Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Full Report Card Grades for Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles game against the Dallas Cowboys may have been lacking in playoff implications, but Eagles vs. Cowboys always means something. The Eagles were able to pull away against the Cowboys reserves in the second half.
Carson Wentz finished the day 27-of-43 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. After a rough stretch in the first half, Wentz regained his composure and started feeding the ball to Zach Ertz, who had a monster game. Ertz had two touchdowns and 139 yards receiving.
The Eagles run game was a pleasant surprise, finishing with 114 yards on the day. Veteran Darren Sproles carried most of the workload during the first half, but the second half was about rookies Byron Marshall and Terrell Watson. They finished with 42 and 28 yards, respectively, and Watson put the Cowboys away with his first NFL touchdown.
The Eagles defense struggled at times in the first half, but after Mark Sanchez entered the game, they took advantage of the situation. Jordan Hicks recorded two interceptions to continue building his legacy of being a nightmare for the Cowboys. The Cowboys were able to do very little offensively in the second half and only finished the day with 195 yards.
The Eagles finish the 2016 campaign with a record of 7-9. It was not always pretty, or easy to watch, but the Eagles now have their franchise quarterback. A successful offseason should put them in a position to add talent around Carson Wentz and win a few of the many close games they lost this year. If they can do that, the Eagles will be legitimate playoff contenders in 2017.
The future is bright.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Carson Wentz finished the season on a high note. Wentz was 27-of-43 for 245 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Wentz continues to improve in his ability to use his mobility as a weapon, not just to run but to extend plays and find receivers.
The game served as an accurate proxy for Wentz's rookie year. He came out excellent early, struggled for a while to get much of anything going and then worked his way out of the funk to finish strong.
Eagles fans have to be excited to see what Wentz will look like in his second season with more experience and better personnel around him.
Grade: A-
Running Back
2 of 10
The Eagles started the game by feeding Darren Sproles but let rookies Byron Marshall and Terrell Watson get the bulk of the action. Marshall showed good agility on his way to 42 yards, demonstrating real upside and making a push for a roster spot in 2017. Watson has an amazing backstory and had the feel-good moment of the game when he scored a touchdown in his first NFL game to clinch the win for the Eagles.
The running backs finished with 102 yards on 28 carries.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
The Eagles tight ends had another great day. Zach Ertz continued his late-season push with 13 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Trey Burton had five catches for 39 yards, operating in a similar role to the one Jordan Matthews normally is in.
The receivers did not have a good day. Paul Turner had two catches for 30 yards, and Dorial Green-Beckham had one for 15 yards. That was it.
Grade: B+
Offensive Line
4 of 10
Another week, another new starting offensive line combination. With Allen Barbre out, the Eagles decided to give Isaac Seumalo the start at left guard over stop-gap Stefen Wisniewski. There were some communication issues for most of the first half, but they settled in well during the second half and helped open some nice holes for the rookie running backs.
Pass protection wasn't excellent but was more about collective misunderstanding than individual error.
The starting five from this game is most likely going to be the starting unit for the 2017 season, so it was nice to see them get some work together.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Vinny Curry, Marcus Smith and Connor Barwin all registered sacks. The two most dominant players for the defensive line, though, were Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham. It was Cox and Graham whose pressure helped create the sacks for their teammates. The defensive line generally outplayed a Cowboys offensive line made up of backups and starters more interested in avoiding injury.
The goal for the defensive line during the offseason will be increasing consistency, primarily in regards to maintaining outside leverage and getting pressure without blitzing.
Grade:B
Linebacker
6 of 10
Jordan Hicks recorded his fourth and fifth interceptions of the season. Hicks is becoming a consistent thorn in the side of the Dallas Cowboys. He has now recorded a turnover in all four of his career games against the Cowboys. Hicks was all over the field and is making a case as one of the five best players on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nigel Bradham and Stephen Tulloch were both minimally involved, with each only recording one tackle.
Grade: A-
Secondary
7 of 10
Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin have likely played their final games in Eagles uniforms. The Eagles cornerback duo were often the weak link of the defense in 2016, and the season finale was no different. Carroll had a terrible sequence on the second drive where he was flagged for pass interference and then completely juked out of his shoes for a touchdown on consecutive plays.
Malcolm Jenkins was good. Malcolm Jenkins is almost always good. Rodney McLeod had a better game after a really rough last month or so of the season. McLeod is going to be a key piece of the 2017 secondary, so it is good for him to be returning to the form he showed earlier in the year.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Caleb Sturgis went 2-of-3 on field-goal attempts. He missed a 49-yarder wide left but made attempts from 33 and 22 yards. The kick return game was a bit underwhelming with the returners trying to make a play no matter how deep they received the ball.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
Doug Pederson managed to get the players to show up despite the game not meaning anything. That's easier said than done. Pederson also won his challenge of Brice Butler's 17-yard catch.
The offensive game plan was simple, but Pederson was able to maintain balance between the run and short passing game, maximizing time of possession but minimizing the pressure on Carson Wentz.
Jim Schwartz did a nice job of mixing coverage and blitzing to keep the Cowboys off-balance.
Grade: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position | Grade |
| QB | A- |
| RB | B+ |
| WR & TE | B+ |
| OL | B- |
| DL | B |
| LB | A- |
| Secondary | C+ |
| ST | C |
| Coaching | B |
Cumulative Grade: B+
With the results of Sunday's games, the Eagles will be receiving the 14th or 15th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft as compensation for Sam Bradford. They have Carson Wentz, who appears to be the future of the franchise. They got big contributions from a number of rookies in 2016 and have a core of players to build around. The Eagles will have big holes to fill in the offseason but look to be playoff contenders moving forward.
.jpg?w=480 "49ers Colts Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Eagles Reportedly Trade for Pro Bowl LB")
.jpg?w=600 "Updated NFL Draft Big Board 📋")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers Pick's WWE Roots 😤")
