Eagles vs. Cowboys: Complete Week 13 Preview for Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles will face one of their biggest tests of the season this Thursday when they travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on a national stage. Dallas is fresh off of an impressive fourth-quarter comeback win against the New York Giants, one in which they held off a catch for the ages to win their eighth game.
This is the first time the Eagles will face the Cowboys this season, and Philadelphia will have to see if it can slow down the three-headed attack of Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant. The key to the game will be the ability of Philly’s defensive line to penetrate an outstanding Dallas offensive line.
Winning this game will dramatically improve the odds of Chip Kelly’s Birds garnering a second straight postseason appearance; per Sports Club Stats, the Eagles will have a 91.8 percent chance of making the playoffs by winning Thursday.
Even a loss still has the Eagles in good position; the odds show a 65.7 percent chance of Philadelphia making the playoffs. This is the truest test of the season, as Philadelphia faces Dallas, Seattle and then Dallas in three straight weeks. How the Eagles do in these games will show whether they’re to be taken seriously as a contender or whether they look like a postseason one-and-done.
Eagles’ Week 12 Recap
1 of 5
It’s no surprise that the Philadelphia Eagles beat down the Tennessee Titans, but still, scoring 43 points and winning by three scores has to feel good, especially after the letdown against the Green Bay Packers.
Mark Sanchez’s turnovers continued, as he threw two more interceptions, but fortunately, the offense moved the ball well enough that it didn’t matter. The Eagles put up 462 yards, the third-highest total of the team’s season. And the rushing attack was impressive, led by last year’s rushing champion, LeSean McCoy.
Remarkably, the special teams scored another touchdown, this time with rookie third-round wide receiver Josh Huff taking the opening kick back 107 yards. Cody Parkey also converted five of his six field goals, putting his lifetime totals at 92 percent accuracy and a perfect 4-of-4 on kicks over 50 yards.
News and Notes
2 of 5
First Eagles-Cowboys Game on Thanksgiving in 25 Years
The Philadelphia Eagles have an impressive history on Thanksgiving, considering they're 5-0 on those Thursdays. And the last time the Eagles faced off against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving was fairly memorable.
"#Eagles and #Cowboys, both 8-3 and atop the NFC East, meet on Thanksgiving for the first time since the Bounty Bowl in 1989.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 24, 2014"
That's the game when Buddy Ryan called for the head of his former kicker, Luis Zendejas, placing a $200 bounty on him. The Eagles won that game, 27-0, and then beat the Cowboys again a month later in one of the ugliest games you’ll ever see.
Let the Trash-Talking Begin
Apparently Bennie Logan is not impressed by the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line, and he made it known, per Sheil Kapadia of Birds 24/7.
The numbers don’t lie, though, and Dallas is leading the NFL in rushing yards behind a front five that has performed phenomenally all season in both run blocking and pass blocking. Last year, DeMarco Murray missed the first game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but he rushed for just 48 yards and no touchdowns in the finale. In three career contests against the Eagles, he’s never topped 100 yards.
The Cowboys didn’t take too kindly to Logan’s comments.
"DeMarco Murray on Bennie Logan's saying Cowboys OL is just OK: "Let's find out Thursday."
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 25, 2014 "
Guess we’ll find out who wins this battle.
Riley Cooper’s Comments About Jeremy Maclin’s Contract
Riley Cooper was pretty honest when asked about his own diminishing playing time.
"Riley Cooper, when asked about his decreasing snaps, suggested Jeremy Maclin's contract extension could be one reason for his fewer plays.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 24, 2014"
Teammate Jeremy Maclin did not appreciate Cooper’s comments, even if Cooper was "joking."
"Jeremy Maclin on Riley Cooper saying Maclin doesn't come out of games bc he wants contract: "That wasn't a very smart thing for Coop to say"
— John Gonzalez (@gonzoCSN) November 25, 2014"
Ironically, Cooper is still seeing a ton of playing time, so it doesn’t seem as if Maclin is taking Cooper’s snaps.
"There are seven wide receivers in the entire NFL who have played more snaps than Riley Cooper has.
— Derek / IgglesBlog (@igglesblog) November 25, 2014"
Injury Report
3 of 5
There is little to report regarding this week’s Philadelphia Eagles injury report. As expected, Nick Foles has not been practicing, and he may or may not be able to return before the end of the regular season.
Per Brandon Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation, inside linebacker Emmanuel Acho will likely be a game-time decision.
