DALLAS — Monday Night Football is coming to WFAA! Watch special coverage of the Cowboys vs. the Eagles throughout the day, including a sports special at 6:30 p.m. before kickoff and a 1-on-1 interview with Dak after the game.
The Dallas Cowboys have faced different styles of quarterbacks to start the season.
In Week 1, the defense competed against Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who can be surgical within the pocket. In Week 2, Dallas sent the pass rush after the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, who can move around in the pocket and make big plays downfield with his arm.
The Cowboys face a similar threat with the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts in Week 3. However, Hurts has the added dimension of being able to beat defenses with his legs. Even though Hurts has a different style than Brady and Herbert, the attack plan for the Cowboys remains the same as it was through the first two weeks.
"I think it’s like that every week: you have to have a good rush plan," defensive end Randy Gregory said. "Everyone has to rush as one for one and you rep that throughout the week and, so, yeah, it changes things."
According to Gregory, the key to getting after Hurts will be to get him off his spot, which is what every pass rush seeks to accomplish against every type of quarterback, whether they throw from the pocket or near the numbers.
"I know [Brady] is probably not the fastest but when you can navigate a pocket like he does and have the kind of presence he has in the pocket, you can take that over a guy that can run in the pocket like Hurts can," said Gregory. "They can both hurt you in different ways and we’ve seen that. It doesn’t change our game plan. Obviously we’re going to get after them the same way we’ve been trying to against these quarterbacks and I fully expect we will."
In addition to Hurts' mobility, the defense is also having to gear up for the former 2020 second-round pick's ability to go through his progressions. Cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was a teammate of Hurts when he was at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma in 2019, has seen the maturation of Hurts through the first two games of the season.
"I’ve seen him grow as a player, got smarter," Diggs said. "He’s a hard worker. I don’t expect nothing less from him. He works super hard, super intelligent. I don’t expect nothing less. I expect him to get better."
Hurts has yet to throw an interception this season, while Diggs has managed to pick off a pass in each of the first two games to start the year.
In Hurts' last meeting against the Cowboys on Dec. 27, 2020, the Eagles' signal caller went 21-of-39 for 342 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Hurts also got after Dallas with nine carries for 69 yards in a 37-17 Cowboys win.
Do you think the Cowboys will be able to keep Eagles QB Jalen Hurts in check during the Week 3 matchup? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
