Cowboys @ Eagles

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

http://hosted.stats.com/fb/preview.asp?g=20131020021&home=21&vis=6

 

(AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will be playing for first place in the NFC East on Sunday in Philadelphia, though the rivalry's usual list of playmakers suiting up is likely to be a little shorter.

 

The Cowboys could be without running back DeMarco Murray, and defensive end DeMarcus Ware could miss the first game of his eight-year career.

 

The Eagles (3-3), already without wide receiver Jeremy Maclin for the season, are going into a second straight week without a definitive starter at quarterback as they look to snap an eight-game home losing streak.

 

Neither offense has sputtered much through six weeks.

 

The Eagles' third-ranked offense is averaging 449.8 yards, exactly 100 more than the Cowboys. Dallas (3-3) is second in scoring with 30.5 points per game while the Eagles are fourth at 27.7.

 

Fifty-one of the Eagles' 67 points the last two weeks have come with Nick Foles at quarterback after he replaced an injured Michael Vick late in the second quarter of a 36-21 win over the New York Giants in Week 5.

 

He played the whole game in last Sunday's 31-20 win at Tampa Bay while Vick suited up as the team's emergency quarterback to rest a hamstring injury.

 

"I feel really comfortable here. I feel comfortable with our personnel, our plays, everything," Foles said. "It helps when you have a great relationship with the players, the coaches, and when you go into the game you're all on the same page. ... Everybody stuck together, and it was another team win."

 

Foles is taking the majority of the reps in practice this week and is likely to start for a second week in place of Vick, who spoke to reporters on Thursday at the team's training complex after practice, and essentially ruled himself out.

 

"I don't want to push it too much and just let things happen naturally. It's going to be fun to watch. I look forward to watching Nick (Foles) play," Vick said. "I've had some great battles with the Dallas Cowboys and they've all been fun. Nick will get a chance to experience that."

 

Foles was named NFC offensive player of the week after throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns while running for another against the Buccaneers.

 

He lost both games he played against the Cowboys last year, starting the last meeting, a 38-33 defeat at Dallas on Dec. 2.

 

With Maclin sidelined, wide receiver DeSean Jackson is having a resurgent season. He has 34 catches and is second in the league with 589 receiving yards. His five touchdowns are tied for sixth after he scored a total of six in the last two seasons.

 

The Eagles have the league's top-ranked rushing offense (178.5 per game), led by LeSean McCoy's league-high 630 yards. Despite missing the last game and a half, Vick is still in the top 20 with 307 yards. They've averaged 139.0 yards on the ground the last two weeks.

 

The Cowboys' 25th-ranked rushing offense (84.8 ypg) would be thrilled with that total, as Murray has 428 of their 509 yards on the ground. He left in the second quarter of the Cowboys' 31-16 win Sunday over Washington with an MCL sprain in his left knee.

 

"We have to be able to run the football well when DeMarco Murray is not our runner," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.

 

A week after throwing for 506 yards and five touchdowns in a loss to Denver, quarterback Tony Romo had 170 yards on 18 of 30 passing to direct the win over Washington.

 

He's thrown three interceptions in six games after tying his career high with 19 a season ago. His 70.2 completion percentage is better than any season total since taking over the starting job in 2006.

 

Romo is 7-6 as a starter against the Eagles.

 

Denver has taught both teams offense only goes so far. The Eagles allowed 52 points to the Broncos in Week 4 while the Cowboys surrendered 51 to the Broncos in Week 5.

 

The Cowboys are allowing 308.2 passing yards per game, ahead of only the Eagles (314.5) and Broncos (337.7).

 

The Dallas pass rush, already without defensive end Anthony Spencer, likely will be without Ware, who referred to himself as doubtful after straining his right quadriceps in the first quarter against Washington.

 

The Cowboys are 0-2 on the road, but the Eagles' home woes extend far beyond this 0-2 start.

 

They've lost eight in a row in Philadelphia for the first time since Sept. 20, 1936-Sept. 21, 1937. A ninth-straight home loss would set a franchise record.

 

[KempBolt 498]

28

31

 

I'll take a flier on Foles continuing to play well. He shouldn't have much, if any pressure in his face and he's at home.

[BwareDWare94 723]

31

20

 

I don't buy Philly, and this is how the hand that's been dealt makes it look. However, we all know Dallas has a tendency to not perform when they're supposed to.

[Cheese Head 11]

Shootout game with the Eagles pulling this one out.

 

 

Cowboys: 34

Eagles: 37

[theMileHighGuy 656]

Will definitely be a high-scoring affair. Tony Romo will play well all game and probably throw a pick to lose it, like he does.

 

45

42

[GA_Eagle 595]

This Cowboys team is a lot better than us. I'm surprised how many of you have us winning.

[KempBolt 498]

This Cowboys team is a lot better than us. I'm surprised how many of you have us winning.

 

Are they? They're better, sure, but a lot better? Not so sure.

