Opponent Preview: Eagles Look To Feast On Cowboys In NFC East Showdown
By Kevin McGuire
Turkey will have a new side dish to make room for this year for football fans in the Philadelphia area. The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving and will hope to celebrate a win the way Reggie White and Seth Joyner did so many years ago. First place in the NFC East will be n the line as the Eagles and Cowboys play the first of two games over the next three weeks, setting the tone for the NFC East Division race heading into the final month of the NFL regular season.
Record
Like the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys are currently 8-3 this season after winning Sunday night on the road against the New York Giants. Tied for first place in the NFC East, the Cowboys currently lose a tiebreaker for best division record as the Eagles are undefeated in the NFC East and the Cowboys have one loss, to Washington.
The Cowboys own the edge in the all-time series with the Eagles, with a record of 59-47 in the series dating back to 1960. Since the last time the Cowboys won the Super Bowl, in the 1996 season, the Eagles own the edge in the series with a 19-16 in games played since 1997.
The eagles and Cowboys split the season series last season, with the road team winning each time. The Eagles won the regular season finale at Dallas last season to clinch the NFC East, although the Cowboys played with Kyle Orton as the starting quarterback.
Cowboys on Offense
The Cowboys been running the ball well this season, but concern over potential wear-and-tear on running back DeMarco Murray is growing. Murray has rushed for 1,354 yards and seven touchdowns this season, already setting a new career high for rushing yards in a single season and easily on pace for a new career high for rushing touchdowns.
When taking to the air, the Cowboys have the familiar combo of Tony Romo to Dez Bryant that should give the Eagles secondary some problems this week. Bryant has already caught 10 touchdown passes this season and he is well on track for a third consecutive 1,000-yard season.
Cowboys on Defense
The Cowboys have been receiving praise for improved defensive play, and that should be respected. But the Cowboys are more in the middle of the pack defensively than some might have you believe. Dallas ranks 19th against the pass and 13th against the run. The Cowboys rank 27th in the NFL in total sacks with 18.0 (tied with San Diego) and 18 takeaways to go with the offense’s 19 turnovers for a turnover margin of one (in fairness, the Eagles have a turnover margin of -8). The Cowboys run a basic 4-3 defense, which the Eagles offense has performed at its best against this season. The Eagles should be capable of making some things work against the Cowboys defense.
Cowboys Players to Watch
Tony Romo, Quarterback: It is no secret the Cowboys starting quarterback has a certain track record as the season progresses. Romo plays well until around Thanksgiving, when his stats start to trend downward and the Cowboys slide in sync. Romo’s best month has historically been November, but Thanksgiving can be the turning point. Lifetime against the Eagles, Romo is 9-6 with 17 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Which Romo will the Eagles face Thursday afternoon?
DeMarco Murray, Running Back: Murray has been having the best season of his career, but there is concern over when he might hit a wall. The Eagles have played against the run well since getting gashed by San Francisco earlier this season. The Eagles have held teams to 125 or fewer rushing yards in each of the last seven games. In three career games against the Eagles, Murray has rushed for 205 yards and just one touchdown.
Overview
The stakes are high with the Eagles and Cowboys tied for first place in the NFC East, but a loss for either team will be far from enough to settle the division race with a month of games still to be played. The odds for a season split between the Eagles and Cowboys may be pretty good, but there is no questioning the importance of this game. Establishing position atop the NFC East now heading into December might be enough to provide the momentum to a NFC East title regardless of what happens in the final week of the NFL’s regular season.
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Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.