The Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys result should not be overanalyzed, but that is not the case right now.
The Eagles succumbed to the Cowboys, 13-33, and the two are now virtually tied in the National Football Conference East top spot with identical 10-3 record.
It was supposed to be just another loss for coach Nick Sirianni for their great record. However, with the quality of their latest opponents, their talent, and the fact it is their first back-to-back loss, critics are zooming in on the result.
The Eagles showed no sense of urgency in their Week 14 loss, and that's just one area where trouble is brewing for last year's NFC champs and Super Bowl finalists.
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Three reasons why the Eagles should feel worried about their two straight losses despite their 10-3 record:
1. Slow starts are unsustainable.
Comeback wins are inspiring, but if you are as talented as the Eagles, you have no business being down at the start of the game.
The Cowboys game is the fifth of the season, wherein they did not score a field goal before the first-half whistle.
Play calling and route designs are not as effective as they are at each start of the game.
The defense is also suspect, as they allowed the Cowboys four scoring drives. Something has to give if these slow defense and offense come together.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts knows where they are coming
"This is something we're going through, not necessarily stuck in," said Hurts, who struggled to orchestrate the offense.
"We have to be able to learn from it, and we will. There's an eagerness to continue to press on."
Hurts finished 18-of-27 passing for 197 yards and committed a momentum-stalling fumble in their first offensive possession.
2. Leadership issues
"I think the biggest thing for this team now is really find out who the dudes are," veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said after the game.
"I've been part of teams where the dudes in the locker room do something about it, and I've been on teams where it kind of crumbles. But now it's time to see the real leadership ... leaders on this team, myself included, step up and do something about it."
The slow start can be attributed to leadership issues. Hurts need to get better. The offense now has 19 turnovers, and Hurts has 15 of them - five fumbles to go with his career-worst 10 interceptions.
Communication on the gridiron needs to get better, too, as often, as seen in the loss to the Cowboys, the QB has a hard time finding a man to pass to.
3. Dipping defense
The Cowboys scored 24 points in their first four drives. They converted five of their first six third downs. This and their ailing offense are a perfect formula for a defeat.
As shown by Dak Prescott, such defense is easy to exploit for any quarterback. The road team was down 10-0 in the first quarter and 24-6 at half-time.
The Eagles' defense surrendered an average of 428 yards per game over the last six games.
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