ARLINGTON, Texas − There is a lot at stake for Gardner Minshew on Saturday, and for however much longer he’ll remain the Eagles quarterback while Jalen Hurts heals from his sprained shoulder.
Minshew, after all, can be a free agent after the season, and he has in the past expressed a desire to be a starting quarterback again.
So Minshew knows that he could be auditioning for all 32 NFL teams against the Cowboys. This is his first start of the season after playing in three previous games − all in the fourth quarter of blowout wins. Minshew has thrown just 4 passes this season, completing 2, for 34 yards.
That will change against the Cowboys.
“I think every time you step out there, that’s what it is, an audition,” Minshew said. “That tape never goes away. So you’re just going out and trying to help your team win. I think if you do that, everything works out well for you.”
Minshew started two games for Hurts last season. The first was a crucial game for the Eagles’ playoff chances last Dec. 5. Minshew completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and 2 TDs. He also started the season finale against the Cowboys. The Eagles had already clinched a playoff spot and decided to rest Hurts that day.
Minshew wasn’t as successful in that game, going 19-for-33 for 186 yards with 2 TDs and an interception in the Eagles’ 51-26 loss.
But this is a new season, and Minshew is confident in the players around him.
“We got a lot of really good players,” he said. “I’m excited to get out there with them. I mean pretty much the whole offensive line is in the Pro Bowl. That’s pretty cool, you know? Lot of great guys to throw to, and a defense that’s playing really well. So I gotta go out there and do my job and help us win any way I can.”
The game begins at 4:25 p.m. and will be televised on FOX with Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi providing the coverage.
Eagles lose lead, take it back
The Eagles’ defense is struggling early against the Cowboys.
Dallas was facing a 3rd-and-5 from midfield when Avonte Maddox had Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wrapped up for a sack. Instead, Prescott broke free and completed an 11-yard pass to Michael Gallup and a first down. The Cowboys eventually scored to cut the Eagles’ lead to 10-7.
Then Minshew threw an interception on a pass over the middle intended for Quez Watkins. The Cowboys took over at the Eagles’ 47. They converted a 4th-and-8 when Darius Slay was called for illegal contact. Then scored on Prescott’s 36-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb.
That gave the Cowboys a 14-10 lead with 11:34 left in the first half.
But the Eagles answered. This time, Minshew, pulling a Jalen Hurts, snuck the ball in from the 1, giving the Eagles a 17-14 lead midway through the second quarter.
Josh Sweat hits the pick-6
Defensive end Josh Sweat is known more for sacking the quarterback than he is for scoring touchdowns.
Yet there he was, picking off Dak Prescott’s pass and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown with 9:18 in the first quarter, giving the Eagles a 10-0 lead.. For Sweat, it’s his first career interception. Sweat did have one his freshman year at Florida State in 2015.
Sweat’s play came shortly after Minshew hit A.J. Brown for 48 yards on a perfectly-executed play-action pass down to Dallas’ 10 yard line. That led to Jake Elliott’s 25-yard field goal.
Eagles make some pregame moves
As expected, Hurts is among the Eagles’ list of inactive players on game day. Joining Hurts are RB Trey Sermon, LB Kyron Johnson, DE Janarius Robinson, G Josh Sills and G Sua Opeta.
But the Eagles did make some other adjustments leading up to the game. They signed LB Christian Elliss to the 53-man roster and placed TE Tyree Jackson on injured reserve. Jackson has a knee injury, and won’t be able to return until well into the playoffs.
In addition, S Reed Blankenship is back after missing last week’s game with a knee injury. He is expected to get the start over K’Von Wallace, although nickel corner Avonte Maddox did take some snaps last week as well.
Elliss, a special teams ace, had received the maximum three practice-squad elevations. So the Eagles couldn’t use Elliss in a game again unless he was added to the roster. TE Dallas Goedert got the open roster spot when he was activated off IR earlier in the week. The Eagles had to create another for Elliss.
Punter Brett Kern got the practice-squad elevation for this game. It’s his second.
3 things I’m watching
- Miles and Micah: It’s clear that the Eagles will try to establish the run. That means Miles Sanders should get plenty of opportunities, especially since Minshew won’t keep the ball nearly as much as Hurts on read-options. The Cowboys’ defense, meanwhile, has struggled against the run recently, even though Micah Parsons is having another All-Pro season. The Cowboys allowed 192 yards on the ground last week, and Dallas won’t have run-stopping DT Jonathan Hankins nor LB Leighton Vander Esch.
- Attack Dak: The Eagles didn’t see Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in the first meeting, a 26-17 Eagles win on Oct. 16. Prescott, however, has struggled since returning from a thumb injury, throwing 7 interceptions in the last 4 games. The Eagles, of course, have the most INTs in the NFL. So ideally, the Eagles would like to get pressure on Prescott and force him into off-schedule throws that the defensive backs can pounce on.
- Dallas in Dallas: While Hurts will sit out, the Eagles will get a key offensive player back in tight end Dallas Goedert, who had missed the last five games with a shoulder injury. Goedert had 43 catches for 544 yards in 9 games before his injury. When Minshew started last Dec. 5 against the Jets, he completed 6 passes for 105 yards to Goedert.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
