Huge game coming up on Monday night for the birds. Our first divisional rivalry game with the lights on in primetime. The Cowboys just came off of a 20-17 win over the LA Chargers, while we, unfortunately, lost 17-11 to San Francisco. If there is any time to bounce back after a loss, it is right now. The Cowboys are a beatable team, and the Eagles have the ability to win.
Finish. On. Offense.
This was our Achilles heel. The Eagles racked off some beautiful chunk plays to get into scoring position more than once. But whenever we got close, we would shoot ourselves in the foot. Quez Watkins had a 91-yard reception to get us down to the six-yard line. What happened? We tried a PHILLY SPECIAL ON 4TH AND GOAL?? It seemed to me Sirianni wanted to be the hero in Philly for that play call, but come on, everyone knows about the Philly Special now. That’s not to be outdone by Reagor’s TD getting called back only for Jake Elliott’s FG to get blocked. This week, we can absolutely rack up those huge chunk plays again, especially against a defense starting Anthony Brown at CB2. We just need to see improvement from this offensive coaching staff when the field gets shorter.
Ground and Pound
Despite missing two starters on the line, the birds still must get after this defense on the ground. Our offensive line far outweighs their d-line and I am sure Coach Sirianni is aware of that. Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell have been an effective tandem thus far, and there is no reason to abandon them now. I can even potentially see Boston Scott finally getting some reps in. The Cowboys are missing Demarcus Lawrence, Neville Gallimore, and Keanu Neal: three of their huge pieces in stopping the run, so the Eagles can win by shoving the ball down their throat.
Contain Dak
I say that a key to winning every week is to “get pressure”, but I do not believe that providing heat will be enough this time. When Dallas only lost by 2 to the defending champion Buccaneers, he was getting pressured left, right, and center. But what kept the Cowboys in that game was Dak’s ability to surprisingly extend plays with his legs and find the open man downfield. It all comes down to not letting Dak escape containment, and having our defense not give up on plays until it is over. This task will be hard without having Brandon Graham. Our D-line needs to stay fresh and relentless to slow down this electric Dallas offense.
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Jish Sokolsky is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Jish, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
Image Caption: “Dallas Cowboys Helmets” by Mr. Hernonymous is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
