Cowboys looking to avoid another big-game flop against Eagles: ‘Learned a lot’

It wouldn’t be the first time, of course, but maybe Jerry Jones spoke too soon. 

Maybe the glib Cowboys owner was too transparent when he billed his team’s Oct. 8 game against the 49ers as a measuring stick for just how good his team is. 

When the Cowboys got ripped 42-10 that day, it provided a rare sobering moment for Jones, and it smacked of Jones and his team putting too many eggs into one basket so early in the season. 

“I made every kind of mistake talking about it too early,’’ Jones told reporters this week. “Yeah, I learned from that one.” 

The Cowboys were 3-1 when they faced a 4-0 Niners team. The loss didn’t represent the end of the Dallas season, nor should it have anointed the 49ers. Since then, the Cowboys have won their past two games and the 49ers have lost three straight. 

Fast forward to Sunday when the 5-2 Cowboys face a much more consequential game at 7-1 Philadelphia in an NFC East showdown. 

The Cowboys insist the sting of the blowout loss to the 49ers is a distant memory. 

“We’re not going to compare this,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters this week, referring to the San Francisco loss. “Obviously, we learned a lot about that. In a sense, that’s apples and oranges. It’s a big game. I know how we’re going to approach the week. Yeah, it’s a matchup we’re looking forward to. 

“Whether you talk about it or not, we know what’s ahead of us. Great opportunity. … Big, big, big rival. Division game. Obviously, down the road it means something. It will mean something as we get further down the line in the season. So, trust me, the guys in the locker room, myself, we know what this game means.” 

Last season, the Cowboys and Eagles split their season series, but Prescott didn’t play in the first game (a Dallas loss) because of a broken thumb, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts missed the second game (a Cowboys win) because of a shoulder injury. 

As a Dallas starter, Prescott owns an 8-3 record against the Eagles and has 19 touchdown passes to eight interceptions. But it never seems like enough for Prescott, who’s yet to lead Dallas deep into the postseason. 

Prescott’s playoff record is 2-4, and that will remain hanging over his head until it improves. Sunday’s game in Philadelphia isn’t a playoff game, but it’s a game that can shape where the Cowboys might play in the postseason once they get there. 

“I’m up for any test, so yeah I understand [the 49ers game] was a test, and that’s how I look at it: challenged myself to be better in many different ways, not just on the field, but damn sure on the field and in my game, but as well as my preparation and holding other guys accountable to their preparation,” Prescott said. “The weekly process has been better and guys are really dialed into the process.” 

Dallas offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer lauded his quarterback’s resolve and even-keel nature. 

“He never changes who he is,” Schottenheimer said this week. “After the biggest win, four touchdowns, one interception, when you see him, he’s not different than he was after the 49ers game. I think that speaks to his experience. It speaks to his confidence. There’s an inner calm about the guy.’’ 

On the Eagles’ side, there’s concern about their quarterback, Hurts, who’s been playing through a left knee injury. He toughed it out last week and threw for 319 yards and four TDs in an Eagles win over Washington. 

Hurts has gone out of his way to downplay the severity of the injury, telling reporters, “I told you guys I really don’t wanna speak on it anymore.” 

The Eagles are in the thick of the most difficult part of their schedule — playing the Chiefs, Bills and 49ers next before another game against the Cowboys. 

Hurts can use some help from a better running game, particularly with him running less as he protects his knee. Running back D’Andre Swift got off to a good start with a combined 305 yards over Weeks 2-3 against Minnesota and Tampa Bay, but he has just 263 yards over the past five games. The Eagles have failed to rush for 100 yards in three straight games, their longest drought since 2016.