Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: Full Dallas Game Preview

Rarely do fans of an NFL team with a 2-5 record through its first seven games find themselves with plenty of plausible scenarios that would result in a playoff berth.

After falling to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, the Dallas Cowboys are losers of five straight, and they will be without quarterback Tony Romo for another two games. But with a 2-1 record against division opponents and the struggles of the other NFC East teams, the Cowboys find themselves in a position to be optimistic.

The first step to turning those scenarios into reality is to get win No. 3 on the season this Sunday night when division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles pay their annual visit to AT&T Stadium.

News and Notes

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Running Back Shuffle

After rushing 29 times for 152 yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants, veteran Darren McFadden displaced Joseph Randle as the “starter” at running back. Meanwhile, Randle endured injury and demotion, pending discipline from the league regarding other “issues”, which culminated in his release from the team Tuesday morning.

Over the past two weeks, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan called the running game in a significantly different fashion than he had in the first five weeks.

He called far fewer of the teams’ bread-and-butter outside zone plays than a typical game, likely to better suit McFadden’s straight-line style of running. Linehan’s calls combined with the best eight quarters the vaunted Dallas offensive line has played in 2015 resulted in significant optimism regarding the Cowboys running game moving forward.

Christine Michael is still in the picture and is only one McFadden injury away from being the lead back. Rod Smith saw the field some against the Seahawks, and new acquisition Trey Williams, signed off the Washington practice squad, has some excited about his potential as a possible Lance Dunbar replacement.

Tony Romo on the Practice Field

Wednesday brought the first in a series of moments for which Cowboys fans have been waiting with baited breath, as quarterback Tony Romo returned to the practice field for the first time since suffering a fractured collarbone in Week 2 in Philadelphia.  

Romo doesn’t appear on the injury report because he is currently on the injured reserve-designated for return list, which is separate from the active roster. The quarterback has a two-week window to practice before he is eligible to return to the active roster the week of the Cowboys' Week 11 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

Latest Injury News

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Player	Position	Injury	Wed. Practice
Dez Bryant	WR	Foot	Limited Participant
Brice Butler	WR	Hamstring	Full Participant
Matt Cassel	QB	Knee	Full Participant
Barry Church	S	Ankle	Did Not Participate
James Hanna	TE	Ankle	Limited Participant
DeMarcus Lawrence	DE	Back	Limited Participant

(All injury information courtesy of Dallascowboys.com)

Again the big news on the injury front is, and will continue to be, Dez Bryant. His availability to participate, even on a limited basis, likely means that he got through the Seattle game without suffering any setbacks to his foot. Unless his participation level regresses through the week, resulting in a doubtful type of designation on Friday or Saturday, Dez should be back on the field once again to face off with the Eagles.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys Offensive Line vs. Eagles Defensive Front

The Eagles defense presents some serious challenges for its opponents at the point of attack. Its front seven is loaded with talent and makes life difficult whether running or passing. Players like Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Vinny Curry, Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham give the Eagles a stout but explosive group up front.

If the Cowboys are going to have success, the offensive line, which has played its best football the last two weeks, is going to have to hold up against the onslaught that the Eagles bring. As always, establishing the running game early will be key to helping the offense get going and finally get some touchdowns on the board.

X-Factor of the Week: Tyrone Crawford

I’ve written many times, and will continue to do so, that the key to stopping the Eagles offense is winning the battle on the interior of the line of scrimmage, primarily by getting quality play from the three-technique position.

This year, the quality of the Eagles’ guards has declined sharply from previous years, and the offense has largely sputtered as a result.

If the Cowboys want to repeat their dominant defensive performance from Week 2 in Philadelphia, they’ll need Tyrone Crawford to be at his best, disrupting the run game and getting in quarterback Sam Bradford’s face, which typically leads to turnovers by the former No. 1 pick.

Prediction

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys defense will be on a mission to generate takeaways against a team that is fifth in the NFL in turning it over, with 15 in seven games. The front four’s ability to generate pressure against a porous offensive line, which could be without its best player, Jason Peters (who missed Wednesdays practice with a back injury), should enable them to do just that.

If the Cowboys can win the turnover battle and run the ball successfully enough to keep Matt Cassel from being forced to carry the offense, Dallas can come away with a victory.

Prediction: Cowboys 17, Seahawks 13