Jalen Hurts not looking likely for Cowboys showdown despite optimistic words

The Philadelphia Eagles might be in a rough spot entering their Week 16 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday.

The Philadelphia Eagles have been on fire this season, comfortably holding the top spot of the NFC East with a 13-1 record and making themselves look like the strongest contenders. Jalen Hurts has been one of the most notable stars in Philadelphia, but he reportedly wasn’t on the field for practice on Wednesday, suggesting he may not play in the Week 16 game.

Hurts is dealing with a shoulder sprain following Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears, and while he hasn’t entirely ruled out playing on Saturday, he’s taking things day by day and has shared that he doesn’t want to play when he’s not feeling 100 percent and risk further hurting the team.

If Hurts does end up sitting out this game, it could definitely give the Cowboys the upper hand as they’re a solid team this season, too.

Eagles may struggle against the Cowboys without Jalen Hurts

While Philadelphia has a great offensive line with runners and receivers like Miles Sanders, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew — one of the best backups in the NFL — has not seen the field and does offer an apparent drop-off from the MVP candidate in Hurts.

However, they can’t necessarily afford to do so if they want to win against the Cowboys.

This matchup will determine whether or not the Eagles clinch the division in Week 16. It’s a very important game, and the Cowboys pose a serious threat with great players like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

It’s best for Hurts to rest and not risk being out for the rest of the season, but it’ll certainly make things much more difficult for Week 16.

While the Eagles still have a shot of winning without Hurts, it noticeably decreases the odds. There will be extra pressure on Minshew and Brook, but they haven’t proved themselves yet.

Anything can happen, and luckily, both the Cowboys and the Eagles have clinched playoff spots. However, the matchup may be a lot more difficult without Hurts in the mix.