Typhus
Captain Catfish
- Messages
- 21,218
- Reaction score
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As long as Mcnabb and Westbrook are in the game, this team is dangerous.
Add to that our injury situation, with singleton gone and the secondary nicked, and this is the very definition of a trap game for the cowboys.
Keys to victory for the cowboys:
1. Going downfield early--we must set an aggressive tempo early. Shortening the game is fine, pounding the ball is fine, but for that to work, we have to take a couple of early downfield shots in order to keep Dawkins back in coverage.
2. Creative use of max protect--we've been doing a good job of using Witten and Campbell to help the tackles, but Johnson will be scheming around that. JJ and MB3 are both capable in pass protection, so we have to make the eagles' D wonder who will be part of the route package.
3. Shut down Westbrook in the passing game--philadelphia has yet to prove that they can beat someone on the ground, but their creative use of Westbrook has given teams fits. They'll be looking to exploit the Westbrook/Ware mismatch in the base 3-4, which will also serve to slow down the pass rush, especially later in the game. I think the best course of action for the cowboys is to come out in a base nickel, and use Williams in more of a linebacker role. This puts 4 guys on the base pass rush, including Ware in his natural position. and it limits the mismatches. I also suspect that we'll see Glenn starting at RCB, and Newman matched up against westbrook.
Add to that our injury situation, with singleton gone and the secondary nicked, and this is the very definition of a trap game for the cowboys.
Keys to victory for the cowboys:
1. Going downfield early--we must set an aggressive tempo early. Shortening the game is fine, pounding the ball is fine, but for that to work, we have to take a couple of early downfield shots in order to keep Dawkins back in coverage.
2. Creative use of max protect--we've been doing a good job of using Witten and Campbell to help the tackles, but Johnson will be scheming around that. JJ and MB3 are both capable in pass protection, so we have to make the eagles' D wonder who will be part of the route package.
3. Shut down Westbrook in the passing game--philadelphia has yet to prove that they can beat someone on the ground, but their creative use of Westbrook has given teams fits. They'll be looking to exploit the Westbrook/Ware mismatch in the base 3-4, which will also serve to slow down the pass rush, especially later in the game. I think the best course of action for the cowboys is to come out in a base nickel, and use Williams in more of a linebacker role. This puts 4 guys on the base pass rush, including Ware in his natural position. and it limits the mismatches. I also suspect that we'll see Glenn starting at RCB, and Newman matched up against westbrook.
