Eagles will need big ‘D’ in Big D

By Lou DiPietro  |   Thursday, September 11, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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It’s only Week 2, but Monday's showdown against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium could be the biggest game of the Philadelphia Eagles’ season.

Offensively, the Eagles are a talented and deep team this year. Looking at their blowout over the St. Louis Rams last week, that would seem obvious. However, it’s easy to be optimistic when you’re on the field against what seemingly amounts to a JV squad -- the Rams were one of the worst teams in the league last year, and this season doesn’t look much better for them.

After all, can the Eagles' offense really be that potent anyway? Three different receivers - DeSean Jackson (106), Greg Lewis (104) and Hank Baskett (102) - posted 100-yard games last Sunday, a feat that hasn’t been done in Philadelphia in 48 years. While the fact that Jackson is a rookie makes the accomplishment seem even more spectacular, it may actually be more so for the other two. Baskett had all of 142 yards last season, while Lewis had never before racked up more than 88 yards in a game.

Again, the Rams’ defense has more holes than a miniature golf course. This week, the Eagles face a much tougher Dallas defense -- one that held them to 27 total points last year in two games, and one that gave up only 10 to a supposedly potent Cleveland offense last Sunday. The Cowboy 'D' is stingy, to say the least.

All things considered, right now is the perfect time for the Eagles to meet the Cowboys -- even if it is on the road. But if Monday is to be a repeat of last year’s late-season upset in Dallas, it’s going to have to be the Philly defense, not necessarily the offense, that remains potent.

Yes, the same defense that held the Cowboys to six points at Texas Stadium last year; this time, though, the Eagles will have the added bonus of All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, whom they signed in the offseason.

He’ll most likely be on old Eagles chum Terrell Owens, which is good news for people who like bad news. As it is, the Eagles have mostly shut down the brash receiver since he flew the coop for Big D. Outside of T.O.’s 10-catch, 174-yard game in Week 9 of 2006, he’s been held to 10 grabs for 105 yards in the other three games.

Those games, however, came without Samuel covering him and with a much more dangerous Dallas receiving corps surrounding him. As it stands, the Cowboys have five receivers active, but outside of Owens and Patrick Crayton, they’re pretty shallow. Sam Hurd hasn’t practiced all week, Miles Austin hasn’t done much and Isaiah Stanback only had two grabs last Sunday. While I hate to play devil's advocate, you have to remember that many thought the Eagles’ receiving corps that totaled over 350 yards last week was weakened by the losses of Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown.

But another advantage for the Birds' defense is that the Cowboys are also horribly banged up. Marion Barber’s ribs are tender, Tony Romo is hurting and starting cornerback Terence Newman is still bothered by a lingering groin injury. While Barber has participated in practice this week, it might only take one particularly vicious hit to send him back to the sidelines again. As for Newman, well, even with Adam Jones as the team's third CB, it might only take a couple offensive touchdowns for the Eagles to win if their 'D' is effective. Given the way Jackson and Lewis burned the Rams’ secondary last week -- not to mention Baskett’s amazing 90-yard TD reception that required all of one juke -- one bad beat on a gimpy Newman and it may be too little, too late to recover.

With tight end Jason Witten being the only other real receiving threat for Dallas, the Eagles can employ a similar strategy to the one they used against St. Louis: Put Samuel on Owens, stuff eight in the box on first and second downs, let Quentin Mikell cover Crayton if Sheldon Brown or Lito Sheppard needs to take Witten and blitz like crazy. It worked once; Torry Holt (Samuel’s Week 1 victim) had just one catch for 9 yards, Steven Jackson was unable to find a lot of running room and Marc Bulger had a hand in his face all day.

The NFC East is the toughest division in the NFL, bar none, but four of the Eagles’ six division games come in the second half of the season. By then, the offense should have even more time to click -- as well as feature a healthy Curtis and Brown -- so that can carry the team in lesser games if need be.

But if the Eagles can clear this hurdle for the second straight time, they may be on the fast track to huge success.

As the old saying goes: Once is an aberration, while twice is a trend. Either way, as long as it equals success, the Eagles will take it.

This writer only wonders how Owens will feel now if, say, Jackson celebrates a long TD by spiking the ball on the midfield star.
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About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
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CommentsComments: 4  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jacotaco3		03:36 PM
09/12/2008
The eagles are in the hardest division in football great game this monday night is going to be but yes they def need to have a ...
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No.2
RedskinFan21ST		06:32 PM
09/12/2008
This is going to be an awesome game for MNF and like Jaco said the Eagles are going to need awesome defense to hang with the ...
No.3
Big Tex		06:41 PM
09/12/2008
Lou, you are absolutely correct about the eagles containing Jackson and harrassing Bulger. With the exception of numbers, do you ...
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