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The Cowboys know how the Eagles feel
ARCHIVE | EMAIL
Matt Mosley started his career at the Dallas Morning News, where he covered the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first full-time NFL blogger at ESPN.com. Mosley can be heard weekdays as part of Galloway and Co. on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM. Follow Mosley on Twitter: @MattMosley
We didn't know it at the time, but the Philadelphia Eagles were following the Dallas Cowboys' old blueprint for building a football team a couple months ago. They spent aggressively in free agency to land star players such as Nnamdi Asomugha and Cullen Jenkins, and received more hype than any team in the league.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan famously alluded to that hype while suggesting his team would take care of the Eagles. Of course, he used more colorful language than that, but you get the picture.
The Eagles revealed cracks in the preseason, but most of us ignored those warning signs. The biggest one was Andy Reid's mind-blowing decision to replace fired defensive coordinator Sean McDermott with longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo. The move made absolutely no sense last February, and it has backfired on the Eagles spectacularly this season.
It doesn't matter how many Pro Bowlers are in the secondary when you can't stop the run. The Eagles have yielded 100 yards to an opposing running back in three of their four losses, with Ahmad Bradshaw picking up 86 in the other one. Teams are averaging 124 rushing yards per game against Philadelphia, and that's opening things up in the passing game.
This defense is soft up front and the linebackers are extremely ordinary. It's not necessarily a good thing that sixth and seventh-round draft picks for the Eagles tend to become immediate starters at that position. Perhaps it's time they consider the Cowboys strategy of identifying the best injured linebacker available in each year's draft. That's worked out with inside linebacker Sean Lee and now second-round pick Bruce Carter could be active for the first time this season after rehabbing a knee injury.
Eagles coach Andy Reid may have undermined Castillo from the start by bringing in veteran defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who had a successful run under Jeff Fisher with the Titans. Washburn has been difficult for some defensive coordinators to work with because he basically does his own thing. He brought his "wide-nine" scheme to Philly, which has compromised his defensive ends at times and allowed huge chunks of yardage between the tackles.
On Sunday, Eagles Pro Bowl defensive end Trent Cole returns from a calf injury. He's the best pass-rusher on the team and his presence should help Jason Babin on the other side. The Eagles held the Redskins to 41 yards rushing in a win before the bye, so they should play with a little more confidence. And don't forget that Reid's the master of the bye week. His teams are 12-0 after the break.
Without players around to distract him, Reid and his assistants used the bye to self-evaluate and put together a game plan for the Cowboys. With a win over Dallas on Sunday night, the Eagles would remain within shouting distance of the Giants in the NFC East. But falling to 2-5 would just about seal their fate as the biggest underachievers in the league.
The Cowboys know what that feels like because they were the team being touted as a Super Bowl contender heading into last season. But a 1-7 start doomed their season and got head coach Wade Phillips fired. Eagles owner Jeff Lurie isn't going to sack Reid during the season, but it's fair to say his job's on the line.
The Eagles signed quarterback Michael Vick to a lucrative extension and then appeared to pile on during free agency. But a lot of folks ignored how much inexperience the Eagles had along the offensive line. And opposing defenses have caught up with Vick. He had one of the most remarkable stretches in league history last season, but he's already thrown eight interceptions in 2011. Like the Cowboys of 2010, the Eagles have imploded in the face of all the expectations. They've had a flippant remark made by backup quarterback Vince Young — "Dream Team" — thrown in their face at every turn. The Eagles have become the laughingstock of the league, although it's notable that Vick doesn't seem to receive as much backlash as Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
The two teams have similar records, but they appear to be headed in different directions. The Cowboys will have everyone healthy for this game except starting running back Felix Jones. His injury has opened the door for rookie running back DeMarco Murray, who busted out for 253 yards on 25 carries against the Rams. He'll have a lot of opportunities against the Eagles' undersized linebackers. And it appears that Phillip Tanner could emerge as an effective short-yardage back for the Cowboys. He did a great job against the Rams of making himself small through the hole and then finishing off runs with a lot of power.
The Cowboys won't shy away from Asomugha, who has struggled in the Eagles' defensive scheme. He had a lot of success in man-to-man coverage in Oakland, but he's looked lost in zone coverage for much of this season. The Cowboys know the Eagles are susceptible to the deep ball, so don't be surprised if they take a shot downfield early. Garrett has likely turned to Ryan, a former Raiders assistant, for a scouting report on Asomugha this week.
Now that the Cowboys have found a semblance of a running game, they should have a good chance at knocking off the Eagles on Sunday. And a win would go a long way in making sure the Eagles can't recover from a dreadful start to the season.
The Cowboys played well enough to win in road games against the Jets and Patriots before forfeiting late leads. They have learned from those failures, and on Sunday they'll get it done in Philly.
