebackers have to play better than they did Monday night. Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith have to fly around and get these guys on the ground. It’s not an impossible game here. The Eagles haven’t been that great this year and let’s see how they respond coming off their bye. I think it’ll be close, but give me the Cowboys by a point.