10 Storylines for Cowboys-Eagles
1. How will Tony Romo perform in his first game after becoming the $67 million man? Romo struggled against Philadelphia last year, against a very aggressive defense. And all eyes will be watching how he handles his new fortune.
2. Will the Eagles attack this offense the way they have in the past? The Cowboys previous opponents, starting with Buffalo, have approached Romo differently. They have tried to force Romo to be patient and take more underneath stuff. Romo had a hard time with this adjustment at times against Buffalo, but he executed the offense superbly against Minnesota. The Eagles are usually stubborn in what they do defensively. If they attack Romo, he will have chances for big plays.
3. Can Donovan McNabb back up his mouth? If the Eagles can’t win this game, it will drop them to 3-5, while the Cowboys improve to 7-1, and essentially end any hopes the Eagles have of “the NFC East title going through Philly.” They will be up for this game. They always are against the Cowboys, and their season is riding on it.
4. Will the Cowboys continue to ease Marion Barber into the feature back role, or will the carries be split evenly? Many fans are calling for Barber to see the ball more, and with good reason. He is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, the second consecutive season he has out-performed Julius Jones. Barber can handle the load. The question is whether the Cowboys want to take a chance on him wearing down, with his running style.
5. Can the Cowboys contain Brian Westbrook? The Eagles are best at running the ball to the left side of their offense, which is right at DeMarcus Ware in our defense. They are also good at short screens and draws, which at times have given the Cowboys problems this year. Look for Philadelphia to run just as much to the left, if not more, than they normally do. They’re best at it, and they will try to use it to help neutralize DeMarcus Ware as a pass rusher.
6. Will Anthony Henry play enough to be a factor in this game? Henry practiced with the first-team defense on Thursday. Wade Phillips says he still does believe Henry will start the game, but he will probably play. The Cowboys are awaiting the day, with great anticipation, when both corners are on the field together. It will make a huge difference in what this defense can do.
7. Can the Cowboys get to Donovan McNabb? McNabb has already been sacked 27 times this year. The Eagles will try to structure a gameplan to stop DeMarcus Ware. It will be tough to do, however, with Greg Ellis on the other side. And with Anthony Henry returning to the field, the playbook will be a little more open for the Dallas defense.
8. Can Flozell Adams contain Trent Cole? Cole already has 9 sacks on the season. If the Eagles can get a lot of pressure up front, without committing to the blitz too often, then they can have the best of both worlds. They can pressure Romo, and force him to patiently move his team down the field. Adams-Cole is the most important matchup in this game.
9. Will L.J. Smith be a factor in this game? Smith has struggled this season, mostly due to recovering from a sports hernia. He has been a huge part of the Philadelphia offense the past two years. It’s no secret that opposing offenses believe they can attack the Cowboys safeties with athletic tight ends. Expect the Eagles to make an extra effort to get Smith involved early and often.
10. Can Jon Runyan perform at his typical level? He has missed some practices this week, after injuring his tailbone a few weeks ago. The injury has not caused Runyan to miss a game yet, but how will he perform? The Eagles pass protection is a weakness anyway. Without Runyan, or with an ineffective Runyan, Greg Ellis will have a big day.