Here are the rest of the players to appear on this week’s report.
| Position | Injury |
Nick Foles | QB | Collarbone (Out) |
Emmanuel Acho | LB | Groin (Questionable) |
Zach Ertz | TE | Oblique (Probable) |
Nate Allen | S | Ankle (Probable) |
Jason Peters | OT | Quad (Probable) |
Jordan Matthews | WR | Knee (Probable) |
Brandon Bair | DE | Elbow (Probable) |
Cody Parkey | K | Groin (Probable) |
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Key Matchups and X-Factors to Watch
4 of 5
RB LeSean McCoy vs. MLB Rolando McClain
LeSean McCoy historically has had some of his best performances against the Dallas Cowboys. Since taking over as the Philadelphia Eagles’ feature back in 2010, McCoy has averaged 106 rushing yards against the Eagles’ biggest rival.
He ran for 149 yards on just 16 carries in the December 2010 contest, a 30-27 Eagles win. He rushed for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 34-7 win in 2011. And in last year’s division-clinching win in Week 17, he put up 131 yards on 27 carries.
The Dallas defense is right in the middle of the pack in most statistics—14th in points allowed, 16th in yards, 13th in rushing yards allowed and 18th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. But the Eagles’ offensive line is pretty efficient when it comes to run blocking, and McCoy is hitting his groove.
It will take a big game from Cowboys middle linebacker Rolando McClain to slow McCoy. McClain is putting forth a Pro Bowl-type season; per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he rates fourth-best among 61 qualifying inside linebackers in stopping the run.
ROLB Trent Cole vs. LT Tyron Smith
The Philadelphia Eagles are paying Trent Cole $6.6 million this season to win matchups like this, but the Dallas Cowboys are paying Smith $110 million to do it over the next eight years.
Cole has 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 11 games, and PFF rates him as the fourth-best pass-rushing 3-4 outside linebacker among 48 qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Smith has given up just two sacks this season. He shut down Jason Pierre-Paul last week, and he’s been a major factor in the Cowboys’ success both running the football and pass blocking.
Something has to give.
CB Cary Williams vs. WR Dez Bryant
Cary Williams is everyone’s favorite whipping boy, but he’s a better player than he’s been given credit for. Last week, Williams allowed just 11 receiving yards to Tennessee Titans receivers on 61 defensive snaps. He’s now earned a positive PFF grade for four consecutive weeks.
The problem is that Dez Bryant is a special receiver. Last week, Williams saw Justin Hunter, who ranks 54th among receivers in yards (480). This week, he gets Bryant, who ranks ninth in yards and is tied for first among receivers with 10 touchdowns.
There’s been some history between the two, from both 2013 and 2012 (when Williams was on the Baltimore Ravens).
"Took two referees to separate Cary Williams and Dez Bryant after that first down reception by Beasley. Something to keep an eye on.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) October 20, 2013"
"Dez Bryant said the two-point conversion was pass interference. Ravens CB Cary Williams said Bryant needs to "man up." http://t.co/JYJLAjA3
— USA TODAY Sports (@USATODAYsports) October 14, 2012"
Bryant certainly has gotten the best of Williams. In 2012, he beat Williams for a pair of touchdowns and a two-point conversion.
Hopefully, the result isn’t the same on Thursday, or it could be a long day for Eagles fans.
X-Factor: K Cody Parkey
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman pulled off an absolute steal this offseason when he acquired rookie kicker Cody Parkey for close to nothing.
Parkey missed his second kick last week, but he still went 5-of-6, and he improved to 4-of-4 on the season on field-goal attempts over 50 yards. On the year, Parkey is at a 92.0 percent clip, the third-best mark in the league, and he's gaining a lot of fans in Philadelphia with the way he's kicked.
The Dallas Cowboys have a talented kicker themselves, one they've locked up through the 2020 campaign. Dan Bailey is 17-of-20, and he's missed just twice on 14 attempts over 40 yards.
The Eagles can't afford a miss from Parkey. Similarly, the Cowboys can't afford a miss from Bailey.
Prediction
5 of 5
The three highest-scoring Eagles-Cowboys games in history have occurred in the past decade, with the winner being the 41-37 shootout on Monday Night Football in 2008 (well known for this play).
There's a chance this game features 80-plus points.
Chip Kelly's Eagles haven't stopped scoring despite Mark Sanchez taking the snaps at quarterback. LeSean McCoy is starting to hit his groove, and Jordan Matthews has emerged as a weapon across from Jeremy Maclin. And there's the defense and special teams, which have averaged nearly one touchdown apiece this far in 2014.
But Dallas boasts an equally impressive offense, led by the three-headed attack of Tony Romo, future rushing champion DeMarco Murray and Pro Bowl receiver Dez Bryant. Don't forget about Jason Witten, either, or an offensive line that has played out of its mind this season.
This will definitely be a shootout. No lead in this game will be safe, and each team will need a perfect day from its kicker. Look for the Eagles to narrowly edge Dallas in one of the best NFL games of the season.
Prediction: Eagles 43, Cowboys 38
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
