The Cowboys square off against the Eagles in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field. One of the biggest story lines going into Sunday is DeMarco Murray facing off against his former team, the Cowboys. Dallas in week one overcame a ten point deficit against the Giants in the final minutes of regulation. It was an impressive come from behind victory to start the season.
The Eagles floundered in their opener never really looking like the offensive juggernaut many expected to see coming out of the preseason. Chip Kelly’s play calls were questionable at times on both sides of the ball. Slow play calling and an inability to adapt to situations worked against Kelly and the Eagles. Against the Cowboys, the Eagles will have to find a way to beat Dallas’ offensive line and get to Romo.
Cowboys Vs Eagles Week 2 Betting Odds
BetOnline.ag has Dallas as a 5 point favorite to win this game. The over/under on the total points scored is 55. Click here to check out our full BetOnline review.
My Pick
Murray had a sluggish start to his season in a week one loss to Atlanta. All three running backs for the Eagles (Sproles, Mathews, and Murray) saw time on the field. This running back by committee appears to hurt Murray, who needs constant carries to find a groove. Without the focus of the offense Murray will continue to struggle in the Eagles’ offense.
The Eagles’ running attack predicates on running east to west. This style forces the defense to constantly move side to side, hash mark to hash mark. Overtime, this wears down the opponent, and in the third quarter against Atlanta, that is exactly what happened. Unfortunately for the Eagles, it was too little too late. However, it’s only a matter of time before conditioning becomes a factor and the Eagles offensive track meets take off.
The Cowboys won’t have Dez Bryant on the field this week and taking a weapon like that off the field will definitely hurt. But, in their win over the Giants, Tony Romo proved that he does not need the big play receiver to win a close game.
In week one, the Eagles struggled to overcome a sluggish start against the Falcons. The Eagles did show a few bright spots. Sam Bradford moved the ball efficiently and looks comfortable in the Chip Kelly offense. Darren Sproles will certainly see carries, as well as, being a target in the passing game on third downs. What Bradford needs is a secondary target on the outside. Enter Jordan Mathews. He creates a size mismatch at the slot position that adds a unique element to Kelly’s up-tempo offense.
With the loss of Murray, the Cowboys have moved on with Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle lining up in the backfield. Romo will utilize his offensive line to get the most out of his backfield. Expect the Cowboys running backs to have a better game than DeMarco Murray will for the Eagles. Murray did not look comfortable in his Eagles debut, being overshadowed by other options. This discomfort will be something to monitor throughout the season.
The biggest matchup to watch in this game is Tony Romo against the Eagles secondary. Byron Maxwell struggled in coverage all night against the Falcons. The defense, in general, appears a work in progress. Romo should have no problem moving the ball up and down the field.
Expect the Eagles to improve upon their early offensive struggles, but don’t expect the birds to take flight this week. To combat the Eagles’ up-tempo offense the Cowboys will look to air the ball out early and test the Eagles secondary. Dallas has the advantage under center, even if Romo is without his best weapon. The Eagles will play with a sense of urgency to avoid an (0-2) hole. But, despite the Eagles desperation, the Cowboys will still play better. Expect Dallas to cover the spread.
Chip kelly • cowboys • dallas • Eagles • philadelphia • Romo