Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys Playoff Preview

The Philadelphia Eagles arrived in Dallas yesterday for Saturday night's prime time rematch after being dominated by the Cowboys in a battle for the NFC Eastern Division crown. Sunday night's loss afforded coaches and players precious little time to figure out what went wrong and then to formulate a new plan aimed at gaining a different outcome.

Eagles fans hope that Andy Reid and crew are a quick study as just about everything went wrong last weekend. They also hope to see a radically different game plan because more of the same would not seem to have any shot at getting it done.

This is true, but Reid will also bank on getting much better execution from the players. The most glaring tactical errors and likely changes will be on defense where the Eagles turned soft in the previous game. Contrary to the trademark approach of his mentor, the late Jim Johnson, rookie Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott chose to back off blitzing and press coverage.

Although every Cowboy, football analyst and schooled fan anticipates a major reversal with the Eagles returning to the attacking style that has made them one of the top defensive units in the NFL over the past decade, predictability is okay. This presents the team's best chance at shutting down the potent Cowboys offense. McDermott learned last week that its not about trying to outsmart your opponent, but rather staying true to the personality of your team.

Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo is playing some of the best football of his career, but still has yet to prove himself in the post season. McDermott and Reid know that keeping pressure on him with a full array of stunts and blitzes forces him to get the ball out quickly, creates the opportunity for mistakes, wears him down and potentially preys on that little voice of self doubt.

Last week, Marion Barber and Felix Jones alternated running through gaping holes blown open by their offensive line. And, Jason Witten continuously found wide open spaces in the middle of the field by exploiting seams in zone coverage and getting free breaks off the line. Better execution and intensity, including linebackers better fulfilling their assignments and jamming Witten at the line will be essential.

Once Dallas got the running game and Witten going, it opened things up for Miles Austin. He did the most damage when Asante Samuel tried to jump a route and did not quite get there. McDermott does not want reckless gambling, but creating turnovers is Samuel's forte and the team hopes for him to snare a Romo pass or two tonight. Another key to limiting Austin will be wrapping him up when he has the ball as he is one of the NFL's best at gaining yardage after the catch.

A goose egg in the last meeting suggests substantial changes may be in order for the Eagles offense, but that is not likely. The team lit up the scoreboard over the first 15 weeks, so the focus will be more on fundamentals such as blocking, making proper adjustments and receivers looking balls into their hands.

The Cowboys defense has been one of the best in the NFL at stopping the run, so expect the Eagles to rely heavily on the passing game as usual, but give some more carries to Brian Westbrook. Michael Vick and the Wildcat will likely make their return to give Dallas something else to think about.

Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg knows the Eagles' bread and butter is its passing game. Like McDermott, he will chose to play the team's strengths versus do something out of character. Look for them to do a better job with their signature screen game, spread the ball around to its talented arsenal of receivers and connect on a couple shots down the field.

Keys to the Game

Cowboys

1. Contain Jackson again
2. Heavy pass rush to limit McNabb's ability to get the ball down field
3. Romo avoids turnovers and keeps composure
4. Win the battle of field position
5. Play away from strengths of Eagles defensive personnel on field
6. Do not lose turnover battle

Eagles

1. Good start
2. Maintain positive body language and attitude
3. Offensive line needs to better protect McNabb
4. Westbrook ignites the running game and screen game
5. Jackson breaks out after being shut down in first 2 games
6. Defense limits Dallas rushing attack
7. Pressure Romo into misfires and to wear him down
8. Jam Witten to disrupt timing and limit production
9. McNabb needs to forget about the added pressure from media

Prediction

The Eagles will return to the style of play on defense that has helped make them a perennial winner over the past decade and the offense will get back on track. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are filled with confidence and will continue to play well. Expect the Eagles to disrupt Romo and pick off a couple passes. Also, the offense will resume rolling up yards and points through a diversified air attack. I am going against the nagging memory of Eagles seasons ending in disappointment and the overwhelming consensus after last week's blowout for one reason. The Eagles have more playmakers on both sides of the ball and this will show through the third time around.

