Can Philadelphia Eagles Pass Rush Get to Cowboys QB Tony Romo?

Ranked second in the NFL with 38 sacks this season, it’s rarely a question of if the Philadelphia Eagles will get to the opponent’s quarterback, but how many times? This Thursday, however, the threat of a dominant Birds pass rush is far less certain.

That’s because the Dallas Cowboys have assembled what is arguably the best offensive line in the league. The unit may be better known for paving the way for DeMarco Murray, who leads the NFL in rushing by over 400 yards, but has also done a superb job of keeping Tony Romo upright in the pocket.

CMP%	YDS/ATT	TD	INT	SACK
68.8	8.5	22	6	20

Look no further than the protection Romo had on Sunday night as the three-time Pro Bowler led Dallas to a 31-28 come-from-behind win over the New York Giants. During the comeback, it seemed as if the passer was standing behind an actual wall, not five human beings.

In 10 games played, Romo has been sacked one time or not at all in half. The Cowboys signal-caller has been taken down more than twice in a tilt just once in his last eight starts.

With protection like that, is it any wonder Romo is enjoying the most efficient season of his 12-year career? Add in his elite escapability, and the Dallas aerial attack presents a unique challenge for any pass rush—even one as tenacious as the Eagles’.

GM	QB	SACKS	QB RATING	OUTCOME
Wk 2 @ IND	Andrew Luck	0	89.3	30-27 W
Wk 3 vs. WAS	Kirk Cousins	0	103.4	37-34 W
Wk 8 @ ARZ	Carson Palmer	0	90.3	24-20 L
Wk 11 @ GB	Aaron Rodgers	1	120.3	53-20 L

Yet Philadelphia’s pressure has been known to disappear in big games. The rush was able to get to Aaron Rodgers for a lone sack during a 53-20 blowout loss, allowing one of the most dangerous assassins quarterbacks in the game to dissect the 30th-ranked pass defense. And the unit failed to get to Carson Palmer so much as once in a 24-20 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, including on the decisive 85-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Granted, sacks aren’t always an exact measure of how much the defense is hurrying the quarterback. In both of Philly’s recent losses, the lack of consistent pressure was very noticeable, if not defining.

The good news is the Dallas offensive line hasn’t been perfect, either. In the two losses Romo was under center for, he was brought down in the backfield a total of nine times, accounting for nearly half of his 20 sacks this season.

It just doesn’t happen very often.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

This is no fluke. After years of insufficient blocking—for Romo and the club’s running backs alike—the Cowboys finally quit neglecting the most important position in football, going offensive line in the first round in three of the past four drafts.

Left tackle Tyron Smith was invited to the first of what is sure to be many Pro Bowls in 2013. Travis Frederick put an end to snap issues the plagued previous Cowboys centers. It looks as though rookie right guard Zack Martin was the piece of the puzzle that brought it all together.

With solid eight-year veteran Doug Free at right tackle and unheralded second-year starter Ronald Leary at left guard, this group is legit—and easily the primary reason Dallas is a somewhat surprising 8-3 at this stage in the season.

PLAYER	SACKS	FF
OLB Connor Barwin	12.5	2
OLB Trent Cole	6.5	3
DE Vinny Curry	6.0	3
OLB Brandon Graham	4.5	4
ILB Mychal Kendricks	3.0	2

Philadelphia’s front seven is no joke, either. Connor Barwin is second in the NFL with 12.5 sacks. Trent Cole has 14.5 sacks in his last 20 regular-season and playoff games. Situational pass-rushers Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry have combined for 10.5 sacks in 2014. Mychal Kendricks and Fletcher Cox haven't posted impressive totals this season, but both are capable of disrupting plays in the backfield.

Only for one reason or another, they haven’t been able to get it done when it’s mattered most. Will that be the case again in Dallas with first place in the NFC East on the line?

Time will tell, but there’s no question Romo and the Cowboys offensive line present a significant challenge for this group. If the Eagles can’t rush the quarterback with some consistency on Thursday, you can bet turkeys won't be the only thing getting carved up this Thanksgiving.