Philadelphia Eagles Bennie Logan Key To Defeating Dallas
By Bret Stuter
Oct 26, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle
Bennie Logan(96) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Eagles Bennie Logan Key To Defeating Dallas
It seemed like a harmless statement in the days leading up to the first game. The Dallas offensive line, winning the hearts and praise of virtually every football pundit with a microphone these days, was the topic of a question posed to nose tackle “Yeah, they’re OK,” Logan continued. “I don’t really know what’s great about them.”
Whether by design or simply random chance, that set of comments placed a bullseye on Logan’s back in that first game. Fortunately for the Eagles, while Dallas threw double teams at Logan, the likes of OLB Conner Barwin, Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, and defensive ends Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, and one-man-wrecking-ball Fletcher Cox made them pay for it.
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Two weeks later, we have to meet and defeat those same Dallas Cowboys. If the Dallas coaching staff is wiser from the thumping 33-10 defeat from the last meeting, they will rechannel their offensive line’s focus to concentrate on Fletcher Cox
When they do that, it will be up to Bennie Logan to make them pay.
The key to stopping the Dallas offense is stopping workhorse running back DeMarco Murray. In the first meeting, Philadelphia shut him down by holding him to 73 yards on 20 carries, his lowest totals of the season. Despite the setback, Murray leads the NFL in rushing at 1,606 yards in just 13 games. But it’s not solely from talent. Dallas works him hard, perhaps too hard for the young man’s career to sustain. In 13 games, he’s rushed for 320 carries. On top of that, he’s caught 53 of 60 passes tossed his way for an additional 392 yards. Of 790 offensive plays, Murray has figured in on 380 of them. In short, he’s more engine to that offense than quarterback Tony Romo.
And so, the defense must do once more what no other defense has done. They must control Murray. The best way to do that is to add pressure up the middle.
The middle is Bennie Logan.
Is Bennie up to the challenge? Well, in the new scheme, the Eagles have given Bennie the two gap assignment on both sides of the center. With that comes routine double teams from both a center and guard to move him out of the middle. Typically, a two versus one scenario favors the offense. But Logan can hold his own.
He’s accounted for 43 tackles this year, a huge number for a nose tackle. And while he has yet to record a quarterback sack, he has deflected a pass and forced a fumble. His play has allowed Billy Davis to give Fletcher Cox a one gap assignment and create havoc for opposing offenses. His play has also allowed outside linebackers Conner Barwin, Trent Cole, and Brandon Graham to stunt inside or rush from the edge and lead the Eagles to the second most quarterback sacks in the NFL.
But this Sunday, it will be up to Bennie.
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Having seen what the Eagles can do, you have to expect the Cowboys to adjust. The common sense logic is they will emphasize quick hitch passes early in the game, and then feed a steady diet of runs.
The only real counter to that is pressure in the A gap. Pressure that starts at the center of the offense crowds “the pocket”, derails timing, and forces the offense to adjust. Despite all the talk and praise, true Eagles fans know that if you make Romo improvise, you make Romo throw interception. That’s step one.
Pressure up the middle also defeats the patience of Murray. With one half of the field cut off, Murray will be forced to commit to one side of the defense or the other. Then, just as last game, the Eagles can swarm and gang tackle him.
With 320 rushes and another 60 passes in his direction, Murray has already seen plenty of work. The Eagles could wear him down in this game with another good defensive day, helping them to a victory and hurting Dallas’ chances in their upcoming games as well.
In the first meeting, it was the casual comments by the Eagles nose tackle that set events into motion to give the Eagles a 33-10 victory over the Cowboys. In this second meeting, it will require impressive play from the nose tackle position to repeat a victory.
Bennie has always been happy to take the trenchwork and leave the spotlight to his teammates. On Sunday, the spotlight is on Bennie Logan.
It’s his day to shine. Bring your sunglasses folks.