Reality
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I wanted to throw out a few things to think about before and after tonight's game with the Eagles.
First, this is a game the Cowboys should win. Not because they are Super Bowl bound or because it's "our Cowboys" .. but because they have the better and more balanced team. That being said, this is not a must-win game for the Cowboys no matter what anyone says. If the Cowboys lose, they are one game out of first and are a win over the Giants away from first place again. The only must-win game the Cowboys have left this year is against the Commanders and that is only if they maintain a record near the Cowboys. The only reason that is a must-win game is to make sure of a split since they lost the first game. This game, however, is a must-win game for the Eagles. A loss tonight would give them an 0-3 record against division opponents and a 4-5 record overall. So, if things don't go well tonight, please don't lose your heads and flood the site with posts over who should be fired and/or the season's over, because it won't be.
Tonight's game will be emotional for the Eagles because they are trying to convince themselves they can win without T.O. To me, this is no different than an eternal pessimist trying to convince themselves things will go well by telling everyone that everything will be okay. Confident (aka: optimistic) people believe it will happen and have no need to say it. While the Eagles are upbeat and looking forward to tonight's game, in the back of their minds they have to be waiting for that inevitable "here we go again" event to happen. So, I look for the Eagles to come out strong filled with emotions and their fans to be really loud. However, if the Cowboys can score early and take the lead, I expect the Eagles emotion to deflate and McNabb's passing accuracy to disappear.
As for the game plan .. I suspect Parcells will start Barber for multiple reasons. First, Barber has been playing and he knows what he has there. However, I feel the biggest reason is that the Eagles will be on an emotional high at the beginning of most games and will be looking to celebrate shutting down the Cowboys offense right from the start. By bringing Julius in later in the game, Parcells is not only bringing in fresh legs, he's letting Julius avoid the hard emotionally driven hits the Eagles defensive players are sure to give the Cowboys offense during the first couple of series.
Another reason I expect Barber to start is that he is more reliable at catching passes than Julius. If the Eagles bring the house like I expect early in the game, swing passes to Barber will be the perfect counter attack.
While I don't expect a blow out game like the first one between these two teams, I do expect Parcells to come out with Bledsoe passing the ball several times even if on swing passes, quick slants to the receivers and passes over the middle to Witten. They should also take a few shots down the field to get the Eagles defense on their heals a little.
The key for the Cowboys is to get the Eagles out of their blitzing schemes. If the Cowboys can stop them from blitzing either by burning them deep or by breaking several 10-20 yard plays, the game will dramatically shift toward the Cowboys' favor.
So, remember, the Cowboys are still in the playoff hunt even if they lose, but I predict the Cowboys will win by at least 7 points tonight.
That being said, if Parcells calls horizontal plays inside the red zone, I reserve the right to go ballistic
First, this is a game the Cowboys should win. Not because they are Super Bowl bound or because it's "our Cowboys" .. but because they have the better and more balanced team. That being said, this is not a must-win game for the Cowboys no matter what anyone says. If the Cowboys lose, they are one game out of first and are a win over the Giants away from first place again. The only must-win game the Cowboys have left this year is against the Commanders and that is only if they maintain a record near the Cowboys. The only reason that is a must-win game is to make sure of a split since they lost the first game. This game, however, is a must-win game for the Eagles. A loss tonight would give them an 0-3 record against division opponents and a 4-5 record overall. So, if things don't go well tonight, please don't lose your heads and flood the site with posts over who should be fired and/or the season's over, because it won't be.
Tonight's game will be emotional for the Eagles because they are trying to convince themselves they can win without T.O. To me, this is no different than an eternal pessimist trying to convince themselves things will go well by telling everyone that everything will be okay. Confident (aka: optimistic) people believe it will happen and have no need to say it. While the Eagles are upbeat and looking forward to tonight's game, in the back of their minds they have to be waiting for that inevitable "here we go again" event to happen. So, I look for the Eagles to come out strong filled with emotions and their fans to be really loud. However, if the Cowboys can score early and take the lead, I expect the Eagles emotion to deflate and McNabb's passing accuracy to disappear.
As for the game plan .. I suspect Parcells will start Barber for multiple reasons. First, Barber has been playing and he knows what he has there. However, I feel the biggest reason is that the Eagles will be on an emotional high at the beginning of most games and will be looking to celebrate shutting down the Cowboys offense right from the start. By bringing Julius in later in the game, Parcells is not only bringing in fresh legs, he's letting Julius avoid the hard emotionally driven hits the Eagles defensive players are sure to give the Cowboys offense during the first couple of series.
Another reason I expect Barber to start is that he is more reliable at catching passes than Julius. If the Eagles bring the house like I expect early in the game, swing passes to Barber will be the perfect counter attack.
While I don't expect a blow out game like the first one between these two teams, I do expect Parcells to come out with Bledsoe passing the ball several times even if on swing passes, quick slants to the receivers and passes over the middle to Witten. They should also take a few shots down the field to get the Eagles defense on their heals a little.
The key for the Cowboys is to get the Eagles out of their blitzing schemes. If the Cowboys can stop them from blitzing either by burning them deep or by breaking several 10-20 yard plays, the game will dramatically shift toward the Cowboys' favor.
So, remember, the Cowboys are still in the playoff hunt even if they lose, but I predict the Cowboys will win by at least 7 points tonight.
That being said, if Parcells calls horizontal plays inside the red zone, I reserve the right to go ballistic
