Cowboys vs Eagles: Full Philadelphia Game Preview
Philadelphia's quest to regain the NFL East started slowly as the Atlanta Falcons narrowly salvaged their first-half lead to beat the Eagles 26-24 on Monday night.
The Eagles trailed the opposing team by 17 points at half for the second year in a row. However, Philadelphia was not able to pull out the win in the second half, unlike when they played Jacksonville last season.
Following a successful preseason campaign, Philadelphia looked poised to come out firing against an Atlanta defense that struggled last season. Instead, the Eagles starters lacked cohesion and showcased rust following limited preseason action.
The offense began to click in the second half as the Eagles mounted a comeback, but continual mistakes continue to hurt the team. Philadelphia committed 10 penalties against the Falcons, which cost them 88 yards on Monday night. The lack of player familiarity is to be expected with so many offseason changes, but the large amount of penalties concerned head coach Chip Kelly.
"You come out and commit 10 penalties against Dallas, you're going to come out on the wrong side of the stick," Kelly said, according to CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank.
Heading into the second week, the Eagles will need to start faster if they hope to defeat the division rival Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys trailed the Giants last week late in the game, but quarterback Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes to tight end Jason Witten last in the fourth quarter to earn Dallas the victory.
The Eagles will need to start faster against the Cowboys if they wish to get their first win of the season against the defending divisional champions. As these two hated rivals prepare for a heated contest, here is all the info you need for Sunday afternoon's game.
Location: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Television: FOX
Week 1 Results and Recap
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Philadelphia mounted an impressive second-half comeback only to have their efforts thwarted by a missed field goal and an interception when they lost 26-24 to Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.
After trailing by 17 points at half, Walter Thurmond intercepted Matt Ryan on the opening drive of the second half to spark a furious comeback. DeMarco Murray scored two touchdowns in the third quarterback to give Philadelphia a one-point lead. The Eagles' lead quickly vanished as Julio Jones burned Byron Maxwell for 44 yards to set up a 47-yard field goal by Matt Bryant.
On the following possession, Chip Kelly thought about going for it on on fourth down, with only one yard to gain for a first down, but he decided to send Parkey out for the field goal instead. Parkey ran out onto the field with the final seconds ticking down on the play clock. The kicker rushed the process and missed the 44-yard field goal.
Then following an important defensive stand, Philadelphia only needed a field goal when they received the ball with two minutes remaining in the game. Bradford found an open receiver in the middle of the field, Jordan Matthews could not catch a pass that hit him square in the hands, and Ricardo Allen secured the interception to seal the game for Atlanta.
Overall, the game almost seemed like two completely different encounters. Philadelphia's started the first half in terribly and Atlanta's defense forced four straight punts. While the Eagles' struggled, Atlanta jumped out to an early lead to steamroll into half leading 20-3.
In the first half, Philadelphia only 125 yards and showcasing how up-tempo does not matter if they can not get that initial first down. On top of that, Philadelphia's new star running back Murray carried the ball only four times for minus-four yards in the half.
Sam Bradford turned it around after the midway point, completing 21 of 25 passes in the second half. However, Bradford and his receivers looked disconnected in the first half and clearly still need to establish rapport.
News and Notes
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Cody Parkey is responsible for the Eagles loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the kicker is an easy scapegoat for Philadelphia's rough start to the season.
Parkey missed a 44-yard field goal that would have given Philadelphia a one-point lead over the Falcons with a little more than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The second-year kicker got off to a great start in his rookie season and even earned a spot in the Pro Bowl. Parkey also made all four of his field goal attempts from 50 yards or further last season, and set the Eagles single season scoring record.
However, his early success cam to an end and, starting at the end of last year, Parkey slipped into a slump. Parkey missed tow field goals and and point after attempt in the preseason this year before missing his possible game-winning kick on Monday night. Despite recent struggles, Chip Kelly is backing his man.
“I have total confidence in Cody Parkey,” Kelly said on Tuesday, according to CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank. “He was a Pro Bowl kicker last year. I think he's an outstanding kicker.”
Parkey missed time in the preseason due to a hamstring injury he suffered in practice, but the kicker practiced all last week and seemed fully healthy. Kelly also hesitated in sending out the special teams unit, forcing the kicker to rush through his motions at the end of the play clock.
To be fair, Parkey did make his first field goal attempt on the day and all three of his PAT's. It is not terribly uncommon for kickers to fall into a slump, but Parkey may be on a short leash already this season. The second-year kicker needs a strong performance on Sunday to regain to his confidence for the rest of the season.
Latest Injury News
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The biggest injury news of the week for the Philadelphia Eagles actually comes out the Dallas camp. Dez Bryant broke his foot against the Giants last week and looks unlikely to return soon.
Reports from Cowboys claim a timetable of four-to-six weeks for Bryant's return, but others think it may take longer. Falcons receiver Roddy White thinks it may cost the Cowboys receiver the entire season due to how long it took Julio Jones to recover from a similar injury, according to ESPN.com's Todd Archer.
No matter the timeline, Bryant will not be ready to play against the Eagles this weekend. The absence of Dallas' elite receiver probably leads to a huge sigh of relief from Byron Maxwell after his struggles against Jones last week.
Back in Philadelphia, The Eagles placed place David Molk on the season-ending injured reserve. The back-up center suffered a torn bicep during Monday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
This leaves the Eagles a little bit thinner at the center position, but Josh Andrews may be able to fill-in if needed. The Oregon State produce played center in practice as a redshirt freshman at Oregon State, according to CSNPhilly.com's Andy Schwartz.
