PLAYER NOTES
–WR Tavon Austin did not practice on Wednesday with a groin injury. He has missed the last six games and is questionable at best this week.
–CB Chidobe Awuzie did not practice on Wednesday with an illness.
–WR Cole Beasley sprained his right foot against New Orleans. He was limited in practice on Wednesday.
–DT Maliek Collins left the Philadelphia game with a knee injury. He has played in the last three games and went through a full practice on Wednesday.
–DL David Irving left practice five weeks ago with a high-ankle sprain. He hasn’t played the last five games and didn’t practice on Wednesday.
–LB Sean Lee missed the last five games with a groin injury. He didn’t practice on Wednesday.
–RG Zack Martin came out of the Philadelphia game with a knee injury, but returned to the game. He played in the last three games and went through a full practice on Wednesday.
–LT Tyron Smith didn’t play against Washington or New Orleans with a neck injury. He went through a limited practice on Wednesday.
–LG Xavier Su’a-Filo tweaked an ankle in the win over Washington and was inactive against New Orleans. He went through practice in limited work on Wednesday.
–TE Geoff Swaim suffered a wrist injury against Atlanta. He hasn’t played in the last two games and didn’t practice on Wednesday.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: DE DeMarcus Lawrence has to get hot at the end of the season to match his 14.5 sacks from 2017. But that doesn’t mean he’s slumped this season. Lawrence has 8.5 sacks going into the last four games of the regular season, but he’s proving more versatile than ever. He has 50 total tackles with a forced fumble and an interception. Lawrence’s career high for total tackles is 58.
GAME PLAN: When the Cowboys defeated Philadelphia, 27-20, in November, the Eagles couldn’t stop Ezekiel Elliott. Dallas’s star running back rushed for 151 yards on 19 carries and finished with 187 total yards and two TDs. Obviously, the Eagles will try to find an answer for Elliott. If the Eagles succeed, it will be up to Dak Prescott to find Amari Cooper and perhaps even a tertiary offensive weapon. Dallas wide receiver Cole Beasley might be out with a foot injury, so it could be a chance for Allen Hurns and Noah Brown to get more involved in the passing game.
Philadelphia piled up 421 yards of total offense in its loss to the Cowboys, even without Darren Sproles in the lineup. Eagles tight end Zach Ertz burned Dallas with 14 catches 145 yards and two touchdowns, so he’ll try to keep up that pace. Dallas will need linebackers Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith to limit Philadelphia’s ability to make plays with Ertz and its running backs. Of course, if the linebackers hold up, there’s still the task of pressuring quarterback Carson Wentz and keeping him from finding receivers Golden Tate and Alshon Jeffery.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott vs. Eagles’ front seven. Philadelphia ranks 10th in the NFL in rushing defense. But the Eagles would be a few places higher if Elliott hadn’t punctured them for 151 yards on Nov. 11. The Eagles task of stopping the Cowboys’ star running back gets more difficult as he feels a little more comfortable at home. Elliott is averaging 99 yards this season at AT&T Stadium.
–Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch vs. Eagles TE Zach Ertz. The Eagles tight end caught 14 passes for 145 yards and two touchdownss, fueling Philadelphia’s offense in their 27-20 loss to the Cowboys in November. But Ertz would have had an even bigger game if not for Vander Esch, who had 13 tackles and a pass deflection against the Eagles. Vander Esch’s ability to limit Ertz will play a huge part in Dallas’s defensive success.
