Eagles Carve Up Cowboys
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DALLAS, Texas (105.3 THE FAN) - Thanksgiving disappointment overflowed for the Cowboys Thursday at 'Jerryworld' as the Eagles left little doubt about who is in charge of the NFC East.
Most of us anticipated that the Cowboys defense would struggle as the forecast called for an offensive shootout. But even saying that, the ease in which Philly carved up the Cowboys defense was unsettling.
The Eagles scored touchdowns on each of their first two drives going 80 yards in just 3:05 to get the annihilation started, followed up by a second 88-yarder that merely took 2:01. That's like a heavy weight boxer getting knocked down on each of the first two punches of a fight. Not to mention that this is the same defense that started the Giants game by allowing TD drives of 80, 66 and 80 to start the game last week.
The Eagles offense scored points on 7 of their first 9 drives. If that's not utter and complete domination, I don't know what is. Unlike the Giants game, the Cowboys were never able to stop the bleeding. If it hadn't been for three unlikely red zone stops on 3rd down, someone might have stopped this fight.
For an offense whose identity is to pound the ball with the running game and control the clock, getting in massive holes to start the game is a serious problem. Playing from behind so quickly forces the Cowboys offense to abandon their game plan and immediately go into shell-shock mode.
That's not to make excuses for a Cowboys air attack that looked pathetic against what has been a dreadful Eagles pass defense.
Eagles DT Bennie Logan boldly told reporters he didn't see anything special about the Cowboys highly regarded offensive line during the week. Instead of using it as bulletin board material, the Cowboys' big maulers gave him Exhibit A in his case, as the pocket seemed to collapse on Romo the entire night under severe blitz chaos.
Romo had a rough outing to be sure. Admittedly he missed some passes he typically makes. The ball fluttered at times and lacked its normal zip as footing real estate in a closing pocket became more and more scarce. The Eagles defense was able to pin their ears back and attack a team desperate to pick up big come-from-behind yards in the passing game, which spelled doom for Dallas.
For the only QB in the NFL who is shadowed on the sideline by a famous back surgeon, a short week is nothing to be thankful for. A blitz-ravaged pocket and a massive deficit is an even bigger issue.
Constant Eagles pressure led to a few "sit-down sacks", where Romo merely waived the white flag and retreated to safe refuge on the turf. Although those instances brought negative feedback on Twitter, I'd invite those folks to watch the Denver Broncos play. That's exactly what Peyton Manning does when a sack seems inevitable.
Staying upright and forcing something in a near hopeless situation could very well end the season for either veteran QB, and more importantly, their respective teams' hopes and dreams. The smart play was to go down, and live to fight another day.
And that's where the Cowboys find themselves with four games to play… knocked down, but not out. Not yet.
The Ben and Skin Show airs weekdays from 3-7p in Dallas-Fort Worth on 105.3 The Fan. Be sure to follow the crew on Twitter: @BenRogers @SkinWade @ktfuntweets and @Brendantime
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