Five reasons why Philly will win on Sunday

By Os Davis  |   Friday, October 06, 2006  |  Comments( 9 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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Return of a notorious superstar aside, Sunday's Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys battle figures to be a gem. It's everything you (and the networks) look for in a game. In addition to the revenge subplot, you've got two of the top three scoring teams in the NFL in an interdivisional game after which the winner will sit in first place.

If you're betting this game against the line (Philly minus 2), you've got more intestinal fortitude (or a greater appetite for potential anguish) than most. To predict this one is insanely difficult; to argue either side is easy.

Take, for example, the Eagles. The Eagles will win on Sunday for the following highly-compelling, incontestable reasons:

Donovan McNabb. Next to written off before the season by many, McNabb is having a career year in a career full of career years. His QB rating is well above 100 and, while mostly waiting for the offense to wake up, even saw to running the ball more than he had in three years against the Green Bay Packers last week. Right now, McNabb may be the best quarterback in football, a huge factor in Philly's favor.

Andy Reid can see through the smoke and mirrors. While everyone is caught up in the "T.O. Returns" story (and a few are even watching the man play some amazing football despite the low numbers), Reid will concoct a gameplan that does something about Terry Glenn. Glenn, you may recall, is statistically the 'Boys No. 1 receiver and has now surpassed Laurence Maroney as the most blatantly obvious secret weapon in the NFL. Reid's defensive schemes need only stall long enough to scare Drew Bledsoe a bit, because...

Turnovers will kill the Cowboys. The Cowboys are dead even in turnover differential, but Bledsoe hasn't been harassed again like he was in Week 1, which led to poor decision making and three interceptions. Philly applies a little pressure, and the immovable object known Bledsoe gives up the ball and/or hits the turf.

The Eagles have a running game. This is bad news for the entire NFL, in fact, and with the seamless implementation of Donte' Stallworth into the slot, Philly now has its greatest depth in gameplan since the Duce Staley days. Though running only 129.5 yards per game (Dallas is at 147), this is a team that ranked 28th in that area last year and is now in the seventh spot. If Correll Buckhalter can hold onto the ball better than he inexplicably didn't against the Packers, Dallas will be forced to pay attention to the running game.

The 12th man. OK, of all the sportswriting clichés, this one is among the most execrable. No proof is available as to how great a part the crowd actually plays within home-field advantage, but the Eagles fans may be the baddest in the league. (Remember, these guys are hard core enough to boo Santa Claus off stage.) And until Allen Iverson starts talking petulant smack in order to get traded, T.O. is Public Enemy No. 1 in Philly. If any crowd can take Owens off his game, it has to be this one.

For the final score, I'll go with Eagles 21, Cowboys 20. The Eagles will win.

Absolutely.

Probably.

I think.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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