Cowboys news: Final injury updates, game previews, and final score predictions

Updates: Prescott Looks Set To Play vs. Eagles - Staff, Dallas Cowboys

All eyes will be on the progress of Dak Prescott’s throwing shoulder, but how does the rest of the team look as far as health goes?

2:24 p.m. – Dak Prescott’s playing status for Sunday’s showdown against the Eagles is not in question, according to Friday’s official injury report.

The Cowboys are listing CB C.J. Goodwin (thumb), LB Joe Thomas (knee) and WR Devin Smith (knee) as questionable to play against the Eagles. LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck) has been ruled out Sunday. Prescott (right shoulder) practiced on a limited basis again Friday. He said Thursday he’ll be “good to go” against the Eagles.

Final Cowboys-Eagles Injury Update: Derek Barnett will practice Friday - Chris McPherson, Philadelphia Eagles

What’s the update on the Eagles’ health situation for the game? Here are all the details of the key players currently dealing with injuries.

Pederson said that tackle Lane Johnson is “trending in the right direction,” but is the only Eagles player who is officially out for Sunday’s game. Halapoulivaati Vaitai will start again at right tackle.

Cornerback Avonte Maddox was added to the injury report on Friday as a limited participant with a knee injury. Maddox is questionable for the game. Cre’Von LeBlanc can play in the slot and already mixes in at that position depending on the subpackage.

Wide receiver Nelson Agholor did not practice all week due to a knee injury and is questionable. The same goes for running back Jordan Howard, who is limited in practice, but has yet to be cleared for contact with a shoulder injury. Greg Ward is in line to start in the slot for Agholor, while Miles Sanders is set to be the featured back if Howard is unable to go.

The final practice report for each team...

Spadaro: A formula to win: Run the ball and control the clock - Dave Spadaro, Philadelphia Eagles

Base camp over in Philadelphia provides their winning formula for the Eagles to emerge victorious on Sunday.

Want to beat the Cowboys? Run the ball. Control the time of possession. The Eagles have worked hard to score points all season, and in doing so, they’ve been able to stay patient offensively. Going on some long, time-consuming drives on Sunday will not only help establish the line of scrimmage, but it keeps the Dallas offense off the field.

It’s also going to be important that the offense secures the football. The Eagles have turned the ball over four times in their seven victories. Carson Wentz has not thrown an interception in any of the seven wins. This is pretty simple, then: Play smart, ball-control offense – mixing in throws to the tight ends and the running backs, which Dallas has had trouble with all season – and secure the football. That’s the formula. That’s the personality of the offense. That’s the go-to part of things.

3 Key Players to Watch in Cowboys vs Eagles - Matthew Lenix, Inside the Star

Here are three players to keep an eye out for on Sunday.

Amari Cooper

Amari Cooper has been a thorn in the Eagles side since he joined the Cowboys last season. He has racked up 21 receptions for 398 yards and three touchdowns, and more importantly, the team is 3-0 in those games. With that being said, it should be more of the same this Sunday right? Well if we’re going by how Cooper has performed on the road this season it might not be so easy. Cooper only has 23 receptions for 296 yards and three touchdowns away from AT&T Stadium this season. This is certainly not the production you would expect from a top 10 wide receiver in the league.

The opportunity to have a big game should be there for Cooper considering the Eagles pass defense has been shaky all year and currently ranks 18th overall. If he were to have his typical game against the Eagles since arriving in Dallas, which is seven receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown, the Eagles will have a tough time keeping the Cowboys offense off the field.

5 Bold predictions for Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys - Geoffrey Knox, Inside the Iggles

If you like bold predictions, these five topics might be of interest to you, including how this game is going to end up being a nerve-wracking nail biter.

5. The Eagles end the losing streak with a last-second field goal by Jake Elliott.

Everyone’s got their idea about how this one is going to turn out. Here’s one more. You know there’s going to be a firework show. You know both teams will put up a lot of points. You know Wentz is throwing two touchdowns, and Dak will throw three. You know the Eagles will finally bottle up Elliott. You know Miles Sanders will continue the brilliance that has been his rookie season. The only thing you don’t know is who wins.

Look for history to repeat itself slightly. Almost 13 years ago, the Eagles walked into Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys, giving Eagles fans everywhere a Christmas present. Almost 13 years later, they’ll be able to celebrate after another Eagles win. For the third-straight week, Carson Wentz and his Eagles will trail in the final moments. For the third-straight week, Wentz will have to lead his team to a last-second win. For the third straight week, he’ll do just that, finally silencing his critics. Wentz leads Philly down inside Jake Elliott‘s range, and Philly’s Elliott gets things done.