Eagles 27

Cowboys 24

Eagles Waste Valuable Time Against Cowboys

In a game that neither offense could get untracked, some bad decisions ended up costing the Eagles the game and first place in the NFC East. A few of those decisions were on the Eagles and one was on the officiating crew, but all led to Dallas taking control of the game in the 4th quarter and time running out on the Eagles.

The Eagles squandered their time outs in the second half through their own actions and what appeared to be a bad decision by the officials, then compounded it all with a highly questionable decision to kick a late game field goal and hope to get the ball back. First, the Eagles had to burn a timeout when they wasted time shuffling Donovan McNabb back onto the field to replace Mildcat QB Michael Vick, who came in the game to hand off for a 3-yard gain.

Later, Andy Reid unsuccessfully challenged a third down spot on a pass reception by LeSean McCoy that appeared to have little chance of getting overturned. And, he lost his third timeout challenging a 4th down spot that appeared should have been changed to give the Eagles a first down. Unfortunately, Head Umpire Walt Coleman seemed more intent on backing up his crew than getting the call right, and the Eagles lost both the ball and their final timeout.

This proved to be very costly as the Cowboys promptly scored on a 49 yard pass to Miles Austin to take a 20-13 lead. On the ensuing drive, the Eagles moved the ball to the Dallas 33, but after a one yard loss on a sack, they faced a fourth and 11 with 4:36 left in the game. Rather than go for a first down, Reid surprisingly elected to kick a 52-yard field goal that left them still needing a touchdown. They kicked off and never got the ball back.

The Eagles showed none of the explosiveness that they have displayed throughout the season. The Cowboys kept DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin under wraps all night, with the team's only long play being a 45 yard screen pass to McCoy. The other big play was an Ellis Hobbs 96 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half, but it was nullified by a penalty.

Once again, the Eagles could not attain any consistency on offense and the Wildcat proved to be a detraction. The formation continues to disrupt the Eagles offense, gains a miniscule amount of yardage and last night cost them a valuable time out. Vick shows little in the way of speed, elusiveness or passing ability. It would seem well past the time for the team to acknowledge their error and keep Vick on the sideline as the emergency quarterback.

The Eagles find themselves once again at 5-3 at mid-season. The big play capabilities in all phases of the game tend to make this look like it is underperforming their potential, but perhaps that is an illusion. They now leave the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field, playing 4 of the next 5 games on the road against teams with winning records.

I'm just saying.....

A weekly collection of random thoughts and observations for you to consider.

• As crazy as it sounds, and as much as Brett Myers wouldn't want to hear it, the uproar over Cliff Lee pinch running probably led to him being left off the NLCS roster.
• Cole Hamels histrionics after some misplays in the field can be insidiously damaging to a team and reminds you that he is still very young. His comments suggest that he does not understand the import of eliminating this from his repertoire, so it is critical for Charlie, Chase or Jimmy to remind him how uncool it is and that it has got to change. I wonder how Cole would react to Rollins or Utley throwing their hands in the air when he surrenders a home run or issues a walk?
• Does the Jumbotron in Dallas display "Yeh, baby!" when the Cowboys new found star receiver makes a big play?
• Is that a mullet under the cap of Troy Tulowitzki?
• What"s up with Craig Sager standing next to Jimmy Rollins in the batting circle prior to Game 1 while delivering a somewhat unflattering portrayal of batting discipline? Nothing worse than a tactless, smarmy, smart aleck to match his attire.
• Watching Joe Torre lumber to the mound seemingly weighed down by gravity and the embarrassment of wearing a uniform designed for young athletes makes me wonder about the purpose of such a ritual anyway? Why does baseball require a reluctant manager to make a slow trek to the mound every time he wants to change pitchers?