Eagles Analysis: Scouting the Cowboys for Week 2

Week 1 is in the books for the Philadelphia Eagles and it was a mixed bag. Byron Maxwell underperformed against Julio Jones. Sam Bradford was underwhelming in his first quarter performance but managed to redeem himself in the second half. Jordan Matthews had an up-and-down night but Darren Sproles contributed to the team’s offensive game. Sadly, all these factors contributed to the Eagles loss but there is a bigger challenge coming in Week 2.

The Dallas Cowboys come to the City of Brotherly Love. Dallas is coming off of a win against the New York Giants but neither team looked in particularly good shape. The Giants collapsed in epic fashion during the final moment. The Cowboys didn’t fair much better, handing three-turnovers to their division rival. There is a lot that the Eagles can gain from scouting their opponent and it might give them an edge. They’ll need to make sure that mistakes from Week 1 are corrected in order to beat the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.

Dallas can’t run the ball

The Cowboys didn’t look like they were performing at this top notch during their game against the Giants. A big issues what their run game, especially the fact that there wasn’t much of one. Last season much of their success came from the strength of the run game and their top target DeMarco Murray. Murray has since left for Philadelphia and it seems like Dallas’ run game might have gone alone with him. The Cowboys only managed to have 23 carries for 80 yards, only averaging 3.5 yards a carry. To keep Dallas to a poor run game, the Eagles secondary will need to step up and make plays. It’ll also be a good chance for Byron Maxwell to redeem himself after a less-than-ideal first game in Eagles green. If they can do that, they’ll have a good chance at keeping Dallas from the red zone.

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Eagles

Dez Bryant injury good for Eagles

One of the biggest weaknesses for the Cowboys offensive line is the loss of wide receiver Dez Bryant. Bryant suffered a broken foot against the Giants and will be out four to six weeks. Now that is an ideal timeline but his time on the bench might be longer than originally thought. Since Bryant is one of the best wide receivers, and best offensive player, that the Cowboys have, it might put a significant dent in the targets that QB Tony Romo has to use. The lack of Dez Bryant will allow the Eagles to be more exotic with their blitzes and pressure Romo more. The Eagles can’t get wildly irresponsible with their defenses since Dallas’ biggest target is out. There is still Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams for Romo to target so that will means the Eagles defense will need to be on their toes.

Matchup to Watch

Eagles Offense vs. Dallas Secondary

It’s no great surprise that the dominating headline going into Week 2 is DeMarco Murray’s matchup against his former team. Murray was impressive during his time with the Cowboys, being the team’s number one target in the run game. However, Murray has made his way to the Eagles and expect the Eagles to utilize him as much as possible. They’ll go to the ground as often as possible against their NFC East rival. Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews round out the Eagles three-headed running back monster and Dallas will need to make sure that their secondary pressures those backs and maintains coverage. They’ll also need to keep the ball out of Jordan Matthews’ hands. Chip Kelly is a fan of confusing defenders with misdirection and multiple options for each play. Dallas will need to keep eyes open on the field if they have a chance of stopping Kelly’s offensive machine.

Final Score Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles 28, Dallas Cowboys 21

Both teams have a lot to gain from the outcome of Sunday’s meeting. Dallas could be a significant leg up on the NFC East race with a win but the Eagles could make it even with their win. Dallas defense managed to shut down the Giants offense last week but they’ll have a harder time going up against the Eagles strong offensive machine. They’ll put pressure on Sam Bradford so it’s important that Bradford has good eyes on the field and the Eagles return the pressure on Tony Romo. However, the Eagles have a big advantage with Dallas losing Dez Bryant and Randy Gregory.

It could be good news for an Eagles secondary that struggled against Atlanta’s Roddy White and Julio Jones. If Bradford is better protected like he was in the second half of last week’s game, he’ll have a chance to show his efficiency and accuracy. It’s always a good time when these two teams go head to head and if the Eagles manage to gel better during the game, they’ll have the chance to knock down Dallas.

Next: Eagles Fantasy Football Preview: Week 2

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