Cowboys Opponent Profile: Rematch With Eagles Important For Playoffs
By Shawn Lealos
For the second time in three weeks, the NFC East title is on the line in a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The last time these two teams played, they were tied at 8-3 and the Eagles simply blasted the Cowboys in Dallas by a lopsided score of 33-10. It was Dallas’ worst game of the season and it looked like it could have knocked Dallas out of the playoff contention after spending most of the season considered as one of the best teams in the NFL.
Now, the Cowboys get the chance to hit back, and this game has the same thing on the line as that Thanksgiving game. Dallas travels to Philadelphia for the rematch, and it will once again be on Prime Time in a huge Sunday Night Football game. Thanks to the Seattle Seahawks beating the Eagles on Sunday, the two teams are tied once again, this time at 9-4. The loser of this game could easily find themselves on the outside looking in when the playoffs roll around.
Tiebreakers
When the Eagles beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, they captured an important tiebreaker over Dallas. The winner of the NFC East, in the case of the tie, comes down first to the head-to-head. With a win over Dallas, the worst the Eagles can do is a split on that first tie-breaker, even if Dallas wins this weekend. However, after the loss to the Seahawks, the Eagles lose control of their destiny. They would need Dallas to lose to either the Indianapolis Colts or Washington Redskins to win the division.
What hurts worse is that the Eagles lost to the Seattle Seahawks. If the Eagles lose to Dallas, they will have to start considering the wild card, and that means a competition with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks, who have identical records. If it comes down to Seattle and Philadelphia, the Eagles will lose out on that tiebreaker now. Dallas beat Seattle, so they have that ace still in their back pocket, but will have to hope that the Detroit Lions falter as well, thanks to a 6-4 conference record.
Either way, the loser of this game will have a tough time making the playoffs.
The Hurry-Up Offense
The reason that the Dallas Cowboys lost badly to the Philadelphia Eagles was because of their fast paced offense. The Eagles had two touchdowns on the board in the first half before Dallas could even breathe. After taking the opening kickoff, the Eagles only needed three minutes to drive 80 yards for the first touchdown, going no huddle most of the way. Dallas got the ball back and ate up over five minutes before having to punt. The Eagles needed only two minutes, with one run and six passes to score the second touchdown.
With the Cowboys down 14-0 that quick, it was hard to come back. Between the defense wearing down and the Cowboys having to turn away from their vaulted running attack, there was no chance to win. This game, Dallas has to stop the Eagles fast paced offense. After those first two touchdowns, the Eagles settled for four field goals and only scored 10 points in the second half, so that is reason for hope.
How to Beat the Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles were undefeated at home this season until the Seattle Seahawks came to town. The Seahawks then beat up the Eagles and won the game 24-14. Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another and the most important thing about the game was that Seattle held the ball for almost 42 minutes, compared to 18 minutes for the Eagles. If Philadelphia doesn’t have the ball in their offense’s hands, they can’t run and gun. Seattle ran 85 plays compared to 45 for the Eagles.
The Eagles also lost to the Green Bay Packers in a blowout, 53-20. The big similarity between the Seahawks and the Packers games were not necessarily the offenses of the winners, but the defenses. Against Green Bay, Mark Sanchez tossed two interceptions and against the Seahawks, he threw one. The Eagles also fumbled the ball twice against the Packers and once against the Seahawks. The only way that Dallas can beat Philadelphia is to shake up the offense, cause turnovers and let DeMarco Murray control the clock.
For more Cowboys news and updates, visit Cowboys Central.
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.