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Why To Watch
By Jean-Jacques Taylor & Geoff Mosher
For Sporting News
This is a matchup between the two NFC teams that turned in the most impressive performances in Week 1. Dallas thumped Cleveland, 28-10, and Philadelphia routed St. Louis, 38-3. The winner gets an immediate edge in the NFC East, although the game obviously is a bit bigger for Dallas than Philadelphia because it's a home game for the Cowboys.
Philadelphia beat Dallas at Texas Stadium last December, so the Eagles should have no fear of the road. Besides, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said in training camp that the road to the NFC East still goes through Philadelphia.
This is a terrific matchup featuring offensive star power on both sides. There's McNabb vs. Tony Romo. Brian Westbrook vs. Marion Barber. Asante Samuel vs. Terence Newman.
McNabb passed for almost 400 yards last week, although he was missing his top two receivers. Still, Philadelphia had three 100-yard receivers and rookie DeSean Jackson was impressive with 106 yards receiving and a 60-yard punt return. The Cowboys spent the offseason improving their secondary, so it'll be interesting to see how Dallas matches up when the Eagles use three- and four-receiver formations.
Eagles Keys For Success
1. Protect McNabb. Thanks to great protection from his bookend offensive tackles, McNabb dissected the Rams' secondary for 361 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys aren't the Rams. They have more pass-rush weapons and a much better defense overall. The Cowboys will come from every direction, and the Eagles' linemen can't have missed assignments. The team has struggled recently against 3-4 defenses.
2. Harass Romo. Defensive priority No. 1 is pressuring Romo, whose track record shows he'll make a bad passes when his feet aren't set and when the defense is barreling down. Romo is quick and elusive, though, so the Eagles' defensive ends must keep him contained and make him hurry throws from the pocket. Hitting Romo early and often will help the Eagles in the turnover battle.
3. Take the crowd out. Texas Stadium is a noisy, imposing arena for any game. Now take into account that this will be the final home opener before the Cowboys move into a new home next season -- and it's on Monday night. Taking an early lead would really help limit the crowd interference. The Eagles can't have their three critical rookies -- Jackson, kick returner Quintin Demps and defensive tackle Trevor Laws -- overwhelmed the by atmosphere.
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Intercept McNabb. The problem, of course, is that McNabb is one of the best in NFL history at protecting the ball. McNabb has 174 career touchdown passes and only 79 interceptions. The Cowboys did not intercept a pass in the opener and didn't generate consistent pressure on the Browns' Derek Anderson. They must rush the passer better this week.
2. Control Westbrook. The Eagles put the ball in Westbrook's hands as a runner and receiver. Dallas must limit his big plays by making tackling well, especially in the open field, and swarming the ball. Kevin Burnett and Bobby Carpenter are the Cowboys' best linebackers in coverage, so they might see more playing time this week.
3. Hit big plays. The Cowboys had 21 plays of 10-plus yards against Cleveland, including five of 20-plus yards. Philadelphia's aggressive, blitzing style will create opportunities for the Cowboys to hit big plays Monday night. It's unlikely they'll hit that figure again, but Dallas has a quick-strike offense that thrives on getting the ball in the hands of their playmakers.
Injuries at a glance
Eagles injuries
Updated Player
Pos. Injury
Status
9/8/08 Kevin Curtis WR Hernia Could be back before Week 7
9/8/08 Reggie Brown WR Hamstring Day to day
8/30/08 King Dunlap T Ankle IR
8/30/08 Mike Gibson G Shoulder IR
5/27/08 Jack Ikegwuonu DB Knee Will miss 2008 season
12/27/07 Omar Gaither LB Quad Status uncertain Week 17
12/27/07 Brian Westbrook RB Knee Probable for Week 17
12/27/07 L.J. Smith TE Knee Doubtful Week 17
Cowboys injuries
Updated Player
Pos. Injury
Status
8/31/08 Sam Hurd WR Ankle Possible week 2 return
9/7/08 Terence Newman CB Groin Questionable for Week 1
8/23/08 Kyle Kosier G Right foot Out for six weeks
9/1/08 Anthony Spencer LB Knee Out 2-4 weeks
8/17/08 Miles Austin WR Knee sprain Out 4-6 weeks
7/25/08 Terry Glenn WR Knee Could play Week 17
1/11/08 Terrell Owens WR Ankle Likely out Week 17
ยป Full injury report
The Bottom Line
In a matchup of two high-powered offenses, the team that plays the best defense usually wins. The Cowboys have depth on the defensive line, allowing them to rotate six players, and probably will get Newman back this week. He missed the preseason and the first week with a strained groin.
Philadelphia's secondary is its strength with safety Brian Dawkins and three quality cornerbacks, which might mean the Cowboys will let Barber and Felix Jones do the heavy lifting.
