Five Keys to an Eagles Win Over the Cowboys

October 30, 2011 7:00 pm | By: Ryan Messick

Nnamdi Asomugha's versatility should be on display tonight as a source tells Philly Sports Report that he'll be seeing a lot of Jason Witten.

5. Stop the Run Early – The task of slowing down the Cowboys rushing attack should, in theory, be easier than usual. Sure, DeMarco Murray went off to the tune of 253 yards last week, but this week he’ll effectively be a one man show. Felix Jones is out and the Cowboys waived Tashard Choice this week, looking to reach an injury settlement. That leaves Murray and Phillip Tanner, an undrafted rookie from Middle Tennessee State.

4. Neutralize Jason Witten - When it comes to the Cowboys passing game, the goal is simple. Slow down Jason Witten. With Trent Cole back in the fold on the defensive line, the Eagles will get plenty of pressure on Tony Romo, who is certainly prone to mistakes. However, if his safety valve isn’t closely covered, the Eagles can expect to see Witten go off on them again. In 15 career games against the Eagles, Witten has racked up 87 receptions for 1,026 yards and seven touchdowns. Nnamdi Asomugha will draw the assignment of covering Witten in key spots today, if not for the whole game, according to a source.

3. Don’t Fall Out of Balance – The Cowboys have the league’s best rushing defense, so the Eagles will see their top-ranked rushing offense tested today. Keep in mind that Philadelphia’s ranking includes Michael Vick’s scrambling ability, and even though LeSean McCoy is putting up big numbers, the Eagles would have a middle of the pack rushing attack without Vick’s numbers. Even if the Eagles struggle to move the ball on the ground, they need to keep the run to pass ratio somewhat in check in order to keep the Cowboys honest. Otherwise, Dallas can just tee off and go after Michael Vick, which leads to key number two.

2. Protect Vick – Chances are good that Rob Ryan will come at the Eagles from every angle looking to get pressure on Michael Vick. He’ll throw the kitchen sink, the stove, the microwave and the dishwasher at Vick if that’s what it takes. Ryan loves to blitz, and even though the Cowboys base defense is a 3-4 front, the Birds should expect to see a wide range of looks at the line of scrimmage. A review of film from Ryan’s past shows that he’ll go with zero down lineman and walk players back and forth at the line of scrimmage to create confusion, so the Eagles have two challenges – first, they must identify the pass rushers, which will fall largely on Vick but also on his lineman. Then, the Eagles have to physically match up with talented pass rushers like DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff. Neither task is easy, but both will be paramount to keeping Vick comfortable and helping him take care of the ball.

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1. Win the Turnover Battle – That’s really what it all comes down to. When the Eagles win or tie in the turnover battle this year, they are 2-0. When they lose it, they are 0-4. Both Tony Romo and Vick are prone to poor decisions and bad ball security when under pressure, so this game has the potential to have a lot of giveaways. If Philadelphia can get the better of Dallas in the turnover department, the Eagles have a great chance to climb right back into the thick of the NFC East race.

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