Doomsday101
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Nov. 14, 2005) -- My favorite games all season long are the rematches between division rivals.
Each season, there are 48 rematches. Last season, 28 times the team that won the first game won the rematch. The more interesting number is the 20 times the rematch was won by the team that lost the first time around.
Could the host Eagles find themselves as one of those teams that turned their misfortunes into fortunes, or are the Cowboys going to take advantage of the 33-10 victory earlier this season and repeat?
The Giants and Commanders lost on Nov. 13, so the winner of this contest will gain a full game on the rest of the division. The Eagles are 0-2 in the division, so in that sense they have their backs to the wall.
The Cowboys could move into a tie for first place with a victory, so the stakes are high and this will be one of the best MNF matchups of the year.
The Eagles must force Dallas to play on a long field, unlike the last time they met, when Bill Parcells and his offense played on a short field all game long. The Cowboys protected Drew Bledsoe in that contest, but since then LT Flozell Adams has been injured and the Eagles will check out replacement Torrin Tucker early and often.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE COWBOYS ...
1. The last time these teams met, Dallas outrushed Philly 167 yards to 19.
2. The Eagles are 2-3 when Terrell Owens doesn't play. Both victories were in the 2004 playoffs.
3. The Eagles have lost four of their past six MNF games at home.
4. The Eagles defense has let opposing quarterbacks complete 63 percent of their passes in the past five games.
5. Dallas was fourth in the NFL in sacks with 24 before Week 10's Sunday games.
6. The Dallas defense has allowed an average of 12 points over its past four games.
7. The Eagles have been outscored in the first quarter this season 62-21.
8. Bill Parcells is 7-4 when coming off a bye.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE EAGLES ...
1. The Eagles have won 12 of their past 13 home games, including the 2004 playoffs.
2. Philadelphia has beaten Dallas at home six consecutive times.
3. The Eagles running backs have not lost a fumble in 747 rushing attempts.
4. Dallas has not swept the Eagles since 1998.
5. Dallas has lost 15 of its past 20 road games to division foes.
6. Owens had only five receptions for 50 yards and no scores in the first game.
7. The Eagles defeated the Cowboys 49-21 last year on MNF.
8. Donovan McNabb passed for 305 yards last week at Washington.
WHEN THE EAGLES HAVE THE BALL
Andy Reid is not going to run the ball for the sake of saying he turned a team throwing it 71 percent of the time into a more balanced attack.
As the coach likes to say, if the opponent dictates that throwing is more advantageous than running, he will continue to throw. Actually, as I look at the Cowboys' game tapes over the past month, the greatest improvement for the Dallas defense is its rushing defense.
Andy Reid and his staff looked at the same tapes I reviewed, and I believe we will see close to 50 passes. Spread formations that get safety Roy Williams in coverage more than in a force position will create opportunities for the Eagles. I think we should expect L.J. Smith to make 5-7 catches, wide receiver Reggie Brown to see some deep balls off play-action passes, and Greg Lewis getting about as many opportunities.
With Owens gone, look for the Cowboys to drop a safety down into the box to the same side as Brian Westbrook is lined up on. The Cowboys will start out by taking Westbrook out of the game with bracket coverage and force the Eagles to prove the other players can hurt them early in the game.
The two things that could help the Eagles offense come alive are a draw and screen game, and -- most important -- a mobile McNabb who would not be afraid to move the chains with his feet and maybe even a red-zone QB draw against that Cowboys 3-4 defense.
Last week, McNabb looked healthier on the field, and I do expect him to play more like he did in past years when he was a multidimensional quarterback. His struggles with a sports hernia and other medical issues explain why he has only 20 rushes for 33 yards and no touchdowns. The Cowboys will not honor a scrambling QB until they see it with their own eyes.
Dallas will not be able to hold the desperate Eagles to 10 points like they did a month ago. I look for Philadelphia to put up closer to 24 points in this game.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
The Eagles had won nine of their previous 10 games against Dallas, but that didn't mean a thing to the Parcells-led Cowboys in Week 5, and past history doesn't mean a thing again tonight.
