Blogging The Boys
Which players do you think will be the difference, one way or another, in Week 1?
The beginning of the NFL regular season is coming soon. On September 4th, the Dallas Cowboys will visit the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles will surely celebrate their second championship since 2017 before the kickoff, the Cowboys will be in attendance and be an unwilling bystander for the celebration.
That said, the Cowboys could spoil the party by beating the Eagles in front of their home crowd and taking the first step in what they hope will be a championship season of their own. The Eagles boast a star-studded roster that features the likes of A.J. Brown, Saquon Barkley, and many others. However, the Eagles have a lot of depth, and many other players could impact the game. In our first edition of the opponent x-factor series, here’s a look at the Eagles players who could tip the scales on opening night.
Originally known as the replacement for Jason Kelce, Cam Jurgens has stepped out of the shadow of Kelce and carved out a pretty decent name for himself. Jurgens took over as the Eagles’ starting center after Kelce announced his retirement after the 2023 season. As expected, the Eagles continued using the Tush Push after Kelce’s retirement and for Jurgens and the Eagles, it’s been business as usual. It has been reported that last season, the Eagles converted 39 of their 48 attempts on the play for a success rate of 81.3%. After a solid campaign last year, Jurgens was named to the Pro Bowl and rewarded with a new 4-year, $68M contract.
To beat the Eagles, the Cowboys have to be ready to stop this play with Jurgens front and center. That said, Dallas also has to stop the Eagles from running the football on first and second down as well to deter the Eagles from doing the Tush Push in the first place. Dallas understands their shortcomings with stopping the run and how much their defensive tackles need to hold up in that area.
Per PFF, Jurgens graded out with a 68.5 run-blocking grade among centers. However, Jurgens isn’t nearly as effective as a pass blocker For Dallas to win, Jurgens has to be disrupted and prevented from seeing success in what he does best, reaching the second level of the defense. Jurgens is still a young player gaining playing experience. We’ll see if Matt Eberflus calls some twists or stunts to try to confuse Jurgens in pass protection.
It’s the ones you least expect. Grant Calcaterra is far down the list of the type of players you expect to be prepared for when playing the Eagles. Again, that speaks to their depth. The fourth-year tight end brings a varied skillset that could play a factor if the Cowboys aren’t ready for everything they can throw at them. Calcaterra is arguably just as good a blocker as starting...
