The Cowboys and Eagles face off Sunday in a matchup with major playoff implications. Both teams are tied atop the NFC East with 9-4 records, but it was the Eagles who walked away victorious the last time the two teams played.
Philadelphia blew out Dallas 33-10 on Thanksgiving Day. Running back LeSean McCoy carried the Eagles, racking up 159 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. The Eagle defense limited the Cowboys offense to just 10 points.
To help preview a game that will likely determine the NFC East Champion, we caught up with Dave Stoessel of Eagles Addict.
What is the most important matchup on either side of the ball?
Like the first game, this will come down to the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides. The Eagles' DL was able to limit Murray and generate pressure on Romo. However, I saw Dallas' OL getting some push in the run game and if the score had remained close, Murray may have eventually gotten loose.
The Eagles' OL needs to come up with another big performance by opening lanes for McCoy and protecting Sanchez. If they can control the line of scrimmage again, it could either be another long day for the Cowboys or the game could turn into a shoot-out.
What is the Eagles biggest weakness, and how should the Cowboys attack it?
The secondary! This was the most surprising aspect of the last game in that the Cowboys didn't attack this area. Dallas should get Dez Bryant involved early and often on mid-to-long range pass patterns. Cole Beasley, Jason Witten and even Gavin Escobar could be in line for big days if Dallas ever realizes they have other options besides DeMarco Murray.
The Eagles' secondary is capable of making a play here and there, but they lead the league in big plays allowed.
Who the most overlooked player on the Eagles?
That's a tough one, but I'd probably go with ILB Mychal Kendricks. He's fast, athletic and seems to be coming into his own this year. He's stepped up in a big way since DeMeco Ryans went down earlier this season and gives the defense a much needed presence in the middle.
How much faith do you have in Mark Sanchez?
Not as much as I'd like, I'll tell you that. I think Sanchez has shown to be efficient in running the offense when everything else around him is clicking on all cylinders. He's not a game-changer and is not the kind of QB who can put a team on his back and lead them to victory.
He can make plays to keep the offense rolling, but has a maddening tendency to make bad decisions. If the run-game is working and he doesn't have to play from behind a large deficit, he's okay. Put him in a position where he has some pressure on him, he doesn't seem to rise above it.
What’s your final score prediction?
Eagles 30, Cowboys 27
This game will be much closer this time around and may come down to who has the ball last.
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