But the biggest sign of optimism for the Eagles moving forward is the performance of their defense against the Redskins. After allowing 100 yards to opposing running backs in each of the first five games, the Eagles stuffed what had been a productive Redskins rushing attack to the tune of 28 yards combined for their running backs. And that wasn't all; after forcing only five turnovers total through five games, the Eagles hauled down four interceptions in Week 6. But against Washington, the Eagles feasted on a run-based offense. This week, they'll face the task of defending a Cowboys offense that is fourth in the league in passing.
As for those Cowboys, the silver lining to their 3-3 start is that it's not as bad as last season, when a team with Super Bowl expectations lost its first six games. Now, the Cowboys, like the Eagles, are very much in the thick of the division race. Also like the Eagles, the Cowboys have had trouble holding leads – they led in the fourth quarter of all three losses. While Tony Romo is more than comfortable running the offense through a talented trio of pass catchers in Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, he may have to do so even more with Felix Jones likely out of the matchup (though rookie DeMarco Murray certainly handled the running back mantle with aplomb when he set the franchise record for rushing yards in a game last week). The Cowboys defense, meanwhile, has been a revelation under new coordinator Rob Ryan. They rank first in the league in run defense, allowing just under 70 yards per game, and fifth in overall defense. An intimidating front seven that includes perennial standouts DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff and Anthony Spencer has taken another leap thanks in part to the emergence of Sean Lee, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Month for September. With the Cowboys expected to get a win at home against the St. Louis Rams, the Week 8 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field has all the makings of a crossing-roads game for both sides.
Last Time They Met:
January 2, 2011: Dallas 14, Eagles 13
After clinching the NFC East division title the previous week and finding themselves locked in to the third seed in the NFC playoff bracket, the Eagles decided to rest most of their starters during their regular season finale against Dallas. Even though the Eagles started four offensive linemen who are no longer with the team, put Trevard Lindley and Dimitri Patterson at the starting corner spots, and started Kevin Kolb and Jerome Harrison in the backfield, the Eagles still nearly beat the Cowboys, who, save for the injured Tony Romo, were at full strength. The Eagles, who were looking ahead to the following week's matchup with the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers, played less so to beat the Cowboys and more so to preserve their strength for week one of the playoffs. The win capped off a 6-10 season for Dallas.
When The Eagles Have The Ball:
It might surprise longtime followers of the Andy Reid Eagles to learn that the Eagles lead the entire NFL in rushing. Through six games, the Eagles are averaging 170.0 yards on the ground per game at a 5.67-per-rush clip, both of which are tops in the league. But when you consider that the Eagles have combined the preeminent rushing quarterback with a running back who has entered the conversation of best in the league, perhaps the Eagles' ground production shouldn't be so unexpected. In his third season, LeSean McCoy has been prolific all over the field. He's the first player in Eagles history to score a touchdown in the first six games of a season and he leads the NFL with 41 first downs, which have come on a, guess what, league-best 34.3 percent of his carries. And while Vick and McCoy deserve a lot of the credit for their ability to make defenders miss, kudos also goes to the offensive line, which, despite a rotating cast of characters, has done well in all facets of the game. In pass protection, where they ranked near the bottom of the league last season, the Eagles have allowed the quarterback to be sacked on only 4.15 percent of pass attempts, tied for fifth-best in the league. With DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin both off to hot starts once again, Vick has an array of weapons at his disposal virtually unmatched in the league – and he'll need them all firing on all cylinders against a very difficult Cowboys defense.
As mentioned above, the Cowboys sport the league's best run defense, creating a collision course of top units at Lincoln Financial Field. In their 3-4 defense, the Cowboys have one of the best nose tackles in the league in Pro Bowler Jay Ratliff, who has given the Eagles fits in recent years. He's sandwiched by Kenyon Coleman and Jason Hatcher, while Marcus Spears gets playing time as well. At linebacker, Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware form a frightening pass rush duo, while Sean Lee has emerged as a standout linebacker. As a result, the Cowboys have shut down the run – but they've yet to face anyone who presents the unique challenges that Vick and McCoy bring. In the secondary, there are few new faces but the level of play has stepped up under Ryan. Terrence Newman and Mike Jenkins start on the outside at cornerback with Orlando Scandrick coming in on nickel downs. Gerald Sensabaugh and Abram Elam form the safety tandem. One matchup to keep an eye on here is the Cowboys' defense of Jackson's deep speed. In 2009, when the Cowboys and Eagles met three times including the playoff, Jackson averaged a scant 2.3 catches for 26.3 yards. But that changed in 2010, when Jackson exploded for 210 receiving yards in his only game against the Cowboys. Be sure that all parties remember those matchups quite clearly.
