Cowboys at Eagles: Recapping Philadelphia’s Week 8 division win

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders 10 Thoughts: Haason Reddick’s Revenge, Turning Point & One Rarity - Ed Kracz, Sports Illustrated

The Eagles’ secondary showed some weakness against Washington’s passing attack.

The turning point in this goes to Reed Blankenship, who was having a difficult day but redeemed himself with an interception deep in Commanders’ territory. It was the play that set up the TD from Jones.

“I was just reading his eyes,” said Blankenship of Washington quarterback Sam Howell. “I saw he was looking backside pretty hard and knew we had to make a play. I tried it and luckily it came up pretty good.”

On a day where both defenses had trouble stopping either offense, it was a much-needed turnover.

RARITY. It’s not often that James Bradberry declines to talk to reporters, whether after a game or during the week between games, but he chose not to comment in the postgame locker room.

Bradberry struggled somewhat on Sunday, allowing two touchdowns, but the back seven struggled to cover and allowed San Howell to throw for a career-high 397 yards and four touchdowns.

“We got to damn sure gotta get better, a lot of corrections to make definitely,” said CB Darius Slay. “Definitely the back seven has to get s*** fixed up because that s*** shouldn’t be going on.”

Eagles overreactions, reality checks after Week 8 win over Commanders: Is trade deadline RB, CB help needed? - Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports

Philadelphia’s ground game has slowed in the past few weeks.

LANDOVER, Md. — Of course it wasn’t pretty, but the Philadelphia Eagles are 7-1 and possesses the best record in the NFL after defeating the Commanders 38-31 in Week 8. This is familiar territory for Philadelphia, overcoming miscues throughout the game yet making the plays necessary to come away with a victory.

The running game needs outside help

Overreaction or reality: Reality

With the trade deadline approaching and Hurts limited running the football with his knee injury, the Eagles have to had seen enough to know their current crop of No. 2 running backs aren’t cutting it. Kenneth Gainwell fumbled the football inside the 5 yard line during an afternoon which he had two carries for -4 yards.

Since Week 1, Gainwell has 37 carries for 99 yards — an average of 2.68 yards per carry. Boston Scott has just two carries since Week 4 and Rashaad Penny is a healthy scratch every week. This unit has to be improved behind D’Andre Swift, who is averaging just 3.65 yards per carry since Week 4 (72 carries, 263 yards, two touchdowns).

The Eagles are averaging just 79.3 rushing yards per game over the last three weeks. Part of it involves Hurts being limited on the ground, but Philadelphia is getting essentially nothing behind Swift.

Howie Roseman should be active in finding an improvement.

Sirianni updates Carter, Jurgens, Calcaterra injuries - Reuben Frank, NBC Sports

Injuries on both the offensive and defensive lines have been felt by the Eagles.

Nick Sirianni provided a bit of somewhat encouraging news on Jalen Carter and Cam Jurgens, two guys the Eagles could surely use when they face the Cowboys Sunday afternoon.

Carter, the Eagles’ star rookie defensive tackle, left the game against the Commanders Sunday with a back injury and didn’t return. He played only 17 of 72 snaps in the Eagles’ 38-31 win.

Jurgens, their starting right guard, is eligible to return from Injured Reserve this Sunday after missing four games with a foot injury.

Carter has been outstanding this year and the Eagles certainly missed his presence after he left the game against Washington. Pro Football Focus has him ranked 2nd-highest among all interior linemen this year, behind only Dexter Lawrence of the Giants, a Pro Bowler last year.

As for Jurgens, he’s missed the Eagles’ last four games after getting hurt in the first Commanders game. He was replaced by Sua Opeta with the exception of six snaps this past Sunday, when rookie Tyler Steen played right guard when Opeta got banged up.

Although the Eagles went 3-1 with him out of the lineup, their rushing offense really took a downward dive.

The Eagles averaged 165 yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry with Jurgens in the lineup and 99 yards and 3.4 yards per carry in his absence.

Spadaro: Jalen Hurts heating up as Cowboys Week gets underway - Dave Spadaro, PhiladelphiaEagles.com

Jalen Hurts isn’t in the mood to talk much about perspectives, or to categorize his or the Eagles’ season to date, or to really put anything out there about this 7-1 team as it prepares for Sunday’s huge NFC East game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.

Hurts is the leader and continues to show growth in so many ways, and on Sunday, he and the offense overcame two giveaways inside the Washington 5-yard line and a double-digit deficit to win for the seventh time in eight games. Each of the games this season has been unique, the victories unto themselves, and Hurts has done much of the heavy lifting.

He has won with his arm, as he did on Sunday by throwing four touchdown passes. He has won with his legs – two touchdown runs against Minnesota, 72 ground yards and a touchdown in Los Angeles – and it all adds up to something special.

Since the 2021 season, Hurts has produced a record of 29-9 and has won 24 of his last 26 regular-season starts. It is a remarkable streak, one that will be put to the test on Sunday against a Dallas defense that has nine interceptions, that has allowed just 17 points per game, and that is always a threat to score – cornerback Daron Bland has returned three interceptions for touchdowns.

This is nothing new for Hurts, who is 1-1 against the Cowboys with a win last October, a 26-17 slugfest during which Hurts threw two touchdown passes.

Hurts has been among the most productive quarterbacks in the league this season, ranking third in total yards (2,420) and third in total touchdowns (19).

The stage, then, is set for a big one, as is typical of Eagles-Cowboys.