Eagles at Cowboys, 8:30 p.m. NBC
Before delving into this game, I need to give credit to the Cowboys for their comeback win last week. The team has many flaws. The defense gives up too many yards, the offense doesn't run the ball enough, and the decision making is questionable. The Redskins have been awful this season and the Cowboys were down nine to them in the fourth quarter. Dallas has not played well recently except for the first half against the Packers. Still, credit where credit is due. Dallas came through when it needed to the most and QB Tony Romo was clutch not only in the fourth quarter, but at the end of the game, too. Terrance Williams, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, even Miles Austin, came up with catches or plays during the game to help the Cowboys win. And the defense stiffened when necessary. Murray was begging to run the ball all game, and the play calling delivered somewhat. He did not have as high a per carry average as he did against Green Bay, but he got four more carries than he did against the Packers. At the end of the game, he lost nine yards and went backwards from the goal line on third down. He redeemed himself on fourth down, however, slipping into the open, catching the ball around the 2-yard line, and falling into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Dallas gets lots of flak for not winning when it needs to, but it got it done in what ended up being a must-win situation because the Eagles crushed the Bears later Sunday night.
Now, on to this game. So Philly destroyed Chicago, 54-11. The Eagles sport RB LeSean McCoy and the best running game in the NFL. Dallas has the worst defense, yardage-wise, in the NFL. The rush defense
(27th) is a little better than the pass defense (31st, Vikings are 32nd), but the overall package is bad. Dallas will need a turnover, maybe more than one, to slow down Philly. In the first meeting this season, Dallas held Philly to three points. It is highly unlikely that will happen again. QB Nick Foles is playing better and coach Chip Kelly has figured out how to move the ball again. If Dallas does not get a turnover, I think this game will look a lot like the Cowboys-Bears game. The Bears scored on every drive but their final drive when they took a knee. All told, I think Dallas will most likely have to score more than 30 points to win this game. If the defense holds Philly to under 30 points, I that would be a pleasant surprise and the Cowboys will have a decent chance to pull off the upset.
I actually don't think the insertion of QB Kyle Orton into the starting lineup and the injury of Romo will hurt the offense that much. I think it will force the Cowboys to run the ball more, which has ended up being a strength. A successful running attack will also keep the Eagles offense off the field, which would be a plus. Philly has a decent run defense and a bad pass defense. So when the Cowboys do
have to go to the air, Orton should have pretty good success. His career numbers are a 58.4 completion percentage, 14,661 yards, 81 touchdowns, and 57 interceptions. Not ground breaking numbers, but solid. Even though Romo was ruled out Thursday, I think the Cowboys knew all week Orton would start, so he has been prepared all week to be the starter. The offense will also be inspired to play well and win for Romo. I think that will help drive the offense. And, fair or unfair, there is the perception that Romo is a choker. Whether they believe it or not, that has to weigh on the Cowboys' offensive players. With Romo not in there, the media has not been able to latch on to that story line this week. I believe that will relieve some pressure on the offense. They can just play and not worry about clamming up with the game on the line late in the fourth quarter.
The bottom line is everyone is picking the Eagles to win this game, including me. But because of that, Dallas has a chance. For once, the focus is not on the Cowboys. No one cares about their Week 17 troubles the past two years because no one thinks they will win this game. I really think this will allow Dallas to just have some fun out there and play more loosely than normal. I'm not saying Orton is better than Romo. He's not. Romo has a 2-1 TD-INT ratio for his career and can create positive plays on the fly, something Orton cannot do. But there are ways that having Orton in there actually benefits the team and one of those ways is the relief of pressure and a lack of expectations from those outside the Cowboys organization.
Eagles 37, Cowboys 31
Before delving into this game, I need to give credit to the Cowboys for their comeback win last week. The team has many flaws. The defense gives up too many yards, the offense doesn't run the ball enough, and the decision making is questionable. The Redskins have been awful this season and the Cowboys were down nine to them in the fourth quarter. Dallas has not played well recently except for the first half against the Packers. Still, credit where credit is due. Dallas came through when it needed to the most and QB Tony Romo was clutch not only in the fourth quarter, but at the end of the game, too. Terrance Williams, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, even Miles Austin, came up with catches or plays during the game to help the Cowboys win. And the defense stiffened when necessary. Murray was begging to run the ball all game, and the play calling delivered somewhat. He did not have as high a per carry average as he did against Green Bay, but he got four more carries than he did against the Packers. At the end of the game, he lost nine yards and went backwards from the goal line on third down. He redeemed himself on fourth down, however, slipping into the open, catching the ball around the 2-yard line, and falling into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Dallas gets lots of flak for not winning when it needs to, but it got it done in what ended up being a must-win situation because the Eagles crushed the Bears later Sunday night.
Now, on to this game. So Philly destroyed Chicago, 54-11. The Eagles sport RB LeSean McCoy and the best running game in the NFL. Dallas has the worst defense, yardage-wise, in the NFL. The rush defense
I actually don't think the insertion of QB Kyle Orton into the starting lineup and the injury of Romo will hurt the offense that much. I think it will force the Cowboys to run the ball more, which has ended up being a strength. A successful running attack will also keep the Eagles offense off the field, which would be a plus. Philly has a decent run defense and a bad pass defense. So when the Cowboys do
The bottom line is everyone is picking the Eagles to win this game, including me. But because of that, Dallas has a chance. For once, the focus is not on the Cowboys. No one cares about their Week 17 troubles the past two years because no one thinks they will win this game. I really think this will allow Dallas to just have some fun out there and play more loosely than normal. I'm not saying Orton is better than Romo. He's not. Romo has a 2-1 TD-INT ratio for his career and can create positive plays on the fly, something Orton cannot do. But there are ways that having Orton in there actually benefits the team and one of those ways is the relief of pressure and a lack of expectations from those outside the Cowboys organization.
Eagles 37, Cowboys 31
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