December 17, 2019
Usually, midweek during the NFL season we scour the internet looking for a common theme of articles to compile here, in our weekly "What They're Saying" entry, to give some perspective as to what the dominant storylines are.
This week we really didn't have to look too hard. The Eagles and Cowboys, both 7-7, will do battle in Philadelphia Sunday and whoever wins will have a monster one-game lead heading into Week 17. If the Eagles win, and can also beat the Giants (for the second time in four weeks), they'll be in the playoffs.
Sunday is for all the marbles.
So without further ado, with the most important Dallas Week ahead since probably 2013 when Nick Foles beat Dallas to clinch the NFC East (more on that here), here is what they're saying about the Eagles this week:
Both the Eagles and the Cowboys have been wildly inconsistent this season, even moreso than their mediocre season records imply. Both have had embarrassing losses to bad teams and have had impressive ones over good ones (well, more of those for the Eagles, but still...).
Over at Bleacher Report, Mike Tanier says that either of these teams in the playoffs would act in a "spoiler" role, as neither really belongs there in the first place:
It would be stunning for the Eagles to both reach the playoffs and be competitive in their current state. Yet they backed into the playoffs last year and ended up beating the Bears thanks to a blocked field goal and some leftover Nick Foles magic. So anything is possible.
Sunday's Cowboys-Eagles game is unlikely to be a masterpiece, and the winner will be little more than a speedbump on some other team's journey to the Super Bowl. But it's still meaningful December football between teams whose fanbases truly loathe each other. And at least both teams are in character: There's something very Philly sports about ruining it for everyone else because you can't have nice things, just as there's something very Dallas Cowboys about preening and underperforming while the whole nation either cheers or jeers you.
Both these teams will have to do some significant offseason soul-searching (and housecleaning) whether they win Sunday or not. For now, both teams get to battle for a playoff spot, even though neither of them truly belong. [Bleacher Report]
Over at the Inquirer, Bob Ford takes a somewhat humorous point-counterpoint look at the Eagles' matchup this week, listing some reasons why they absolutely will win and some why they won't. Here's my favorite, and one of the more interesting points the veteran columnist makes:
NFL games are not decided by magic. They are usually won by the team with enough talent to make itself a bad matchup for the opponent. The Cowboys are a bad matchup for the Eagles.
Six of the seven Eagles losses have come against teams with passing offenses ranked among the top 12 in the league. (Miami was the exception.) For all the talk of finally getting healthy in the defensive backfield, the truth is that the Eagles aren’t very good there even when healthy.
The defensive line hasn’t brought enough consistent pressure to help out, and Jim Schwartz has been reduced to blitzing more than he would like. Against the No. 2 passing offense in the league, and against a starting quarterback who has been sacked the fewest times this season, this matchup will decide the game. [Inquirer.com]
From one point-counterpoint to another, ESPN's Cowboys reporter Todd Archer and Eagles reporter Tim McManus went back and forth debating which team actually had it worse this season, as the injuries and fallen expectations have piled up for both teams. Here's a look at what each had to say in the section entitled "big disappointment."
Cowboys: The Dallas defense is in the top 10 in terms of yards allowed (323.6 per game) and in the top half in terms of points allowed per game (20.6). It is proof that stats can lie. The unit has not taken the ball away enough and has not affected the passer enough. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence signed the biggest deal in franchise history in terms of average salary per year ($21 million) and guaranteed money ($65 million), but he has not gotten to the quarterback enough (five sacks). Linebacker Jaylon Smith signed a $64 million extension before the season started, but he has been a disappointment even if he leads the team in tackles. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has missed the past four games with a neck injury, but he was not as productive as he had been as a rookie in 2018. With the defensive players struggling, the scheme has struggled. This is not a scheme that is difficult to figure out, and the only answer from the coaches is to work harder.
Eagles: With all due respect to Dallas' struggles, Todd, nothing screams rock bottom like giving up 37 points to the stripped-down Miami Dolphins, as the Eagles did to open the month of December. The defense's worst outing prior to that? Thinking, thinking ... oh right, it came during a 37-10 loss in Dallas on Oct. 20. Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper had five catches for 105 yards in that game. Slowing down top-end receivers has been a serious issue for this Eagles' defense, which has been on the wrong end of 10 different 100-yard receiving performances so far this season. The Eagles have allowed 14 pass plays of 40-plus yards, tied for second most in the league. It's an area that they have struggled to clean up -- and one the Cowboys can exploit on Sunday. [ESPN]
Brian Cass, for Fansided's Inside the Iggles, rightly is calling on the Eagles' best defensive player Fletcher Cox to show why he deserves to be among the highest paid edge rushers in the game Sunday. The stage is big, and it's time for the Eagles' stars to rise to the occasion:
Simply put, the defense needs to step up immensely against Dallas, and it’ll all start with Fletcher Cox. If he can provide pressure through the middle of the Cowboys offensive line, not only will it help in containing running back Ezekiel Elliott, but it’ll force Dak Prescott to make quick reads without being able to step up in the pocket.
The offense has shown the ability to put up points despite being riddled with injuries. Now, the defense has to hold up its end of the bargain.
Big-time players make big-time plays in big games, and this is without a doubt the biggest game of the Eagles season. Fletcher Cox is about as big-time as it gets for a defensive tackle. It’s time for him to ball out and show the rest of the league that he’s still the dominant interior force we all know and love.
If he shows out with a huge game against the hated Cowboys, his Eagles just might find themselves atop the NFC East when it’s all said and done. [Inside the Iggles]
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