Romo and the Defense Shine in Philly

The Cowboys faced their biggest challenge of the season on Sunday night, and it is safe to say they did not fail to impress.  After last year’s 44-6 debacle in Philly, it was important for this team to come out physical and aggressive.  They did just that.  For four quarters the Cowboys out-performed the Eagles in all stages of the game.  The defensive line won the battle of the trenches for the Cowboys getting numerous stops on short downs in the second half.  Tony Romo finally connected with Miles Austin in the fourth quarter for a 49 yard game clinching TD.  They did just what we talked about with Eagles Correspondent, Joe Burt.  They attacked the Eagles with short to medium passes throughout the game, and then hit their over-aggressive secondary with a beautifully designed slant-and-go.

Throughout the game, it seemed that the Cowboys were having trouble on the offensive line.  Give the Eagles credit, they attacked Romo with a variety of blitz packages, and got to him several times.  Nonetheless, Romo did a good job taking sacks instead of making the critical mistake that could have cost the Cowboys the game.  In the Week 9 battle for first place, the Cowboys came into a hostile environment and got an impressive road win.  Let’s take a deeper look into how they took sole possession of first place in the always competitive NFC East.

Defensive Observations:

The Cowboys interior defensive lineman, particularly Jay Ratliff, dominated the Eagles offensive line.  They held the Eagles run game in check for most of the game.  The key to defense for the Cowboys (or any team) is attempt to make opposing offenses one dimensional.  The Cowboys have been able to do that for the most part during their four game winning streak. 

DeMarcus Ware and the linebackers for the Cowboys put pressure on McNabb all game long.  McNabb, as great as he is and has been, struggles mightily with his control when he is pressured.  We witnessed that first hand on Sunday night.  He battled his inaccuracy to no avail all night.  When the Eagles running back, LeSean McCoy, leads the team in receiving yards with just above 60, you know your defense has done its job.

With that being said, it is time to praise the Cowboys defensive backs.  Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins shut down the Eagles strong receiving core.  In many circles the Eagles are considered to be one of, if not thee, most explosive passing offenses in the league.  Well, the Cowboys corners came out and completely shut down their speedsters on the outside.  With the Eagles corners receiving most of the attention coming into the game, Newman and Jenkins were the best corners on the field Sunday night.

Offensive Observations:

Finally the Romo to Williams connection got going.  To his credit, Roy Williams played a big role in the Cowboys offensive success.  He used his height and large frame to shield defenders on his receptions.  He and Romo hooked up on a handful of slants and fade-stops.  The Cowboys are starting to realize that Williams can be an effective player on offense.

Marion Barber continues to close out games for the Cowboys.  The Eagles shut down the Cowboys running game basically all night.  When Andy Reid decided to kick a field goal and give the Cowboys the ball back with no timeouts, I think everyone knew Barber would close the game out for the Cowboys.  He is at his best in the fourth quarter, and played a big role in the Cowboys victory.

The surprise of the night was rookie wideout, Kevin Ogletree.  He was thrown to twice on screen passes in Eagles territory.  Both times he converted the third and longs for a first down.  Can he be the next Miles Austin?  Let’s not get carried away, but he has definitely proven himself valuable to the Cowboys offense moving forward.

Final Analysis:

Highly criticized by Cowboys writers (including myself) and fans alike, Wade Phillips deserves some credit for the Cowboys recent winning streak.  Although I strongly feel the Cowboys will be best served with another coach at the helm next year, Phillips has got the Cowboys defense playing inspired football.  This is the best they have looked under his tenure. 

Now, we are only halfway through the season so lets not start groping each other just yet.  The Cowboys still rank as one of the league’s highest penalized teams.  That falls directly on the head coach and his lack of discipline.  Furthermore, the month of December lurks in the distant, and losses then have been commonplace for this team.  Nevertheless, at the halfway point the Cowboys sit alone on top of the NFC East, and if the Cowboys can keep up their effort, then the division title should come back to BIG D. 

Tags: Dallas Cowboys, DeMarcus Ware, Donovan McNabb, Jay Ratliff, Keith Brooking, Kevin Ogletree, Marion Barber, Mike Jenkins, Miles Austin, NFL, Roy Williams, Tony Romo, Wade Phillips