Malik Hooker was put in a tight spot as major sportsbooks place the Philadelphia Eagles as favorites to win the 2024 NFC East title. This projection came a year after the Dallas Cowboys won the division by one game, earning them the second seed in last season’s playoffs.
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On one end, Hooker is from New Castle, Pennsylvania, a six-hour drive from Philadelphia. Conversely, he plays safety for the Cowboys, and there’s no love lost between the two teams.
Hooker questioned those betting odds by keeping score, saying that they’ve won four of their last six meetings with the Eagles. But while his loyalty is with the Cowboys, the defensive back from Ohio State doesn’t hate the Eagles. Instead, he applauds their discipline, especially during clutch moments, when he spoke on ‘All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson.’
“I’m not one of those guys that’s an Eagles hater. I’m from PA. I can’t be that. But at the same time, you gotta be honest. They were just more the disciplined team these last couple of years when it came down to crucial moments like their dogs step up and make plays when they’re supposed to.”
The Eagles have been the better team lately. Their discipline led to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. But at least for last season, the Cowboys were the ones trending up. Dallas won their last two regular-season games to earn the number two seed in the NFC playoffs. Meanwhile, the Eagles lost six of their last seven games, including their Wild Card Round defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But sportsbooks favor the Eagles because of their offseason activity. They signed Saquon Barkley and Bryce Huff while giving DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown contract extensions. Conversely, Eric Kendricks and Ezekiel Elliott are the Cowboys’ most notable free-agent signings. Worst yet, Dallas lost Tony Pollard, Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, and Dorance Armstrong in free agency.
Malik Hooker Believes Fleeting Consistency Has Been the Cowboys’ Issue
Coming up short in the playoffs has been a prevailing theme during the Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy era. Those bitter defeats, like last season’s Wild Card Round loss at home against the Green Bay Packers, render their spectacular regular season worthless.
Malik Hooker pointed out that concern in the context of their 2023 Week 9 road game against the Eagles.
“I feel like in a lot of games, and I’m not singling nobody out, but myself included, when it comes down to two-minute drives like last year when we played them at Philly, and we needed a play from the defense, and we folded.”
Likewise, the Cowboys’ offense had two opportunities to score the game-winning touchdown. On the first try, they turned the ball over on downs after Dak Prescott threw an incomplete pass to Jalen Tolbert on fourth-and-8 from the Eagles’ 29-yard line. In their next drive, CeeDee Lamb fumbled the ball.
If Malik Hooker and the Cowboys are to win their first Super Bowl title since 1995, they must remain at their best against challenging opposition. But games are won and lost on the football field, and the Cowboys can prove they have the better team.
However, they must prepare for more than just the Eagles because their regular season schedule features seven teams that fought the 2023 playoffs.
