Eagles vs. Cowboys in Week 12: Here are the numbers that matter

The Eagles this weekend head to Dallas, where they will try to sweep their rival for the second consecutive season and move one step closer to clinching the NFC East for the second straight year. They would become the first team to win the division in consecutive seasons since they did it in 2004.

Here are some important numbers and trends for Sunday’s game:

Lane Johnson’s impact on the Eagles is a well-known fact. As a reminder, the Eagles are 12-23 since the start of the 2016 season in games Johnson hasn’t started.

» READ MORE: What is a Lisfranc injury? And what does it mean for Lane Johnson?

Let’s get a little more granular.

The Eagles’ running game has not been close to what it was in 2024, and it’s a big reason the offense ranks 25th in the NFL in yards per game. But Johnson has at least been a player the Eagles can run behind (when they choose to). In 84 designed runs to the right side when Johnson is on the field, the Eagles are getting 4.6 yards per attempt, according to Next Gen Stats. In 40 carries to the right side with Johnson off the field, the Eagles average 2.4 yards.

Further, the Eagles have totaled minus-16 rushing yards before contact (an average of minus-0.4 yards) and 113 rushing yards after contact (2.8 per) on designed runs to the right side, resulting in 97 net rushing yards.

That’s not great.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell sees ‘opportunity’ and the bigger picture in his new role

The Eagles’ obsession with possessing the football and not giving it away is nothing new. It’s largely the impetus behind their conservative offensive approach.

The tendencies of the two teams that have led to the difference in turnover differential — plus-6 for the Eagles (seventh-best), minus-4 for the Cowboys (21st) — could play a big part in the result.

Jalen Hurts has been impressive in not turning the ball over. He’s up to 156 consecutive passes without throwing an interception when under pressure, according to Next Gen, dating back to Week 2 of last season against the Falcons. That’s the second-longest active streak in the NFL.

What was the cure to getting A.J. Brown the football a little more last week? Man coverage. The Lions deploy man coverage at the third-highest rate in the NFL, according to Sharp Analytics.

Brown saw a lot of Rock Ya-Sin, who matched up with the receiver on 19 of his 28 routes, according to Next Gen, including 14 man-coverage matchups. Eight of Brown’s 11 targets came against Ya-Sin.

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 12 vs. the Cowboys

Well, expect a lot less man coverage on Sunday.

The Cowboys, according to Sharp Analytics, play man coverage just 14.8% of the time, the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL.

The Eagles have struggled against zone, and Dallas may be wise to stick to its tendencies.

The Cowboys are a dangerous team. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL by yards per game (third, 378.7) and points per game (second, 29.6). They lead the NFL in passing yards per game (258.7).

But they have largely beaten up on bad teams. Sure, they trounced the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football a few days ago, but they were coming off double-digit losses to Arizona and Denver, which rolled Dallas in a 44-24 game on Oct. 26.

Dallas’ wins this season are against the Giants, Jets, Commanders, and Raiders, four teams with a combined record of 9-33.

How can an offense this dominant belong to a team with a 4-5-1 record? The defense is almost as bad as the offense is good. Maybe Jerry Jones shouldn’t have traded Micah Parsons, one of the best defenders in the NFL.

Dallas owns the third-worst defense in yards allowed per game (381.3), and the second-worst in points allowed (29.3).

The Eagles, of course, haven’t looked of late like an offense that is capable of putting up big numbers, but Sunday’s opponent could be the remedy.

Just five weeks ago, when the Eagles were 4-2, their percentage chance of making the playoffs, according to FTN Fantasy, was 59.2%.

Now, they are up to 42.9% to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Funny what a four-game winning streak — coupled with some poor play from the rest of the NFC East — can do to a team.

A trip to the playoffs is pretty much sewn up. The Eagles have a 99.6% chance of making the postseason.