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Don’t Expect Romo To Choke Versus Eagles
Published: January 2, 2010
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The bullcrap meter needs to go off in every Eagles fan’s head when he hears “Dallas always folds in big games.”
Well, that December swoon didn’t follow the usual script, now did it?
First of all, the past is the past. I never understood the value of certain statistics such as the all-time record of the Eagles versus Dallas, or away versus the spread, yada yada yada. Those are utterly meaningless today. The result of the final regular season game last year is only slightly more relevant.
Eagles fans should run when they hear that Dallas is going to fold. That thought will give them agita by the ‘Boys’ third possession, if not their first, as Romo starts hitting his receivers with lasers and the Eagles’ blitzes fail to get to him in time.
Brace for a long hard struggle, and it might be easier on the stomach. The Eagles will need the ball to bounce their way on Sunday—there’s zero margin for error. That means you, Donovan, and you, Macho, and you, Moses Fokou, and, oh yeah, it means tackling, Asante. Thank you. Macho can show you how.
If the Eagles have momentum, so do the Cowboys, or at least Romo—the key to their team. In December, including their two losses (one to an excellent Chargers team), Tony Romo posted low McNabb-esque (actually Staubach-esque) interception numbers and eye-popping yardage. For the month, he is averaging 310 yards a game. He has thrown one pick and nine touchdowns going back five games (including the last in November), while McNabb is throwing more picks than usual.
Since Romo has been the reason for Cowboy collapses in the past, that suggests these ‘Boys won’t cry like last year. He’ll look like Eli Manning on a good day, not like Manning Junior on an off day. The game could be a shootout like the second Giants game, but Dallas’ secondary is stronger. The Eagles have feasted on quarterback weakness in these two rivalries the past two years, but they’ll be fighting for every morsel on Sunday.
Dallas is a strong all-around team—the Eagles can only hope to get better receiving yards this time than last time. Until it happens, you can’t assume it can or will. The ‘Aints couldn’t score on this Dallas D—of course, neither could they score on the ‘Bucs. Any given Sunday.
The last matchup between these two teams was very close. There’s no question the Eagles can beat the ‘Boys, but they’ll need a break since they lost Jamaal Jackson. How many snaps can you fumble and still win at this level? The linebacking is suspect, if improving (Fokou has real potential). Trot matches well with the ‘Boys’ power running game. But definitely not with Dallas’ standout tight end Jason Witten. (Hat tip to commenter Will Holt.)
The Birds need no bonehead mistakes—that means you, Macho. And Moses—you helped cost your team the first Cowboy game with some slight infraction. What was it? Oh yeah, you nullified an Ellis Hobbs kick return FOR A TOUCHDOWN!! Another penalty called back a 54-yard interception run by Sheldown Brown
In a four. point. game. (Imagine Howard Cosell or John Facenda saying that.)
Basically, Moses against Dallas was like Macho against Denver.
Memo to Moses and Macho: Each point costs more dearly the closer you get to a Super Bowl.
Macho is better in coverage and tackling than Sean Jones’ recent outings. Macho is a baller, a punisher, and he’s fast. That is why McDermott and Reid will put him right back out there. He needs to learn to make better decisions soon, because he’s potentially good enough to help this team win playoff games—take the secondary to the next level, as Fokou could do for the linebackers.
Sean McDermott probably figures, with good reason, he needs Harris to help cover Miles (Steve) Austin, as well as the Saints, Vikings, Colts, Cardinals, Packers, and/or Bolts receivers. He can’t learn on the bench; he has to take his chances now. This year’s depleted Eagle defense can’t beat high-powered offenses with Sean Jones in coverage.
Macho could be the surprise factor in the ‘Birds playoff hopes. Scary for a guy who doesn’t know which hand to carry a ball in, or when to let up from headhunting receivers. He’s all adrenaline but that can be useful. I think he’d have fit in well with the old Gang Green of the Buddy Ryan era. Buddy might have kept him on the field despite mistakes, too.
Maybe Macho and Fokou can have breakout games, and Akeem Jordan will be better acclimated to the MIKE (middle linebacker) spot. This is the good fortune the Birds will badly need. It will be interesting to see Jordan’s snaps versus Jeremiah Trotter’s. Trot is usually sidelined when the Eagles are keying on tight end coverage.
With past sudden injuries on the O-line, the Eagles have really struggled. (See the Raiders game when Jason Peters went down). Jason Peters also missed some action against the Cowboys the first time. With all the injuries and problems on the O-line going back to Shawn Andrews, the Eagles might be too thin there to win a championship. Stacy Andrews certainly couldn’t handle Jay Ratliffe last time.
However, the Eagles have had a week and a half a game to iron out the snaps between Nick Cole and McNabb. The bigger problem will be Max Jean-Gilles, who gets the start against Ratliffe, and there the Eagles will need fortune to shine on them rather than that huge Cowboys Stadium monitor. O-line coach Juan Castillo has had time make the best of it he can.
Can offensive coordinator Marty Morninwheg scheme away an overwhelming inside rush with QB rollouts to the left (Peters’ side)? Can you run up the middle behind Cole and Jean-Gilles?
Doubtful. Though I will say I think Donovan needs to turn on the wheels a few times this game even at risk of injury. That can foil an aggressive pass rush, tire the D-line, and take advantage of the maximum coverage down field on our skill players. You have to take what the defense is giving you, and Dallas may give Donovan room to run. He has to take it.
The Eagles offensive skill players can beat anybody, but Donovan has bad games just like Romo sometimes. He will need four or five flawless games from here out to get the Lombardi trophy. Can he hit DeSean Jackson on the double move deep like the Eagles have done so many times before? Will he have time? Can he fire missiles at a diving Jeremy Maclin on the sidelines to beat tight coverage and a fast pass rush?
Yes, maybe. It’s show-me territory. Donovan under a rush isn’t always pretty. The Eagles can score 42 or they could score 10.
Fortunately, I’m not sure any D-line the team might face with New Orleans or Minnesota (or Indianapolis) poses the threat to the Eagles depleted O-line that the ‘Boys do. All other potential playoff opponents have been underwhelming in recent weeks, with even the Vikes’ Jared Allen struggling and Pat Williams missing a game with an elbow injury.
This Cowboys game could be a Super Bowl for these Eagles—or a Super Bowl Part One of Three—if you count a Dallas playoff rematch and the Super Bowl itself.
Against the Cowboys, the Eagles have to get some breaks and inspired coaching. That means an off day for Ratliffe, a career game for Jean-Gilles, or both, a confusing offensive scheme, special teams scores, defensive turnovers (pick sixes are nice), screens and QB scrambles to take care of Dallas’ pass rush and exploit what could be a soft underbelly in Dallas’s coverage scheme.
It can be done. The Eagles have the coaching edge with Reid over Philips, and they don’t have Jerry Jones meddling.
But these ‘Boys are for real—possibly the toughest opponent between the Eagles and the Super Bowl championship.
If the Eagles have to play them twice, they better make sure that the next one will be in the NFC championship at the Linc in the dead of January. That will be just like the old days.
Oh ‘Boy.
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