Week 15 Matchup: Eagles at Cowboys
Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX ), Texas Stadium
The Edge
Quarterback: Advantage Cowboys
Running backs: Advantage Eagles
Receivers: Advantage Cowboys
Offensive line: Advantage Cowboys
Defensive line: Advantage Cowboys
Linebackers: Advantage Cowboys
Secondary: Advantage Eagles
Pass rushers: Advantage Cowboys
Special teams: Advantage Cowboys
Depth: Advantage Cowboys
Coaching: Advantage Cowboys
Prediction: Eagles 16, Cowboys 20
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War Room scouts break down every NFL game. Here is a excerpt of their Eagles-Cowboys matchup:
Eagles Keys For Success
1. Keep Tony Romo guessing and moving. The Eagles must not allow Romo to get comfortable in the pocket. They continually will change fronts and alignments, stunting and blitzing from everywhere. Some will show blitz but drop into coverage. They will show three-man rushes but then send five or six after Romo. The Eagles must get Romo to audible out of plays at the line, force him out of the pocket and get him to look for his second and third options.
2. Use more rollouts. The Cowboys rank fourth in the NFL with 34 sacks with outside linebackers Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware accounting for 21 1/2. In the teams' Week 9 game, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked three times, threw two interceptions, was harassed often and hammered into the ground numerous times. When McNabb rolls out, defenders must change their rush and pursuit angles. It also allows him to extend the play with his legs and gives the receivers more time to get open. McNabb still is a threat when he runs.
3. Eliminate big plays. In Week 9, the Cowboys had 10 plays of 15-plus yards while the Eagles had only four, hence the 21-point difference on the scoreboard. When the Eagles blitz, cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown must play tight man-to-man coverage with deep help. When Romo throws short, the defense must limit yardage after the catch.
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Feed Marion Barber. Barber is becoming more of a weapon in the Dallas arsenal. He leads the Cowboys in rushing (839 yards) and is their third-leading receiver (40 receptions). He had 17 touches against Detroit last week (seven rushes, 10 catches) and scored three touchdowns. He is the Cowboys' most punishing runner, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and 6.5 yards per catch. He is shifty in the open field and can break tackles.
2. Protect Romo. Romo has been sacked only 19 times this season. His offensive line has given him time to pick apart opponents, making him the NFL's third-ranked quarterback in passing yards. The Eagles failed to sack Romo in Week 9, but the Cowboys should expect Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson to use a variety of stunts and blitzes to get more pressure on Romo this week.
3. Contain Brian Westbrook. Westbrook is the Eagles' leading rusher and receiver. He will get the ball on almost half of the Eagles' offensive snaps. Whether he is aligned in the backfield or not, the Cowboys will have a defender assigned to shadow him. On pass plays, the Cowboys will bracket him with two defenders, inside and outside. If it's a run, they'll look to penetrate the line and make Westbrook make a cut right away. That will allow for quicker pursuit and more gang tackles.
The Edge
Quarterback: Advantage Cowboys
Running backs: Advantage Eagles
Receivers: Advantage Cowboys
Offensive line: Advantage Cowboys
Defensive line: Advantage Cowboys
Linebackers: Advantage Cowboys
Secondary: Advantage Eagles
Pass rushers: Advantage Cowboys
Special teams: Advantage Cowboys
Depth: Advantage Cowboys
Coaching: Advantage Cowboys
Prediction: Eagles 16, Cowboys 20
Expert Picks
Sign up now to find out who our experts are picking!
War Room scouts break down every NFL game. Here is a excerpt of their Eagles-Cowboys matchup:
Eagles Keys For Success
1. Keep Tony Romo guessing and moving. The Eagles must not allow Romo to get comfortable in the pocket. They continually will change fronts and alignments, stunting and blitzing from everywhere. Some will show blitz but drop into coverage. They will show three-man rushes but then send five or six after Romo. The Eagles must get Romo to audible out of plays at the line, force him out of the pocket and get him to look for his second and third options.
2. Use more rollouts. The Cowboys rank fourth in the NFL with 34 sacks with outside linebackers Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware accounting for 21 1/2. In the teams' Week 9 game, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked three times, threw two interceptions, was harassed often and hammered into the ground numerous times. When McNabb rolls out, defenders must change their rush and pursuit angles. It also allows him to extend the play with his legs and gives the receivers more time to get open. McNabb still is a threat when he runs.
3. Eliminate big plays. In Week 9, the Cowboys had 10 plays of 15-plus yards while the Eagles had only four, hence the 21-point difference on the scoreboard. When the Eagles blitz, cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown must play tight man-to-man coverage with deep help. When Romo throws short, the defense must limit yardage after the catch.
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Feed Marion Barber. Barber is becoming more of a weapon in the Dallas arsenal. He leads the Cowboys in rushing (839 yards) and is their third-leading receiver (40 receptions). He had 17 touches against Detroit last week (seven rushes, 10 catches) and scored three touchdowns. He is the Cowboys' most punishing runner, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and 6.5 yards per catch. He is shifty in the open field and can break tackles.
2. Protect Romo. Romo has been sacked only 19 times this season. His offensive line has given him time to pick apart opponents, making him the NFL's third-ranked quarterback in passing yards. The Eagles failed to sack Romo in Week 9, but the Cowboys should expect Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson to use a variety of stunts and blitzes to get more pressure on Romo this week.
3. Contain Brian Westbrook. Westbrook is the Eagles' leading rusher and receiver. He will get the ball on almost half of the Eagles' offensive snaps. Whether he is aligned in the backfield or not, the Cowboys will have a defender assigned to shadow him. On pass plays, the Cowboys will bracket him with two defenders, inside and outside. If it's a run, they'll look to penetrate the line and make Westbrook make a cut right away. That will allow for quicker pursuit and more gang tackles.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:36 PM
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