Jason Garrett vs. Philadelphia: Garrett is 7-8 against Philadelphia after the Eagles destroyed the Cowboys 37-9 in November. The Cowboys led 9-7 at halftime, but without Ezekiel Elliott the Cowboys managed just 225 total yards. In the second half, Dallas punted four times and turned the ball over twice.
Key matchup: QB Dak Prescott V. Philadelphia secondary: Dak Prescott was disappointed by his performance against Seattle last week - 181 yards ad two interceptions - and he spent much of this week talking about the importance of playing better in the final game. He won’t face many Philadelphia starters, especially in the second half since they’ve already clinched a playoff spot. Prescott has passed for more than 225 yards once in the last seven games. This would be a good week to gain some confidence.
X Factor: Ezekiel Elliott said he wants to play and have his usual workload since he missed six of the last seven games as he served his six-game suspension. The more he plays, the better the Cowboys odds of winning because they can control the game with his running and it should open up some play-action opportunities for big plays.
Key Stat: Dez Bryant has not had a 100-yard game this season. If he doesn’t get one today, it would be the first time since 2011 he hasn’t had a 100-yard game.
Cowboys Game Plan: The primary concern for each team is not to have any major injuries at the end of this game. That’s why Philadelphia won’t be playing many of its starters in the second half, if at all. It’s also why the Cowboys will give some of their banged up players fewer snaps than usual. The Cowboys would love to use this as a springboard to give Dak Prescott a good feeling about his passing entering the offseason, but both teams will probably run the ball more than usual in hopes the game will move quickly and the odds of injury will be low.