When The Cowboys Have The Ball:
Meanwhile, the Cowboys offense has been almost as productive. Tony Romo and co. rank seventh in the league in yards per game (409.6) and yards per play (6.08), even though they've gotten little from the run game. The passing offense, though, ranks fourth in the league as Romo has connected with Jason Witten, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin among others. A reworked offensive line has done a solid job protecting Romo as they rank ninth in sacks-allowed-per-pass even with three new starters on the line. One of those starters, rookie left guard Bill Nagy, is lost for the season with an ankle injury though and will be replaced either by fellow rookie Kevin Kowalski or veteran Montrae Holland, who was signed recently. Where the Cowboys have struggled, however, is converting that yardage to points as they rank tied for 30th in red zone efficiency (the Eagles are 24th). While the Eagles' run game against the Cowboys' run defense was a matchup of the two top units, something will also have to give as the Cowboys' red-zone offense goes up against an Eagles' red-zone defense that stands 31st in the league.
The Eagles defense had also struggled in forcing turnovers until they lined up opposite interception-prone Rex Grossman in Week 6. They may once again have a chance to force some turnovers with Romo under center, as the Cowboys signal-caller has tossed six interceptions thus far. After a slight adjustment against the Redskins' zone-rushing scheme in which the strong-side defensive end played closer to the ball and the linebackers moved a bit closer to the line of scrimmage, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles defense attacks the Cowboys offense. After reclaiming a starting job at safety, Kurt Coleman notched three picks and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week while his partner Nate Allen continued his steady play. The Eagles defense would get an even further boost if Trent Cole returns from a calf injury. In 11 career games against the Cowboys, including playoffs, Cole has 5.0 sacks.
Key Matchups
OLB DeMarcus Ware vs. The Eagles' LT
Three different players have played left tackle for the Eagles over the last three games. Last week, it was Todd Herremans, who showcased his versatility and value to the Eagles as he seamlessly slid from right tackle to left tackle. The week before, King Dunlap stepped in and played one of his best games against the Buffalo Bills. The week before, and the three weeks before that, perennial Pro Bowler Jason Peters was the man for the job. The bye comes at a good time for the Eagles in part because it could allow Peters enough time to recover from the hamstring injury that kept him out of two games. All due respect to Herremans and Dunlap, but the team would be happy to welcome back Peters with Ware lining up on the other side. Ware is one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the league and is off to another hot start with 7.0 sacks through five games. Ware has victimized the Eagles to the tune of 11.5 sacks in 13 games, including playoffs.
WR Dez Bryant vs. Who?
One of the most interesting subplots to the game will be how defensive coordinator Juan Castillo employs his trio of Pro Bowl cornerbacks against the Cowboys. After Castillo said that he would like to allow Nnamdi Asomugha to play more right cornerback, would he still employ Asomugha against Jason Witten? Asante Samuel is likely to stay on his customary left side, but in, 6-2, 218, and Miles Austin, 6-2, 215, the Cowboys have two physically imposing pass-catchers who can stretch the field and make plays in the red zone. Meanwhile, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been dangerously close to an interception in two straight games and has said that he expects to get on the interception board soon.
Players To Watch:
TE Jason Witten
Since becoming a full-time starter in 2004, his second season, Witten ranks second in tight end receiving yards only to future-Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. The 6-foot-6 pass-catcher has posted four seasons with 1,000 yards receiving in his eight full NFL seasons. This year, he's on pace for 99 receptions and 1,325 yards, both of which would be career highs. The former Tennessee standout has caught more passes (87), racked up more yards (1,026), and has posted more touchdowns (seven) in his career against the Eagles than against any other team in the NFL. The Eagles will have their hands full Sunday night, when Witten, and the Cowboys' fourth-ranked passing attack, comes to town.
Sean Lee
Drafted in the second round of the 2010 Draft, Lee is quickly making a name for himself as one of the best young linebackers in the league. He was named the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month in September of this year, after picking off two passes and making 31 tackles in the first three weeks of the season. However, the former Penn State Nittany Lion was not a hit right off the bat. In fact, in his rookie season, the 245-pound inside linebacker struggled to get on the field, playing only 22 percent of the team's defensive snaps in the 13 games in which he was activated. This season, however, is a different story. Lee has started each of the Cowboys' five games this season; he's been on the field for 93 percent of the team's defensive snaps, missing only two in the last three weeks combined. Lee is making the most of his opportunities in Rob Ryan's defense, leading the Cowboys in tackles with 47 and picking off three balls so. Lee's outstanding athleticism will be tested when he lines up across from the explosive Eagles offense next Sunday night.