The final score in this one: Eagles 34, Cowboys 31.

Five intriguing games of NFL Week 16 - Staff, The Athletic

It’s no surprise that the Cowboys/Eagles matchup is one of this week’s most intriguing games. The Athletic’s Jon Machota shares what he thinks is needed for a Cowboys victory as well as his final score prediction.

The Cowboys win if: Elliott has a big game and the Cowboys’ defense tackles like they did against the Rams. Dallas will go as Elliott goes in this one. He has played the Eagles five times in his career, and the Cowboys have won all five games. After struggling to establish the running game for most of the season, it appears to be getting on track at the right time. A week after recording a league-high 19 missed tackles in a loss at Chicago, Dallas’ defense played its best game of the season. The highlight was Sean Lee turning back the clock to have one of the best games of his career. Can he do it again? If not, someone else, such as DeMarcus Lawrence, Jaylon Smith, Robert Quinn or Byron Jones, will need to step up.

Game prediction: Cowboys 31, Eagles 21.

Week 16 NFL game picks, schedule guide, playoff scenarios and more - Staff, ESPN

ESPN goes through each game of Week 16 with things to keep an eye on and provides their game score predictions. What did they have to say about the Cowboys/Eagles matchup?

What to watch for: Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz leads the league in red zone touchdowns (eight) over the past three weeks despite missing many of his top options. Dallas’ defense, meanwhile, has yielded touchdowns on 70% of opponents’ trips to the red zone over the past three games -- a far more generous rate than their season average of 52%. -- Tim McManus

Bold prediction: Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper will have more than 100 receiving yards. It’s meaningful because Cooper’s numbers are not the same away from AT&T Stadium. He has just 23 catches for 296 yards and three touchdowns in seven road games this season. -- Todd Archer Stat to know: On throws at least 15 yards downfield, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott been among the league leaders in completion percentage (52%, third), yards per attempt (15.0, third) and touchdowns (14, first).

Archer’s pick: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21

McManus’ pick: Eagles 24, Cowboys 21

FPI prediction: DAL, 54.9% (by an average of 1.7 points)

Eagles-Cowboys NFL Week 16 predictions 2019 - Staff, NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Philadelphia staff of NBC Sports pretty much has a consensus of the Cowboys winning this one, but there always has to be that one person. Let’s hear what he has to say...

Andrew Kulp (8-6)

There isn’t a question, given all the injuries the Eagles sustained this season, the Cowboys are the more talented team right now. I would no doubt pick Dallas to win if it weren’t for one thing: Dak Prescott’s injury. Sure, he’ll probably play -- but how effectively? If he’s been unable to throw all week, why would he miraculously be OK on Sunday? And there are some compelling reasons to believe the injury is even more prohibitive than reported. The Eagles still need to stop Ezekiel Elliott, but the defense hasn’t surrendered more than 17 points at home since September. Which means as long as Carson Wentz and his ragtag supporting cast continue scoring — though certainly not a given — a win is within reach.

Eagles 28, Cowboys 24

Expert predictions for Cowboys-Eagles: Will Dallas leave Philly with the NFC East crown and a playoff berth? - Staff, Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News staff also favors the ‘Boys to come out on top, but again - there’s one writer keeping it from being unanimous.

Calvin Watkins

The Eagles are good at home, but Jason Garrett is good against the Eagles in Philly. So why pick the Eagles? I just think the Cowboys haven’t shown they’re a consistent team playing at an elite level. The Eagles haven’t done so either, but go with the home team, especially against a nicked-up Dak Prescott and a defense that has been inconsistent all season. Eagles 21, Cowboys 17.

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

The folks over at the Mothership let us know what they’re gut is telling us about this game. While nobody had any faith in them last week, things are different this week.

Nick Eatman: After the Cowboys lost to the Bears, I really didn’t know if I would pick them to win again this year. Of course, all of that changed when we saw the best performance of the season just last weekend. Now we know what they’re capable of, the only question is can they duplicate that again. And honestly, I don’t know if they need to play that well to beat the Eagles. But either way, you know a really good performance is needed to go on the road and eliminate the Eagles.

Since this is truly a “gut feeling,” I thought I would give exactly that. My gut tells me the Cowboys will figure out a way to win and beat the Eagles again, making them NFC East champs for the second straight year. I don’t see the Eagles driving the ball consistently. They’re so banged up right now that Dallas should own a sizable advantage in terms of personnel. As long as the Cowboys don’t have too many turnovers, I see them managing the game well enough to win.

I’ve got the Cowboys, 24-16.

This big game will be nationally televised across most of the country. If you’re in the red, you’re in good shape (Coverage map courtesy of 506 Sports).