Cowboys Opponent Profile: Dallas Battles Philadelphia For NFC East Lead
The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2014 NFL season with a lot of questions, some remarking that they might have the worst defense in NFL history. After 11 games, Dallas sits at 8-3, matching their wins from each of the past three seasons. This week, they put that record to the test when they play the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day, with the winner taking sole lead of the NFC East.
Here is a look at the Philadelphia Eagles heading into this big divisional game.
Mark Sanchez
If one player has really made the Philadelphia Eagles a team to be reckoned with, it was Nick Foles. However, Foles went out in againat Houston in week eight with a broken collarbone. He should be getting a new X-ray soon to determine how it is healing, but he won't be playing this week against Dallas and might not be back for their rematch two weeks later, either.
Last year, that would have meant the always dangerous Michael Vick would step in, but Vick is now the starting quarterback for the New York Jets while the Jets former starter, Mark Sanchez, is now starting for the Eagles. Since taking over as the starter, Philadelphia is 2-1, with wins over the Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans.
Sanchez has completed 62.3 percent of his passes and has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his three starts, with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. While Sanchez will move the ball against the Dallas secondary, those turnovers will prove problematic against the opportunistic Cowboys defense.
LeSean McCoy
LeSean McCoy, one of the biggest weapons in the Eagles offense, is struggling somewhat this season. The running back has only eclipsed 100 yards three times this season and actually has three games where he rushed for under 25 yards in the game. He also only has three total touchdowns this year. While normally someone that Dallas has to worry about, McCoy is just off this season.
The Receiving Corps
Normally, the receiver that Dallas always worried about the most on the Eagles team was DeSean Jackson. However, the Eagles shipped him off and now they are relying on Jeremy Maclin and rookie Jordan Matthews. Maclin leads the team with 63 receptions for 980 yards with nine touchdowns, while Matthews has exploded in the last few weeks and has 50 receptions for 635 yards and six touchdowns of his own. This is where the Eagles can beat Dallas.
The Defense
The Eagles defense is playing very much below their own lofty standards this season. They rank 30th in the NFL against the pass and 16th against the run. However, since their bye week, they have really clamped down on the running game. They limited Arian Foster to his only sub-100 yard game of the season outside of the Buffalo game where he played injured. DeMarco Murray might have trouble finding holes.
However, Tony Romo should have a field day against the Eagles. Philadelphia gave up over 300 yards to rookie Zach Mettenberger, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Carson Palmer in four of their last five games and Romo should find a lot of success through the air to Dez Bryant in this contest.
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Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.