 

Yards Gained per Game:

 

Eagles 3rd

Cowboys 13th

 

Points Scored per Game:

 

Eagles 4th

Cowboys 2nd

 

Yards Allowed per Game:

 

Eagles 32nd

Cowboys 30th

 

Points Allowed per Game:

 

Eagles 29th

Cowboys 21st

 

Turnovers:

 

Eagles +2

Cowboys +4

 

Record:

 

Eagles 3-3 Vs. 15-21 opponents

Cowboys 3-3 Vs. 18-18 opponents

 

Pt. Differential:

 

Eagles -13

Cowboys +31

 

With the exception of point differential, the two teams are pretty close. I think the stats reveal a team that's better than the Eagles, but not by a very wide margin. So when you consider that Foles, in very limited action, has been better than Vick, that Ware probably won't play (or be effective if he does), and that the Eagles are at home, picking Philadelphia doesn't seem strange to me at all.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I think the most important test, the eye test, favors Dallas greatly.

[KempBolt 498]

I think the most important test, the eye test, favors Dallas greatly.

 

Something tells me your eye test is skewed in Dallas' favor.

 

As I said, Dallas is better. But not so much better than picking against them on the road is strange to me. Romo is clearly going to be the best QB on the field, but McCoy is clearly going to be the best RB. Both offenses rely heavily on one dominating receiver, both lines provide some pretty decent room to work, and both defenses can be downright terrible. The eye test tells me that these two teams aren't all that different.

 

Much depends on Foles continuing to play well. But I don't see why he can't. Especially with Ware being so ineffective.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

31-24

[BwareDWare94 723]

My strategy of picking against Dallas each week is paying off.

 

But seriously, I can't believe so many people actually thought Philly would win.

[Maverick 791]

Foles deserves a majority of the blame for this loss. He was missing throws all day. Can't even blame the receivers or line either. Cowboys did a good job keeping McCoy in check. Hatcher is certainly impressing in this new scheme. Man, it seems like we have defensive studs popping up every year..

 

All in all it wasn't a pretty game by either team. Regardless, it's good to be 3-0 in the division.

 

 

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

Now there's the Tony Romo we all have come to know!

[seanbrock 1,684]

Tough loss. We finally get our defense to come out and play well and Nick Foles just can't get it done. Not saying Dallas didn't play a great game defensively, but Nick Foles had plenty of opportunities to score more than he did. No way that game shouldn't have gone to overtime. I mean, Dallas got penalty after penalty.

[KempBolt 498]

Was Foles gimpy? Seemed like there was something wrong with him.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Was Foles gimpy? Seemed like there was something wrong with him.

Yeah he was, but he was missing throws that no NFL QB should miss. Foles didn't have to be great or even good really for us to have had a chance to win this game. All he had to do was be average. He was just down right bad. Love Foles as a back up QB, but he's not a guy you build anything around.

[Piggly Wiggly 960]

How was there only 20 points scored in this game? I was expecting a 35-31 type of game.

[seanbrock 1,684]

How was there only 20 points scored in this game? I was expecting a 35-31 type of game.

Yeah I was expecting a shootout but like I was saying in the shout box earlier before the game, I thought Dallas would wreck our defense at the very least. I'd be worried if I'm a Dallas fan about that offense. Dallas isn't going far if they remain as inconsistent as they have been since Parcells left really. They have so much more talent than the Eagles defense that scoring 17 against a bunch of guys who are not only not all that talented but many of them playing out of scheme is pretty inexcusable. Defense played great though. Jason Hatcher was dominant. LB's looked good. DB's did a great job containing Jackson.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Bet on Cowboys +2 in "Vegas"

 

[BwareDWare94 723]

Now there's the Tony Romo we all have come to know!

 

He's better than your quarterback.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Tony Romo had a terrible game (off target on a lot of easy passes) and the Cowboys still dominated. If the Cowboys fired on all cylinders with a healthy Ware and Murray this would have been a blowout.

 

There was clearly something off with Foles, because he typically does not miss short passes like he did today, but this is just another reminder of where the Eagles are: rebuilding.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I thought Barkley looked good sans the picks. I mean, they were at least moving the ball with him.

[KempBolt 498]

My strategy of picking against Dallas each week is paying off.

 

But seriously, I can't believe so many people actually thought Philly would win.

 

It's pretty simple. The last time we all saw Foles, he looked great and he was going against a statistically bad pass defense. No one was expecting him to be so terrible. Obviously wrong, but I think it's pretty clear why people liked them in this spot.

[Maverick 791]

Not really. Both defenses were bad going into the game and statistically speaking Philly's defense was worse.

 

EDIT: In that case, you have Romo against a trash defense vs Foles against a trash defense. Let's not be foolish now.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Maverick

[KempBolt 498]

Not really. Both defenses were bad going into the game and statistically speaking Philly's defense was worse.

 

Sure, they were worse. But not by much, and Philly was at home. I'm not trying to make excuses for the Eagles. They got beat soundly. Just explaining why it wasn't blind Cowboy hate the way people picked this game.