Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scrambles from the pocket against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at State Farm Stadium. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Getting a read on Eagles offense going to be a change-up for Cowboys

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 10/14/22

The Eagles' high-powered offense vaulted them to a 5-0 record. The Cowboys acknowledge stopping the offensive steamroller is a change-up from the team's usual preparation for an opponent.

"It's definitely different," said head coach Mike McCarthy Friday on KRLD-FM in Dallas.

Coach McCarthy had a little fun with (former Navy reporter) @1053SS this morning Check out Mike talk about preparing to face Jalen Hurts and more in the full interview here: https://t.co/bcVERd6eND @rjchoppy @Peyton_Russell1 pic.twitter.com/8kkk1KGHdp
— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) October 14, 2022

The Eagles don't run a prototypical pro offense, instead relying on concepts from the college game, such as the read option.

"I'd wager every single college team has this somewhere in their playbook," Ben Solak of the Ringer wrote.

According to Solak, the Eagles run this play more than any other team in the league.

Packaging the zone read with Slant-Flat with Goedert releasing in the flat. Essentially a triple option but the safety valve so Hurts does not have to run every time 2/9: pic.twitter.com/WBglUTLjMP
— Ryan Sasaki (@ChipWagoneer) September 27, 2022

The Eagles' read option is a simple play. QB Jalen Hurts reads the defense and either gives the ball to a running back, keeps it himself, or zips a short pass to a wideout. It's hard to stop when executed correctly because of the options. The play has worked for the Eagles, who have the No.2 offense in the NFL.

The Cowboys tried to replicate the offense in practice, using backup quarterback Will Grier as a stand-in for Hurts. Grier ran a similar offense in college at West Virginia, per Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News.

Grier can't replicate Hurts' quickness, but seeing the play helped the defense develop a better understanding of how to stop it.

We'll know late Sunday night, following the Cowboys-Eagles showdown, if Dallas' preparation paid off.

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