ARCHIVE | EMAIL
Matt Mosley started his career at the Dallas Morning News, where he covered the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first full-time NFL blogger at ESPN.com. Mosley can be heard weekdays as part of Galloway and Co. on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM. Follow Mosley on Twitter: @MattMosley
We didn't know it at the time, but the Philadelphia Eagles were following the Dallas Cowboys' old blueprint for building a football team a couple months ago. They spent aggressively in free agency to land star players such as Nnamdi Asomugha and Cullen Jenkins, and received more hype than any team in the league.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan famously alluded to that hype while suggesting his team would take care of the Eagles. Of course, he used more colorful language than that, but you get the picture.
The Eagles revealed cracks in the preseason, but most of us ignored those warning signs. The biggest one was Andy Reid's mind-blowing decision to replace fired defensive coordinator Sean McDermott with longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo. The move made absolutely no sense last February, and it has backfired on the Eagles spectacularly this season.
It doesn't matter how many Pro Bowlers are in the secondary when you can't stop the run. The Eagles have yielded 100 yards to an opposing running back in three of their four losses, with Ahmad Bradshaw picking up 86 in the other one. Teams are averaging 124 rushing yards per game against Philadelphia, and that's opening things up in the passing game.
This defense is soft up front and the linebackers are extremely ordinary. It's not necessarily a good thing that sixth and seventh-round draft picks for the Eagles tend to become immediate starters at that position. Perhaps it's time they consider the Cowboys strategy of identifying the best injured linebacker available in each year's draft. That's worked out with inside linebacker Sean Lee and now second-round pick Bruce Carter could be active for the first time this season after rehabbing a knee injury.
Eagles coach Andy Reid may have undermined Castillo from the start by bringing in veteran defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who had a successful run under Jeff Fisher with the Titans. Washburn has been difficult for some defensive coordinators to work with because he basically does his own thing. He brought his "wide-nine" scheme to Philly, which has compromised his defensive ends at times and allowed huge chunks of yardage between the tackles.
On Sunday, Eagles Pro Bowl defensive end Trent Cole returns from a calf injury. He's the best pass-rusher on the team and his presence should help Jason Babin on the other side. The Eagles held the Redskins to 41 yards rushing in a win before the bye, so they should play with a little more confidence. And don't forget that Reid's the master of the bye week. His teams are 12-0 after the break.
Without players around to distract him, Reid and his assistants used the bye to self-evaluate and put together a game plan for the Cowboys. With a win over Dallas on Sunday night, the Eagles would remain within shouting distance of the Giants in the NFC East. But falling to 2-5 would just about seal their fate as the biggest underachievers in the league.
The Cowboys know what that feels like because they were the team being touted as a Super Bowl contender heading into last season. But a 1-7 start doomed their season and got head coach Wade Phillips fired. Eagles owner Jeff Lurie isn't going to sack Reid during the season, but it's fair to say his job's on the line.
The Eagles signed quarterback Michael Vick to a lucrative extension and then appeared to pile on during free agency. But a lot of folks ignored how much inexperience the Eagles had along the offensive line. And opposing defenses have caught up with Vick. He had one of the most remarkable stretches in league history last season, but he's already thrown eight interceptions in 2011. Like the Cowboys of 2010, the Eagles have imploded in the face of all the expectations. They've had a flippant remark made by backup quarterback Vince Young — "Dream Team" — thrown in their face at every turn. The Eagles have become the laughingstock of the league, although it's notable that Vick doesn't seem to receive as much backlash as Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
The two teams have similar records, but they appear to be headed in different directions. The Cowboys will have everyone healthy for this game except starting running back Felix Jones. His injury has opened the door for rookie running back DeMarco Murray, who busted out for 253 yards on 25 carries against the Rams. He'll have a lot of opportunities against the Eagles' undersized linebackers. And it appears that Phillip Tanner could emerge as an effective short-yardage back for the Cowboys. He did a great job against the Rams of making himself small through the hole and then finishing off runs with a lot of power.
The Cowboys won't shy away from Asomugha, who has struggled in the Eagles' defensive scheme. He had a lot of success in man-to-man coverage in Oakland, but he's looked lost in zone coverage for much of this season. The Cowboys know the Eagles are susceptible to the deep ball, so don't be surprised if they take a shot downfield early. Garrett has likely turned to Ryan, a former Raiders assistant, for a scouting report on Asomugha this week.
Now that the Cowboys have found a semblance of a running game, they should have a good chance at knocking off the Eagles on Sunday. And a win would go a long way in making sure the Eagles can't recover from a dreadful start to the season.
The Cowboys played well enough to win in road games against the Jets and Patriots before forfeiting late leads. They have learned from those failures, and on Sunday they'll get it done in Philly.
