The Dallas Cowboys struggled mightily to begin their game against the Philadelphia Eagles. If one wants to focus on what needs to change from last week, roll the first half tape. If one wants to focus on positives that need to be a trend, its second-half play needs to be extended this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback the Dallas defense will have faced so far this season, so getting down 21-0 again is ill-advised.
Dallas seems to be a wholly different club and operation since the trade deadline. These trends have to continue from the Philadelphia game, or they will see themselves back in the loss column
Run defense
Since Quinnen Williams joined the team via trade in a deadline day deal, the Cowboys have allowed just 43 yards on 19 attempts to running backs. That’s across two games and against top-10 picks Ashton Jeanty and Saquon Barkley. The Cowboys’ defense has only allowed a single run over 10 yards after formerly being 29th in the NFL, allowing 143 yards per game.
In the two games since adding Williams, and LBs Logan Wilson and DeMarvion Overshown, they are second-best in the league at 45 yards per game. If the Cowboys play run defense this well going forward, they will have a chance to win any game on their schedule.
Targeting George Pickens
George Pickens is playing as well as any receiver in the NFL. From when the Eagles led 21-0, Pickens had more receiving yards than the entire Philadelphia team. He currently has more receiving yards (1,054) than all receivers on his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pickens has already set his career high in receptions and touchdowns, and is 86 yards from his career high in receiving yards. Over the last two games, he has averaged nine catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. With CeeDee Lamb on the opposite side, Pickens should continue to get good looks from opposing defenses, so the team has to continue to throw him the ball.
Feature Quinnen Williams
It was known that Williams was a Pro Bowl player when Dallas traded for him, but his ability to elevate teammates been unknown to some. Williams leads all defensive linemen in overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades with a 90.8. He has the most pressures (15) and the best pass-rush win rate (27.1%), adding eight more pressures against the Eagles. Lean on him as the star and build the defense around his influence.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 things Cowboys need to duplicate from win over Eagles to beat the Chiefs
Reporting by Mike Crum, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
