Cowboys Keys to Victory Against Eagles

The Cowboys head into the belly of the beast today against the Philadelphia Eagles and they’ll head into the game as underdogs. For the Cowboys, this will be a test to see how they battle through adversity today and the rest of the year without Dez Bryant. No one really knows when Dez will return to the field. We’re hearing 4-6 weeks and some reports today suggest 10-12 weeks, it’s all a guessing game.

The Cowboys offense will look different without Dez, but the mission is the same — win the game. One thing Garrett has been so masterful at has been getting his message engrained into every players’ mind and I believe we’ll see that today against the Eagles. We have a solid defense that plays it’s heart out for Rod Marinelli and with that one play at a time mentality, the Cowboys will play very methodical football.

Here are my keys to victory:

Pressure Sam Bradford

The Cowboys won’t blitz in this game, and will rely heavily from their defensive line rotation which will be challenging with the fast pace of the Eagles offense. I expect the defense to play a nickel base and some more dime package as these Eagles will try to put pressure on the secondary. This is nothing new as Marinelli has done a solid job slowing down the offense and a good job game planning against Kelly’s offense. The Cowboys saw what the Falcons were able to do against the Eagles offensive line, and the Cowboys have a better front. The Falcons were able to hit and put Bradford on the ground, so I expect Bradford to turn the ball over a few times. We should see Ryan Russell today and hopefully Davon Coleman, they give the Cowboys more pass rush that will be needed with the absence of Gregory and Hardy for a few more weeks.

Time of possession

The key to slowing down the Eagles is time of possession and that will start with the Cowboys offensive line. The Eagles have a better defensive line that the Giants, and they’ll put pressure and challenge the Cowboys running attack today. I’m interested in seeing if Ron Leary starts and whether or not he can hold up with his groin strain. If we get Collins in the game he’ll need to play lights out in relief. Look for the Cowboys to run the ball, and look for multiple tight end sets to provide extra blockers and to aid in the passing game whenever Romo audibles out. Gavin Escobar should get a lot of snaps today with James Hanna a bit banged up.

Force Turnovers

The Cowboys need to cause the Eagles to turn the ball over and they’ll have several opportunities. We know DeMarco Murray fumbles the ball and the defense will punch that ball out today. Sam Bradford is a statue and will fumble the ball if the Cowboys collapse the pocket and flush out Bradford on his bad knees.

Open up the playbook

With Dez out of the lineup, I expect Scott Linehan to focus on the strengths of the remaining offensive weapons and get those players rolling. I’m looking at more Lance Dunbar, Gavin Escobar, Jason Witten as quick safety valve plays that will get the Cowboys some tough yards, but some could pop open for bigger plays than last week. We’ll probably see Terrance Williams on more crossing patterns since those have been his most effective route to pressure the Eagles secondary. The Cowboys showed last year they could be resilient in games and they’ll fight a full 4 quarters, there’s no quit in these players.

Swarm to Darren Sproles and Jordan Matthews

If the Cowboys can corral Sproles and Matthews, then the Cowboys will be in good shape. I expect Marinelli to have a nice gameplan for the duration of the game, and he’ll have adjustments at the half to close the game out. If the Cowboys can beat the Eagles on the road, it may send them into slump and questions from their fanbase will pressure whether or not Kelly knows what he is doing and whether or not his offseason moves are back firing.

Limit turnovers

Last week the Cowboys looked like they were hungover with all the oddball turnovers. Receivers were dropping passes and turning the ball over to the Giants, gifting them 17 points. The Cowboys cannot give the Eagles free points today. We need Beasley, Dunbar, and Randle to run the ball with better security. Randle scares me when he tries to stretch out the ball for extra yardage — secure that ball. If we win the turnover battle we’ll win the game.

What are your keys to victory to beating the Eagles today? Let’s go Dallas!