A major under-lying concern for the entire season is the health of Sam Bradford. Due to his well-documented shoulder and knee problems, Bradford is considered an injury prone player.
Following the game on Monday night, Bradford underwent an X-ray after getting knocked around by Atlanta's defensive line. Bradford claimed the X-ray was just a precaution and did not seem worried about his health.
"Don't worry about it," Bradford said via NFL.com. "I'm all good. They said everything is all good. I'm fine."
Although everything may be fine for Bradford, any form of medical treatment or test will cause a frenzy due to his storied medical record and his importance to the Eagles.
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Key Matchups
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The traitor storyline with DeMarco Murray playing against his former team and now current division rival will engulf the media during this week. Murray will undoubtedly have a major role in Sunday's game, but Dallas should be concerned with stopping all three running backs.
Last week, the Cowboys gave up 99 yards and a touchdown on 99 yards from the likes of Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Andrew Williams and others. Although they gave up under 100 on the ground, Philadelphia's three-headed monster of Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles provided a bigger challenge this week.
DeMarco Murray finished with eight carries for nine yards but he also had both a rushing and receiving touchdown on Monday night. Mathews split his action with three carries and three carries to help him earn his rushing touchdown. Both Murray and Mathews have the potential to contribute more, but Sproles will be the most dangerous threat against Dallas.
Last week Shane Vereen caused problems for the Dallas linebackers because of his versatility. Vereen finished three carries for 14 yards, but he was also New York's leading receiver on the day with 4 catches for 46 yards.
Similar to Vereen, Sproles is a match-up nightmare for defenses due to his versatility. Sproles has the ability to earn hard yards on the ground, catch passes out of the backfield or even line up in the slot.
the Eagles' second half against the Falcons quickly turned into the Bradford and Sproles show as both players caused problems for Atlanta's defense. Sproles finished the season-opener with seven catches for 76, making him the team's second leading receiver on that day. The 32-year-old partnered that with 50 yards on five carries against Atlanta.
Sproles' ability to make people miss while running the ball, paired with his moves to make linebackers miss on pass patterns makes Sproles a game planning night for defensive coordinators.
Emotions will have the Cowboys anxious to play their former running back turner traitor, but Dallas should really be worried about Sproles on Sunday.
Match Up X-Factor
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Eagles X-Factor of the Week: Zach Ertz
The Philadelphia Eagles are not short of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, but Zach Ertz may prove to be the most dangerous one against the Cowboys this weekend.
The tight end from Stanford University caught three passes for 46 yards against the Atlanta Falcons last week. Monday night also marked the 24-year-old's return from his offseason sports hernia surgery that forced him to miss training camp.
Ertz looked dangerous when he was on the field, and provided match-up problems for Atlanta due to his size, strength and good hands.
The regular season opener was Ertz's first time playing with Sam Bradford, but the tight end already proved to be a reliable target for the new quarterback. Against Atlanta, Ertz caught a key pass on fourth down and also made a diving grab for 21-yards to fuel a scoring drive.
“I felt really comfortable out there,” Ertz said, according to CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank. “Obviously, there’s going to be some things off timing wise. Sam and I had never really played together in a game. We talk about a lot of things, but there are going to be things that are off.
Heading into Sunday's game, Philadelphia may be able to use the tight end position to attack Dallas' defense. In last week's game against the Giants, Dallas gave up six catches for 51 yards. If Ertz proves he can block, he will stay on the field due to the options he provides in the passing game.
Against Philadelphia, the tight end position is way down on the list for things to worry about when game planning against this offense. At the top of the list for the Cowboys, will be stopping their former running back DeMarco Murray from terrorizing their defense in his first game facing Dallas. If Philadelphia can establish a running attack, Ertz will become even more dangerous in the Eagles' play-action passing game.
Prediction: Eagles 21, Cowboys 17
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The Dallas Cowboys have the ability to jump to a significant early lead in the race for the divisional title or the Philadelphia Eagles could draw even with a victory on Sunday afternoon.
Neither team started clicked on all cylinders in their opening games of the regular season, but the Cowboys showed the resolve to close out a comeback. Two late touchdown passes form Tony Romo powered Dallas to a one-point victory over the Giants.
Unfortunately, Dallas' excitement following the victory took a hit after injuries to both Dez Bryant and Randy Gregory. The Cowboys receiver will miss the game due to a broken foot, and that may be the best news for an Eagles secondary who struggled mightily against Roddy White and Julio Jones last week.
Dallas also lost rookie defensive end Gregory for four-to-six weeks to a high ankle sprain, according to SI.com. That comes as bad news The Nebraska product looked promising before leaving the game and would have been a vital part of the team's pass rush. Without Gregory, Bradford may have more time in the pocket, which spells trouble for the Cowboys. Bradford showed his efficiency and patience in the second half against the Falcons once he received better blocking.
Clashes between the Eagles and Cowboys always provide great theatrics, but this game comes at the wrong time for the Cowboys. Look for the Eagles to continue to gel as a team progress following an impressive second half against the Falcons.
If the Eagles click right from the start of the game it could be a long day for Dallas. Also look for Murray to show he is worth a big money contract as he faces his former team for the first time.
Prediction: Eagles 21, Cowboys 17
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