Dallas, TX
Change In Eagles’ Red-Zone Philosophy Opens Opportunities For Dallas Goedert
PHILADELPHIA – It was evident in July and August that Dallas Goedert was going to be a big part of the Eagles’ offense in the red zone. It felt that way most summers, but this time, with first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo in place, the Eagles are dialing up plays for the tight end.
“I think when I get a ball in my hand down there, I’m tough to tackle, I can find my way in, fight my way in,” said Goedert. “It’s just that our red-zone philosophy has changed a bit. We used to run a lot, a lot of quarterback sneaks, things like that down there. We’ve tried to find ways to get me the ball, which is really cool, and I’m gonna keep trying to make them work.”
So far, Goedert has nine touchdown catches. According to NFL Research, five of his touchdowns were thrown behind the line of scrimmage this season, the most by a non-running back in the Next Gen era.
“He’s such a physical guy,” said Patullo. “His determination to just get yards and have an impact on anything, whether it’s in the pass game, whether it’s gadgets, whatever it may be. He’s really dynamic with the ball in his hands. So anytime you can get the ball in his hands, obviously, that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
However, the touchdown math didn’t add up for Goedert. He thought eight was the magic number to break the record for most TD catches by a tight end in franchise history, owned by Pete Retzlaff, but Retzlaff had 10 in 1965, meaning Goedert needs one more to break that dusty, 60-year-old mark.
“I thought it was eight, but I was wrong, so I thought I already had it,” he said.
Reminded that he would have had it already had he not dropped a wide-open throw to him in the end zone on Sunday, which would have given him a career-high three in one game, he winced, then answered.
“Yeah, scars right there,” he said. “That one hurts.”
Dallas Goedert Has Eye On Record
With three games left, and with his heavy involvement in the red zone, it is reasonable to expect that the record will at least be tied, perhaps even broken.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “Anytime you can break a record, obviously things are going well for you. Obviously, winning is the most important thing and I want to do whatever I can to help win. If they’re giving me the ball down there, I’m gonna try to score. It would be a cool thing to have.”
Goedert’s production in the low red zone is a reason the Eagles lead the NFL in red-zone success, converting close to 70 percent of their trips (25-for-36) inside the 20 into touchdowns. The tight end has nine of those 25 red-zone TDs.
“We’ve had different things for me in the red zone throughout my career here, a lot of them just haven’t got called,” said Goedert. “Once they started calling them, I tried to make sure they worked so they could keep designing and calling other ones. Any time you go in the huddle and hear that play, knowing you have the opportunity to get in the end zone, it gets you kind of excited, for sure.”
Nore NFL: Eagles’ Backup Staying Patient, Takes First-Team Practice Reps
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
FOX 4’s Clarice Tinsley celebrates the following members of the Class of 2026: Zavion Berry, Demi Glenn, Peyton Jankowski, Brynnah Stone, Bailee Swilling and Caroline Woahloe.
The Dallas Cowboys’ goal of having a bounce-back season in 2026 after missing out on the NFL playoffs for two consecutive years begins on Monday, June 1, with the start of organized team activities (OTAs).
OTAs are voluntary, so the whole squad will not be on the field when the team returns to The Star on Monday afternoon, but it’s our first look at the veteran players coming together with the impressive 2026 rookie class to begin preparations for the new year.
Dallas completely revamped its defense in the offseason after firing defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hiring Christian Parker away from the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, so there will be plenty of attention on the defensive rebuild.
One of the players who will have all eyes on them when OTAs kick off is first-round pick Caleb Downs, who made a positive impression during rookie minicamp. Downs impressed the Cowboys front office, coaching staff, and star players with his poise during his first camp as a rookie, and the hope is that he can develop into the defensive leader that Parker needs on the roster.
There will also be plenty of positional battles to watch, from determining who will start at EDGE, linebacker, and even a heated competition in the team’s loaded tight end room, so there is plenty for fans to look forward to as the team ramps up its offseason program.
When will the players be strapping up their helmets for OTAs and minicamp over the next few weeks?
A full look at the schedule for the Cowboys’ offseason program and preseason can be seen below.
2026 Cowboys Offseason Program: OTAs & Mandatory Minicamp Dates
OTAs
Session 1: Monday, June 1
Session 2: Tuesday, June 2
Session 3: Thursday, June 4
Session 4: Monday, June 8
Session 5: Tuesday, June 9
Session 6: Thursday, June 11
Mandatory Minicamp: Thursday, June 16 through Saturday, June 20
Training Camp: Dates TBD
Dallas Cowboys Preseason Schedule
Week 1 – Saturday, August 15, 8:00 p.m. ET: at Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington
Week 2 – Saturday, August 22, 9:00 p.m. ET: at Arizona Cardinals | State Farm Stadium | Phoenix, Arizona
Week 3, Friday, August 28, 7:00 p.m. ET: New Orleans Saints | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas
— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Lifestyle12 minutes agoVideo: The Fashion References in ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
-
Education15 minutes agoVideo: Are These Portable Fans Worth It?
-
Technology20 minutes agoThe best Switch 2 screen protector you should buy
-
World27 minutes agoFireworks reportedly trigger mass horse stampede through Rome streets, injuring several soldiers
-
Politics30 minutes agoSEE IT: LA voters split on Pratt’s mayoral bid as one issue dominates Election Day
-
Health35 minutes agoCould cancer vaccines be next? New treatment cuts melanoma risk by nearly 50%
-
Sports42 minutes agoNaomi Osaka offers uninspiring response about her mindset following French Open loss to Aryna Sabalenka
-
Technology45 minutes agoIdentity theft rarely announces itself: 6 signs you missed