Cowboys running back Julius Jones is back and healthy, and I expect a few plays with Jones and his capable young backup Marion Barber on the field together. Parcells had a terrific package back in his Jets coaching days when he used Richie Anderson and Curtis Martin together. If the Eagles defense that swarmed all over LaDainian Tomlinson shows up tonight, the Cowboys running game will be reduced to an afterthought and the pressure will be shifted to Bledsoe.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson likes playing stationary target quarterbacks with pressure schemes and three-deep zones behind the zone dogs. Bledsoe has an excellent group of receivers, and the Eagles never figured out how to stop WR Terry Glenn last time. Because of Keyshawn Johnson and TE Jason Witten, the Eagles can't afford to roll coverage to Glenn, so cornerback Lito Sheppard has to come up big in the game. Sheppard will answer the challenge if Jevon Kearse can beat the inexperienced tackles and get to Bledsoe.
If Parcells gets an early lead with the short passing attack then he will settle in with the running game. Parcells knows he needs to take the wild Eagles crowd out of the game as soon as possible and keep the home team one-dimensional.
CONCLUSION
For the past few years, the NFC East was simply too weak to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles. Four consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game speaks for itself. But all three division rivals have enough to beat Philadelphia, and Dallas might be the toughest matchup.
But the one thing I learned watching the Patriots on the road against the Dolphins was that great teams with a winning tradition die hard. There's too much history for the Eagles to surrender. It's too early in the season for me to see the Eagles in the basement of the NFC East.
Philadelphia needs a victory, and they will play better on special teams. McNabb's shoulders are big enough to carry the team to a close victory. Keep your eye on Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, who should get a half-dozen opportunities to get after Bledsoe.
One Eagles player told me the team is very focused, not nervous, and just plain mad about how the season has gone so far. The Cowboys game is just what they need at this point to cure their ills. We'll find out.
Each season, there are 48 rematches. Last season, 28 times the team that won the first game won the rematch. The more interesting number is the 20 times the rematch was won by the team that lost the first time around.
Could the host Eagles find themselves as one of those teams that turned their misfortunes into fortunes, or are the Cowboys going to take advantage of the 33-10 victory earlier this season and repeat?
The Giants and Commanders lost on Nov. 13, so the winner of this contest will gain a full game on the rest of the division. The Eagles are 0-2 in the division, so in that sense they have their backs to the wall.
The Cowboys could move into a tie for first place with a victory, so the stakes are high and this will be one of the best MNF matchups of the year.
The Eagles must force Dallas to play on a long field, unlike the last time they met, when Bill Parcells and his offense played on a short field all game long. The Cowboys protected Drew Bledsoe in that contest, but since then LT Flozell Adams has been injured and the Eagles will check out replacement Torrin Tucker early and often.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE COWBOYS ...
1. The last time these teams met, Dallas outrushed Philly 167 yards to 19.
2. The Eagles are 2-3 when Terrell Owens doesn't play. Both victories were in the 2004 playoffs.
3. The Eagles have lost four of their past six MNF games at home.
4. The Eagles defense has let opposing quarterbacks complete 63 percent of their passes in the past five games.
5. Dallas was fourth in the NFL in sacks with 24 before Week 10's Sunday games.
6. The Dallas defense has allowed an average of 12 points over its past four games.
7. The Eagles have been outscored in the first quarter this season 62-21.
8. Bill Parcells is 7-4 when coming off a bye.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE EAGLES ...
1. The Eagles have won 12 of their past 13 home games, including the 2004 playoffs.
2. Philadelphia has beaten Dallas at home six consecutive times.
3. The Eagles running backs have not lost a fumble in 747 rushing attempts.
4. Dallas has not swept the Eagles since 1998.
5. Dallas has lost 15 of its past 20 road games to division foes.
6. Owens had only five receptions for 50 yards and no scores in the first game.
7. The Eagles defeated the Cowboys 49-21 last year on MNF.
8. Donovan McNabb passed for 305 yards last week at Washington.
WHEN THE EAGLES HAVE THE BALL
Andy Reid is not going to run the ball for the sake of saying he turned a team throwing it 71 percent of the time into a more balanced attack.
