The NFL offseason can be uneventful sometimes, but some form of back-and-forth between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys is always guaranteed.
The latest jab comes through former Cowboys wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson. Pearson was a three-time All-Pro in 11 seasons with Dallas, and was finally inducted into the Hall as part of the 2021 class.
The now 71-year-old legend joined the Zach Gelb podcast on July 11 to talk Cowboys football, revealing he is not worried about the Eagles after an offseason of hype.
“We should have a lot of confidence that we can dominate the NFC East,” Pearson said, per NJ Advance Media. “[The Cowboys had] success playing the teams that didn’t have better records. A team like San Francisco had great defense and we couldn’t do anything against them, but I think playing Philadelphia twice this past season, I think we scored 90 points combined. We’re not that afraid of Philadelphia.”
Pearson may have a point, as the Eagles have primarily focused on re-signing players set for free agency. However, the addition of DE Haason Reddick after 23.5 sacks in the past two seasons is worth noting, as is the NFL draft selections of Georgia standouts Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean.
Cowboys Offense Pours On Philadelphia in 2021
Pearson didn’t remember the exact number of points Dallas scored against Philly in 2021, but he came close: the Cowboys put up 92 total points on the Eagles in their 41-21 and 51-26 wins.
Dallas QB Dak Prescott put together some of his best work in those victories, completing a combined 42 passes on 53 attempts. He totaled 733 passing yards and threw eight touchdowns across the two games, per ESPN.
Defensively, neither game was especially strong for the Cowboys as Philly broke the 21-point mark both times, but “garbage time” has to be considered and there were highlights like corner Trevon Diggs’ interception return for a touchdown in the Week 3 victory.
Trevon Diggs has had an interception every single time that he has played the Philadelphia Eagles.
He owns them.
(via @NFL)
As long as the Cowboys can score 40-50 points per game, the Eagles’ scoring shouldn’t be a problem.
Pearson Comments on Hurts
Besides the statement that the Cowboys shouldn’t be worried about Philly any more than usual, Pearson also added some words about Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
After admitting that Philadelphia is the strongest contender to the Cowboys in the NFC East, Pearson issued a warning to Dallas about Hurts’ ability.
“We can’t take [Hurts] lightly because you’ve got to remember when he came out of college he was a winning quarterback,” Pearson said. “He’s not a losing-type guy so he’s probably doing all he can to get back on the winning track and get Philly on the winning track coming off a 9-8 season.”
Hurts was a star at both Alabama and Oklahoma before joining the Eagles, winning a National Championship in 2017 and earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2016.
However, college success has not meant immediate success with the Eagles. Hurts is 9-10 as a starter, and Philadelphia is 1-3 against the Cowboys since the former college star was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
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Cowboys Hall of Famer Roasts Eagles in Interview: ‘We’re Not That Afraid’