Pick: Cowboys 27, Eagles 24
By Jean-Jacques Taylor & Geoff Mosher
For Sporting News
This is a matchup between the two NFC teams that turned in the most impressive performances in Week 1. Dallas thumped Cleveland, 28-10, and Philadelphia routed St. Louis, 38-3. The winner gets an immediate edge in the NFC East, although the game obviously is a bit bigger for Dallas than Philadelphia because it's a home game for the Cowboys.
Philadelphia beat Dallas at Texas Stadium last December, so the Eagles should have no fear of the road. Besides, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said in training camp that the road to the NFC East still goes through Philadelphia.
This is a terrific matchup featuring offensive star power on both sides. There's McNabb vs. Tony Romo. Brian Westbrook vs. Marion Barber. Asante Samuel vs. Terence Newman.
McNabb passed for almost 400 yards last week, although he was missing his top two receivers. Still, Philadelphia had three 100-yard receivers and rookie DeSean Jackson was impressive with 106 yards receiving and a 60-yard punt return. The Cowboys spent the offseason improving their secondary, so it'll be interesting to see how Dallas matches up when the Eagles use three- and four-receiver formations.
Eagles Keys For Success
1. Protect McNabb. Thanks to great protection from his bookend offensive tackles, McNabb dissected the Rams' secondary for 361 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys aren't the Rams. They have more pass-rush weapons and a much better defense overall. The Cowboys will come from every direction, and the Eagles' linemen can't have missed assignments. The team has struggled recently against 3-4 defenses.
2. Harass Romo. Defensive priority No. 1 is pressuring Romo, whose track record shows he'll make a bad passes when his feet aren't set and when the defense is barreling down. Romo is quick and elusive, though, so the Eagles' defensive ends must keep him contained and make him hurry throws from the pocket. Hitting Romo early and often will help the Eagles in the turnover battle.
3. Take the crowd out. Texas Stadium is a noisy, imposing arena for any game. Now take into account that this will be the final home opener before the Cowboys move into a new home next season -- and it's on Monday night. Taking an early lead would really help limit the crowd interference. The Eagles can't have their three critical rookies -- Jackson, kick returner Quintin Demps and defensive tackle Trevor Laws -- overwhelmed the by atmosphere.
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Intercept McNabb. The problem, of course, is that McNabb is one of the best in NFL history at protecting the ball. McNabb has 174 career touchdown passes and only 79 interceptions. The Cowboys did not intercept a pass in the opener and didn't generate consistent pressure on the Browns' Derek Anderson. They must rush the passer better this week.
2. Control Westbrook. The Eagles put the ball in Westbrook's hands as a runner and receiver. Dallas must limit his big plays by making tackling well, especially in the open field, and swarming the ball. Kevin Burnett and Bobby Carpenter are the Cowboys' best linebackers in coverage, so they might see more playing time this week.
3. Hit big plays. The Cowboys had 21 plays of 10-plus yards against Cleveland, including five of 20-plus yards. Philadelphia's aggressive, blitzing style will create opportunities for the Cowboys to hit big plays Monday night. It's unlikely they'll hit that figure again, but Dallas has a quick-strike offense that thrives on getting the ball in the hands of their playmakers.
Injuries at a glance
Eagles injuries
Updated Player
Pos. Injury
Status
9/8/08 Kevin Curtis WR Hernia Could be back before Week 7
9/8/08 Reggie Brown WR Hamstring Day to day
8/30/08 King Dunlap T Ankle IR
8/30/08 Mike Gibson G Shoulder IR
5/27/08 Jack Ikegwuonu DB Knee Will miss 2008 season
12/27/07 Omar Gaither LB Quad Status uncertain Week 17
12/27/07 Brian Westbrook RB Knee Probable for Week 17
12/27/07 L.J. Smith TE Knee Doubtful Week 17
Cowboys injuries
Updated Player
Pos. Injury
Status
8/31/08 Sam Hurd WR Ankle Possible week 2 return
9/7/08 Terence Newman CB Groin Questionable for Week 1
8/23/08 Kyle Kosier G Right foot Out for six weeks
9/1/08 Anthony Spencer LB Knee Out 2-4 weeks
8/17/08 Miles Austin WR Knee sprain Out 4-6 weeks
7/25/08 Terry Glenn WR Knee Could play Week 17
1/11/08 Terrell Owens WR Ankle Likely out Week 17
ยป Full injury report
The Bottom Line
In a matchup of two high-powered offenses, the team that plays the best defense usually wins. The Cowboys have depth on the defensive line, allowing them to rotate six players, and probably will get Newman back this week. He missed the preseason and the first week with a strained groin.
Philadelphia's secondary is its strength with safety Brian Dawkins and three quality cornerbacks, which might mean the Cowboys will let Barber and Felix Jones do the heavy lifting.
Pick: Cowboys 27, Eagles 24
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