As the coach likes to say, if the opponent dictates that throwing is more advantageous than running, he will continue to throw. Actually, as I look at the Cowboys' game tapes over the past month, the greatest improvement for the Dallas defense is its rushing defense.
Andy Reid and his staff looked at the same tapes I reviewed, and I believe we will see close to 50 passes. Spread formations that get safety Roy Williams in coverage more than in a force position will create opportunities for the Eagles. I think we should expect L.J. Smith to make 5-7 catches, wide receiver Reggie Brown to see some deep balls off play-action passes, and Greg Lewis getting about as many opportunities.
With Owens gone, look for the Cowboys to drop a safety down into the box to the same side as Brian Westbrook is lined up on. The Cowboys will start out by taking Westbrook out of the game with bracket coverage and force the Eagles to prove the other players can hurt them early in the game.
The two things that could help the Eagles offense come alive are a draw and screen game, and -- most important -- a mobile McNabb who would not be afraid to move the chains with his feet and maybe even a red-zone QB draw against that Cowboys 3-4 defense.
Last week, McNabb looked healthier on the field, and I do expect him to play more like he did in past years when he was a multidimensional quarterback. His struggles with a sports hernia and other medical issues explain why he has only 20 rushes for 33 yards and no touchdowns. The Cowboys will not honor a scrambling QB until they see it with their own eyes.
Dallas will not be able to hold the desperate Eagles to 10 points like they did a month ago. I look for Philadelphia to put up closer to 24 points in this game.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
The Eagles had won nine of their previous 10 games against Dallas, but that didn't mean a thing to the Parcells-led Cowboys in Week 5, and past history doesn't mean a thing again tonight.
Cowboys running back Julius Jones is back and healthy, and I expect a few plays with Jones and his capable young backup Marion Barber on the field together. Parcells had a terrific package back in his Jets coaching days when he used Richie Anderson and Curtis Martin together. If the Eagles defense that swarmed all over LaDainian Tomlinson shows up tonight, the Cowboys running game will be reduced to an afterthought and the pressure will be shifted to Bledsoe.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson likes playing stationary target quarterbacks with pressure schemes and three-deep zones behind the zone dogs. Bledsoe has an excellent group of receivers, and the Eagles never figured out how to stop WR Terry Glenn last time. Because of Keyshawn Johnson and TE Jason Witten, the Eagles can't afford to roll coverage to Glenn, so cornerback Lito Sheppard has to come up big in the game. Sheppard will answer the challenge if Jevon Kearse can beat the inexperienced tackles and get to Bledsoe.
If Parcells gets an early lead with the short passing attack then he will settle in with the running game. Parcells knows he needs to take the wild Eagles crowd out of the game as soon as possible and keep the home team one-dimensional.
CONCLUSION
For the past few years, the NFC East was simply too weak to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles. Four consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game speaks for itself. But all three division rivals have enough to beat Philadelphia, and Dallas might be the toughest matchup.
But the one thing I learned watching the Patriots on the road against the Dolphins was that great teams with a winning tradition die hard. There's too much history for the Eagles to surrender. It's too early in the season for me to see the Eagles in the basement of the NFC East.
Philadelphia needs a victory, and they will play better on special teams. McNabb's shoulders are big enough to carry the team to a close victory. Keep your eye on Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, who should get a half-dozen opportunities to get after Bledsoe.
One Eagles player told me the team is very focused, not nervous, and just plain mad about how the season has gone so far. The Cowboys game is just what they need at this point to cure their ills. We'll find out.