Has anyone seen anybody picking us to win this game!

[scottsp]

Emotions will only matter the first few minutes, either way. Then normal elements take control. What happened in early October at Texas Stadium will not have anything to do with what goes on Monday night. If we don't execute well, we will lose. Same for the Eagles.

 

[jazzcat22]

Yeah, I've noticed that. Everyone lists all the problems the Eagles have, how they were dominated in the first game, how Parcells has had two weeks to gameplan . . . then they pick the Eagles to win . . . :blind:

Just goes to show you...everyone out there are idiots...except the patrons of this board.

 

[AsthmaField]

I disagree that we're better.

We'll have a Julius Jones coming off an injury, Anthony Henry may be limited, Flozell's out, we have a rookie kicker, no Patrick Crayton......the list goes on.

They're a worse team than we played earlier....sure....but so are we....

I always like your opinions Bizwah, but this time, I have to disagree. I don't think that we're a worse team than when we played the Eagles earlier. For that matter, I'm not sure that I agree that the Eagles are a worse team either.

We have so many young guys that you can literally see them improving week to week. Ware is more solid in coverage and against the run. Spears is starting to get his NFL legs under him. Canty is improving. Petitti, Barber, Burnett, etc... they're all gaining understanding by the day and playing within the system better and better.

Young guys like James, Shanle, Keith Davis, and others are continuing to grow as well. Even the Free Agents like Ferguson, Fujita (trade), and Rivera are still fitting in and improving each week.

Heck, even Bledsoe should be getting better still as he continues to adjust to a new team, new recievers and a new scheme.

You put that all in together and as I've said all along, they should be playing much, much better in the second half of the season. And sure enough, we've been seeing improvement week by week.

Also, if you consider the bye week, that should help as well. I know that isn't a part of the team like a specific player, but rest and extra work on a foe can make you a better team than you would've been without the additional time off.

Yes, we have lost Flozell, Henry (may be limited Monday) and Crayton, but we have Dat when we didn't against them in the first game (I think). We'll also have Julius for two halfs instead of just 1, and Peerless Price when we didn't use him the first time.

If Tucker wasn't doing such a good job, I might be inclined to agree that we're a worse team... even with the improved young guys... but Tucker is playing darn near as well as Flo.

And, like I said, I'm not sure Philly isn't better off now than then.

True, they might be better off without TO... but the real improvement will come from McNabb's increased mobility. Playing a stationary McNabb and playing a mobile McNabb are two entirely different things and I hope we're able to contain him.

So, with a more healthy McNabb and better team chemistry, the Eagles might just be much better off than the last time we saw them.

 

[vicjagger]

Rafael Vela picked the Cowboys!!

 

[morasp]

Can the Dallas Cowboys make it a season sweep of the Philadelphia Eagles?

The Eagles tend to thrive with the electricity generated by Monday Night Football in the City of Brotherly Love.

But not this time.

Although the game likely will be much closer than the Cowboys' lopsided Week 5 victory over Philadelphia, Dallas still looks to have the edge. The Eagles are a troubled team, and not only because of the Terrell Owens saga, which unfortunately will be a primary storyline for the game. Donovan McNabb is healthier and moving better, but he still isn't playing at the top of his game and will likely have his share of struggles with the Cowboys pass rush.

With two weeks to prepare, Bill Parcells and his coaching staff should be able to come up with a defensive game plan that will stifle an Eagles passing game missing its best playmaker, Owens, and with no consistent balance.

The Eagles' primary mission will be to put immobile Drew Bledsoe on his back (and force him to turn the ball over) with their blitz-happy defense. However, so far the approach has not been producing much pressure, and opposing quarterbacks are making plays. It is reasonable to expect Bledsoe will have the time to make some big plays to Terry Glenn and Keyshawn Johnson with his big arm, and give the Cowboys an early lead. After that, Parcells will put the game on the shoulders of his massive offensive line, which should be able to open holes for the strong running back duo of Julius Jones and Marion Barber.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'm picking the Cowboys... that's all that matters.

 

[big_neil]

The Yahoo guys have 3 of 4 for the Boys

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/pickem;_ylt=AmYUgOcEnrWj_.Q0aAz7XWFDubYF

Those guys have some great winning percentages too.

 

[big_neil]

"Bledsoe’s 12 years of experience and command of the huddle is one thing. But grading him strictly on performance, Bledsoe was one of the 10 worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL last season."

The actual statistics used to "grade" him are not provided. This is left as an excercise for the astute reader.

 

[big_neil]

PS Drew's last 12 games of 2004: 9 wins 3 losses.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

PS Drew's last 12 games of 2004: 9 wins 3 losses.

Yep. It's amazing what a top-rated defense and special teams will do for a QB, especially when those two units are putting almost a TD a game on the board for the offense.

 

[Grevus]

The Eagles really need this game. They want to prove to themselves and the rest of the league that they are right to get rid of TO. They want to prove that they are a better team without him. I believe McGumppy will try to show he can still run and pass. I expect him to try to air it out to Brown as often as possible. The home field advantage is there. The crowd will be loud and will force the Cowboys to go with shorter snap counts and quick snaps. This will play into the Eagles scheme.

With all that said, I still believe the Cowboys are the better team on the field. The Eagles have far too many issues that losing TO won't solve. Here are just a few.....

1. They lost their Center....This is a bigger deal then anyone is saying
2. TE is hurt
3. Defensive has played poorly
4. McGumppy has been inconsistent and injured.
5. Bad clock management and play calling making them very predictable
6. Their go to WR is a rookie
7. The OL can’t seem to run block

Losing TO will not fix any of these issues. The team's locker room maybe happier, but it doesn’t fix injuries or poor performances. Last time I checked, TO was a WR not a Defensive player.

The Eagles are home. It's Monday night. In the past, I would expect the Cowboys to lose this game, but the Cowboys are a better team with confidence. I expect the Cowboys to win this game convincingly.

 

[purgatoryruss]

I believe Chris Carter and Dan Marino on Inside the NFL have picked us to win over the iggles.

i do my picks on HBO every week and Marino just said Dallas on INSIDE THE NFL, but on the actual web site where you can do your picks he picked Eagles. Two face Chicken.