The Sound of Philly

Since I was a kid, one of my favorite games of each season has been when the Cowboys came to Philly.  Dallas has always been so easy to hate, and even when we were terrible, it’s always great to see the hometown fans give the visitors a hard time.  They may be “America’s Team,” but I still think they suck.

A lot has been made this week by the national media about the Cowboys’ recent “surge” and how Tony Romo and Miles Austin are “clicking,” but as is often the case, the national media has glazed over the important details.  The Cowboys are riding high on a three game winning streak which saw them beat the Chiefs (in overtime), Falcons, and Seahawks, but taking a look at their defensive rankings, you’ll see that they come in at 30, 29, and 14.

The Eagles, who are currently ranked #10 defensively, just dismantled the Giants (#3), and should have no problem against Jerry’s Boys, who come in at #22.  While both teams are ranked at 5-2, most of their wins have been against below average teams, with the Cowboys defeats coming against sides that are a combined 6-22.  But the Eagles even got beat by the Raiders, which is more than likely their annual “mail it in” affair.

This is a definite win for the Birds, but it won’t be a cakewalk.  DeSean Jackson will likely give the Cowboys a hard time as he is quickly becoming one of the league’s top playmakers, recently being called “the most dangerous player in the NFL right now” by ESPN’s Matt Mosley.  This guy should run circles around Dallas’s low-ranked defense.

Also, keep an eye on Asante Samuel, who does one thing and does it quite well – intercept errant passes.  Tony Romo hasn’t thrown a pick in three weeks, so the guy’s due – not that he’s really been challenged.  Asante has been golden this year and should do a good job knocking Romo down a few levels.

The Eagles need to watch out for Dallas on the run, as they’re currently ranked sixth in average yards per game this season.  This has been a problem for the Birds this season, and Marion Barber and Felix Jones are smart rushers who need to be locked down early and often.  If the Eagles defend like they did last week, expect these two to be relatively quiet, which will undoubtedly force Romo to throw the ball.

The last thing to consider is the Cowboys’ last visit to the Linc.  They were blown out 44-6 in what was essentially a playoff game – the winner of the game got the last Wildcard spot. I am sure this loss is still on the mind of the team and there are two ways to look at it – it can weigh them down or be used as a motivating force.  It will be interesting to see how they respond, but either way, expect the Eagles to win.

Photo by Win McNamee (Getty Images)