Eagles grades by position after huge win over Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas — It was a little too close for comfort in the first half but this one turned into a laugher.

The Eagles eventually cruised to a 34-6 win over the hapless Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. It was their first win in North Texas since 2017.

What’s even better is they got to rest their starters for most of the fourth quarter. That’s so important because they host the Commanders on a short week Thursday.

Let’s get to the grades:

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts: 14/20, 202 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 7 carries, 56 yards, 2 TDs

It wasn’t a clean game from Hurts. He had his first turnovers since the bye week. First, he threw an interception in the end zone on a pass for Dallas Goedert but give credit to Trevon Diggs for making a great play. And then he allowed Micah Parsons to strip him to set up a Cowboys drive at the 11. There were also some instances where he struggled to manage the pocket. But he made some great plays too, especially off-schedule. It’s always a fine line with Hurts extending plays because sometimes he runs his way into sacks but other times he’s able to make something happen when a play breaks down. And Hurts definitely bounced back from those early mistakes and led the Eagles on an 84-yard touchdown drive before halftime. His play to avoid a blitzer and to hit Dallas Goedert for a touchdown was really impressive. He also bowled over a defender on his way to one of two rushing touchdowns. 

Grade: B-

Running back

Saquon Barkley: 14 carries, 66 yards; 1 catch for 12 yards

Barkley injured his left forearm trying to scramble for the loose ball on that Hurts second quarter fumble and didn’t play on the next drive. But he did come back in the game. It wasn’t a huge performance from Barkley but he made some nice plays, including that 12-yard catch, when he split a couple of Cowboys. Barkley is 9 rushing yards shy of 1,000 on the season. Kenny Gainwell had 30 yards on 7 carries and Will Shipley had 34 on 9 in the fourth quarter.

Grade: B

Receiver

A.J. Brown: 5 catches on 7 targets, 109 yards

Brown has played in six games this season and he already has four catches of 40+ yards. He had three in 17 games in 2024. While it was a pretty quiet day for every receiver other than Brown, Hurts was able to spread the ball around a bit. DeVonta Smith had 2 for 14, Jahan Dotson had a 27-yarder, Ainias Smith had 2-for-6 late and Johnny Wilson had a 5-yard touchdown catch, the first of his young NFL career.

Grade: B+

Tight end

Dallas Goedert: 2 catches on 3 targets for 25 yards

After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Goedert returned to action on Sunday. His touchdown catch late in the second quarter was a big one that put the Eagles up 14-6 just before the half. It was a huge score. While Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll didn’t have any catches, they were out there in 12 and 13 personnel and did their job blocking.

Grade: B

Offensive line

While Hurts was sacked five times in this game, it’s hard to put that all on the offensive line. It seemed like he wasn’t managing the pocket very well early. The Eagles also didn’t have their typical success running the ball but still ended up going for 187 yards on the ground with a 4.9 average. And the team did score 34 points.

Grade: B

Defensive line

Jalen Carter: 4 tackles, 1/2 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 TFL, 1 PBU

Sure, the Cowboys’ offense was pretty inept with Cooper Rush but it wasn’t like the Eagles’ defensive line was constantly in his face. It was a big game for Jalen Carter, who had a huge stop on 3rd down to force a field goal after Hurts turned it over deep in Eagles’ territory. Milton Williams had a sack and stopped a fumble. Despite seeing his playing time dwindle, Bryce Huff had a strip sack. And Jalyx Hunt got some playing time even before things got out of hand.

Grade: A-

Linebacker

Zack Baun: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR

We’re nine games into the season and Baun might already be an all-time free agent pickup. He was all over the field again on Sunday afternoon and just continues to make big play after big play. Howie Roseman should offer this man a contract extension on the flight home. It was a quieter day for Nakobe Dean, who dropped a pick after the ball was deflected. He said he’s competitive with Baun about takeaways and he wants to get back on track there.

Grade: A

Secondary

C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU

Rush was awful but that’s not the Eagles’ fault. The Cowboys ended up with just 49 net passing yards and picked up just four first downs through the air. Gardner-Johnson got his second INT of the season, although it wasn’t like the Eagles’ secondary was tested all that much. Darius Slay was in and out of the game with an ankle injury but after the game said he’ll be fine. But it’s a short week, so we’ll see.

Grade: A

Special teams

Cooper DeJean: 3 punt returns, 43 yards, long of 31

DeJean’s new career-long punt return of 31 yards set up the Eagles with a short field on their touchdown to take a 21-6 lead in the third quarter and put the game out of reach. Jake Elliott made his two field goals and four PATs. Braden Mann had 4 punts for 208 yards and got one inside the 20. The Eagles did give up a 47-yard kick return to KaVontae Turpin, who is one of the best returners in the league.

Grade: B+

Coaching

Record: 7-2

The Eagles played great complementary football on Sunday. One phase made a mistake, another phase picked them up. That’s a sign of a good team and the Eagles are one right now. Sure, the Cowboys aren’t very good but the Eagles took care of business against an inferior opponent, which isn’t always a given. Kellen Moore’s play calls on offense were solid and Vic Fangio’s defense continues to ball out.

Grade: A

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