Will Dak Prescott or Jalen Hurts spearhead statement win? Why Cowboys, Eagles need different recipes for QB success

Ahead of a prime-time matchup between two of the NFL’s best and most popular teams, a player from neither organization may have shed the most light on the matchup this week.

Allow San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa to explain to us the 9-3 Dallas Cowboys’ best chance to beat the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles.

“Obviously, we put the blueprint out there,” said Bosa, whose 49ers trumped the Eagles 42-19 Sunday in Philadelphia. “Hopefully the Cowboys watch the tape. We made Jalen stay in the pocket and escape outside instead of those B gaps and it paid off … because Jalen’s looking at the rush every play.

“So yeah, you just have to be disciplined and not give him that quick escape route where it can get to those guys quick.”

Containing Hurts is not a new topic, nor is it groundbreaking for a defense to want to shore up B-gaps – the gaps between offensive guards and offensive tackles – that can become dangerous running lanes. However, opponents should heed Bosa’s guidance to strategize not only containing Hurts generally, but also more specifically sending his escapes outward rather than upfield. That understanding of Hurts’ mobility may be the key to supplanting the Eagles from atop the NFL.

It’s a caveat that contrasts how opponents, beginning with Philadelphia this week, should defend against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who currently is tied for MVP favorite with the 49ers’ Brock Purdy at +300 odds per BetMGM. (Hurts trails slightly at +350.) Both Hurts and Prescott extend plays. But how they extend them, and how effectively they extend them, differs.

The Cowboys’ and Eagles’ ability to execute extended plays and defend them could determine the outcome of the NFC East matchup looming on “Sunday Night Football.” It could be the key to a game capable of confirming or shaking up the NFC playoff picture.

“If you watch football on Sunday, you see just so many that get created off of extension and secondary action,” Eagles…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2023-12-08 00:50:26

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