The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are seemingly on opposite ends of the spectrum. One, Philadelphia, would have been the number one seed in the playoffs had the season ended after Week 11. The other, Dallas, would have been on the outside looking in, yet Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb view this coming clash as a ‘playoff game’.
Yes, those are chuckles you’re hearing. Go figure, right? Far be it from the Cowboys to think of themselves or their chances more highly than they ought. If the math is correct, Dallas isn’t officially eliminated from anything. There are tons of work to do if they’re going to have a shot at making the postseason, but the tie may, at some point, come in handy.
They say everything is bigger in Texas. That includes the limelight. Philadelphia’s old rival makes stars out of ordinary or average athletes, but it also makes superstars out of the stars. There aren’t many superstars on the Cowboys’ roster now that Micah Parsons is gone, but there are certainly some guys worth noting. Here are a handful.
Kenneth Murray Jr., linebacker
Kenneth Murray has started all ten games for Dallas this season. He leads the team in total tackles (65). He ranks second in solo stops (33).
Add that to a sack and two pass breakups. Continuing to produce these types of efforts for Dallas could place his name among some of the more respected players at his position.
Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark
Quinnen Williams joined Dallas at the trade deadline. Kenny Clark came to town as part of that Micah Parsons trade. Both have helped stabilize the interior of the Cowboys’ defensive line. Williams has provided immediate punch, tallying four tackles, including one for loss, 1.5 sacks, and five additional QB hits in his Week 11 debut.
DaRon Bland, cornerback
It seemed Trevon Diggs had established himself as the Cowboys’ top cornerback. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy and is currently on the injured reserve, so that title now belongs to DaRon Bland.
Entering Week 12, Bland has grabbed one interception, a pick-six, and has broken up four passes. He is tied for the second-most total tackles. He leads the team with 34 solo stops. He was named First-Team All-Pro in 2023 after leading the NFL in interceptions, so we know that ability is in there somewhere.
Donovan Wilson, safety
Donovan Wilson leads all Cowboys defenders with a pair of interceptions. That number also doubles as 40% of the team’s total. They just haven’t picked off many passes, and with the way Jalen Hurts has been protecting the football, it seems a safe bet that they’ll be blanked in Week 12.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE
Reservist James Houston leads all Cowboys defenders in sacks (4.5). He also has a forced fumble, but rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku (two sacks) is one of the starters. He has played 351 defensive snaps compared to Houston’s 182. Ten additional QB hits added to his pair of sacks, 25 tackles, including two for loss, a forced fumble, and a safety are the results of his efforts.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 6 Cowboys defenders worth watching vs. the Eagles’ offense in Week 12
