Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: First Team To Establish the Run Will Win

The Philadelphia Eagles average 30 rushing attempts in their eight wins, and 22 rushing attempts in their four losses.

The Dallas Cowboys average 32 rushing attempts in their four wins, and 22 rushing attempts in their eight losses.

Mark my words, this game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday evening will be no walk in the park for the Philadelphia Eagles. Expect the Cowboys to come out strong and aggressive. Remember folks, the Cowboys always had the talent there but never had anyone to put it to use.

Jason Garrett is doing an exceptional job in his late-season audition for the full-time head coaching job. He has instilled confidence and camaraderie in the locker room and the players truly believe in him. The Cowboys aren't making the same dumb mistakes that we have become accustomed to and Jon Kitna is playing exceptionally well. We are going to see 60 minutes of intense football come Sunday.

The Eagles are flying high right now. Everything is going their way and they're playing some of the best football that I've seen in years. You know a season is special when Andy Reid and Marty Morninwheg are said to be one of the top three coaching tandems in the NFL. The Eagles have had to come out in the fourth quarter trailing in many games this season. Usually, in the Donovan McNabb era, they would lose those games. The only difference is that they're actually winning this time around.

This game against the Cowboys will really give me a better picture of whether or not the Eagles can take the Lombardi Trophy this year. So many people that I have talked to actually believe that the Eagles will blow out Dallas. Yeah, right. This is going to be a battle. The Eagles will be facing a well-coached, fired up football Dallas team at Cowboys Stadium. Expect another heart attack come Sunday night. But, hey, we're all used to those by now. 

The biggest story in this game is that Dez Bryant is OUT. In my mind, Bryant is the Cowboys' number one wide receiver. Miles Austin is overrated and Roy Williams is just old.  The Eagles cornerbacks have been doing a decent job all season of covering their assignments, so hopefully they could use the added intensity to their advantage.

Defensive end Juqua Parker is also returning this week. This is good news. Brandon Graham didn't look great out there. He was decent but he certainly didn't look like a first-round pick. Graham is playing out of position here in Philly. He was a 3-4 outside linebacker at Michigan and he was brought into a 4-3 defensive scheme. It will take a bit of acclimation.

The Eagles will need a big game out of LeSean McCoy. They also need to use Jerome Harrison more.  Establishing a run game early is pivotal because I'll be damned if Jason Garrett allows his secondary to give up the big play.

Michael Vick needs to keep playing the way he has been and DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin MUST get open if their routes are covered. Vick needs somewhere to throw the ball, so just get open!

Both teams have been playing solid football lately. The Cowboys have a nice three-headed monster in the run game with Tashard Choice, Felix Jones and Marion Barber. The Eagles also could have a nice duo with McCoy and Harrison. The only problem is that they barely use it to their advantage.

While you're in the habit of marking words, mark these down as well: 

Whichever team can establish the run first will win the game. 

This article is also featured on Philadelphia Eagles Talk.