Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Complete Week 15 Preview for Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys (9-4) will face off against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. This game will likely decide who will win the NFC East and receive that coveted home game in the playoffs. 

Last week, the Cowboys put together an excellent performance as they beat the Chicago Bears 41-28. Dallas dominated the game on both sides of the ball for three quarters but went to a soft zone in the fourth quarter, which let the Bears get back into the game. 

The Eagles didn't fare as well as they lost to the surging Seattle Seahawks 24-14. The Seahawks defense dominated the Eagles offense for much of the game, and their offense did just enough to get the win. 

These two teams last met on Thanksgiving Day when the Eagles lambasted the Cowboys 33-10. Philadelphia dominated nearly every facet of the game. 

The big difference between this game and that one is the Cowboys had 10 days to prepare for this game, while they only had four days for the other one. The outcome will come down to whether the extra preparation time is enough for the Cowboys to get ready for the various looks the Eagles give on offense and defense. 

Read on for some news and notes, injury information and players to watch on Sunday.

Cowboys' Week 14 Recap

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The Dallas Cowboys (9-4) controlled the Chicago Bears (5-8) in a 41-28 win at Soldier Field. The Cowboys controlled the tempo of the game and dominated in the trenches. 

Despite the late struggles, the Cowboys defense put together a good performance and played disciplined football. One of the biggest surprises was how well the Cowboys cornerbacks tackled throughout the night. 

The Cowboys offense relied on DeMarco Murray for much of the game. The offense also got some big contributions from role players like Cole Beasley and Gavin Escobar. 

The Cowboys came in with a great game plan on offense and defense, which allowed them to exploit the Bears' weaknesses throughout the game. 

Now, Dallas looks forward to another game against its division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game that could decide the NFC East crown. 

News and Notes

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Garrett's Future Still in the Air?

Head coach Jason Garrett is in the last year of his contract, and he has yet to be extended despite the Cowboys exceeding everyone's expectations. However, it appears as though he will return, per 1310 The Ticket's interview with Stephen Jones (h/t ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer):

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'Obviously it’s an improvement this year and an improvement at a time when a lot of people didn’t think we would improve,' Stephen Jones said on The Ticket (1310 AM) in Dallas Wednesday night. 'They actually thought we might go backwards and here we are at nine wins with three games to go. We’ve got a lot of work to do. But I really think Jason is the right guy for this job, and I know Jerry thinks the same thing. I certainly see Jason being a big part of our future.'

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Coming into the year, a lot of people wanted Garrett gone. However, he has done a great job this year in getting the most out of this team, which doesn't have the best talent in the NFL. 

Another positive about Garrett is that he is improving as a coach. He has done a much better job with time management as the Cowboys have yet to have a blunder that cost them a game in that area. 

Garrett is the Cowboys coach of the present and future, so fans better get used to it. 

Spencer's Time to Break Out

The Cowboys pass rush has been awful this year, and a percentage of that is due to the fact that Anthony Spencer has been ineffective as a pass-rusher. 

However, he is feeling better than he has since he's come back from his knee injury, per Archer. 

The Cowboys need to get pressure on the quarterback for their defense to have a chance in the next couple of weeks. That means that the team needs Spencer, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jeremy Mincey to do a much better job of getting pressure off the edge.

Now would be a better time than any for Spencer to break out. 

Boatright Gets Called Up

The Cowboys called up Kenneth Boatright from the practice squad this week as he replaced Micah Pellerin, who was waived and put back on the practice squad, per Archer.

Boatright has the size and athleticism of a pure right defensive end in the Cowboys scheme. He is a pure pass-rusher who is still a little raw in the run department. 

It's still unclear if Boatright will be active against the Eagles, but if he is, it signals how desperate the Cowboys are to get some help in the pass-rushing department. 

Injury Report

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Josh Brent (calf)	DT	Questionable
Tony Romo (back)	QB	Probable
Tyler Patmon (knee/ankle)	CB	Probable
Rolando McClain (knee)	LB	Probable
DeMarcus Lawrence (chest)	DE	Probable
Jeff Heath (thumb)	SS	Probable
Dekoda Watson (hamstring)	LB	Doubtful
George Selvie (thumb)	DE	Probable

Once again, the Cowboys are one of the few teams in the NFL to be relatively healthy entering the last three weeks of the season. Josh Brent is the only contributor who may not play, but if he misses this game, it won't be a huge deal since they've played without him for all but one contest. 

All injury information comes from the Cowboys' official team website.

X-Factor and Matchups to Watch

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Ronald Leary vs. Fletcher Cox

In the first matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys, Fletcher Cox dominated Ronald Leary in ways that J.J. Watt couldn't even do. Cox beat Leary in a variety of ways as he disrupted a great deal of what the Cowboys were trying to do. 

This week, Leary has to be better for the Cowboys to have a shot at executing a better offensive performance against the Eagles. 

Leary got caught overextending and off balance a lot against Cox, which made him look silly at times. For Leary to have better success this time, he has to be more patient in pass protection and more balanced as he attempts to engage with Cox at the point of attack. 

Dez Bryant vs. Bradley Fletcher/Cary Williams

On paper, this looks like one of the matchups where the Cowboys have a significant advantage; however, Dez Bryant couldn't get open against Cary Williams or Bradley Fletcher throughout the game. 

Bryant needs to do a much better job of getting off press coverage and into his route so that he can get open. The Eagles play a great deal of man coverage; therefore, Bryant will have opportunities to dominate as he had in the past. 

As long as Bryant stays disciplined and executes his techniques, he should have a big day against the Eagles' subpar secondary. 

X-Factor of the Week: Rod Marinelli

In the first game, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly significantly out-schemed Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. 

For the Cowboys to win this week, Marinelli must do a better job of putting his players in position to stop Kelly's offense. Everything the Eagles do comes off their uptempo offense and varying formations; Marinelli has to be prepared for this and be ready to have the personnel on the field who can best deal with them. 

The Cowboys need their defense to put together a much better performance than they did in the last meeting, and a large percentage of that falls on Marinelli's shoulders. 

Prediction

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Despite the outcome of the Thanksgiving game, the Cowboys and Eagles are evenly matched teams. The last game came down to the fact that the Cowboys didn't have enough time to prepare for the unconventional Philadelphia offense and Tony Romo didn't have enough to recover from the prior game. 

This time around, the Cowboys have enough time for both to happen. Dallas should put together a much better game plan to combat Chip Kelly's offense. 

Also, Romo should look much healthier since he has had 10 days to recover after the Cowboys' last game. 

The offensive line should correct the minor technical mistakes it made in the first meeting; therefore, it should do a much better job of stopping the Eagles' relentless pass rush. 

Overall, the defense should do just enough to keep the Eagles under 30 points, and the offense should play closer to its potential this time around. 

Prediction: Cowboys 38, Eagles 27