NewsBot
New Member
- Messages
- 111,281
- Reaction score
- 2,947
But what the Dallas Cowboys (8-3) are facing this week borders on the impossible.
They must get ready in three days, following a Sunday night affair against the New York Giants and a short week of practice before Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Eagles (8-3) for sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
It's hard enough trying to prepare for Kelly's fast-break offense during a regular week. The Cowboys must do so in a short week without being able to simulate the tempo in practice because they are not having any full-speed workouts this week.
"We don't get to get the look of how fast it’s going to be," defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford said. "We know. We watch film and try to get the feel that way. It's more difficult on a short week. We know we have to communicate and have our calls ready."
Not only will the Cowboys not get the normal look from the scout team, but they won't get as much film study as normal. The onus is on the individual players to get prepared and hone in on their assignments and alignments.
The key for the Cowboys is to communicate and stay disciplined.
“It’s mental at this point in your season,” cornerback Brandon Carr said. “We are going to do what we do best. We are going to do our thing. We know what we do. We have to execute. With that tempo, it’s very easy for defenses to lose focus, assignment and alignment keys. Each play you have to regroup and lock in. A defense has to stay focused and disciplined for four quarters, and that’s where they get you. That’s where they get plays with a blown coverage or alignment error.”
And because the Eagles have game-breakers in the backfield with running backs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, and at receiver with Jeremy Maclin, a blown coverage or assignment error can easily turn into a touchdown.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the Eagles have great players, but it’s the tempo that “really gets you.”
The Eagles run roughly 71 plays a game at a breakneck pace of about 14 seconds between plays in a scheme that has taken the league by storm since Kelly brought the college-style offense from Oregon last season.
Jason Garrett of Chip Kellys fast-paced offense “It certainly challenges you. Its different than what the NFL has seen for a number of years
— Sportsfeedia.com (@sportsfeedia) November 26, 2014
The Cowboys will have the scout team work with multiple huddles in practice to get plays off quickly, but again it will be tough to simulate with walk-through practices in a short week.
“Again, it’s the tempo between plays, so we try to simulate that,” Garrett said. “It is a different week for us, but we try our best to simulate that type of tempo even though we’re not running the plays full speed with our pads on in a real physical style of practice.
“But it challenges you, that tempo is something where you have to make sure everybody is on the same page. You have to make sure you’re able to keep up with that pace and get lined up and play the right kind of defense."
The Cowboys are able to fall back on the success they had last season, winning 17-3 at Philadelphia before dropping a 24-22 battle at AT&T Stadium in the season final. The Eagles averaged 417.3 yards per game last year but only 322 in two games against the Cowboys. They gained just 278 yards on 75 plays in the loss.
While the Eagles challenge defenses to get lined up quickly, the key to success remains the same. The Cowboys must stop the run and make the Eagles one-dimensional. They have to limit big plays and play a physical brand of football.
“We have to stop the run first and limit their play-action passing game,” cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. “That’s how they get you on your heels. When you are on the attack you are stopping the run, and when you are stopping the run we know they have to pass and it’s a little easier to handle. We are going to have to be on our assignments. We are going to have to keep the big play off of us. We are going to have to tackle.
“When you have a shifty running back like [LeSean McCoy] and group of fast receivers, you have to be physical with them,” Scandrick added. “We have to be the most physical team Thursday. This is the third time we have played them. We are going to do what we do.”
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...