The Rematch

Posted: December 12th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 63 Comments »

2009 was the second worst point in my life. Nobody died or anything like that, it was far worse. The Eagles played the Cowboys 3 times that year and lost all 3. One loss was a shutout and another came in the playoffs. I was in grief counseling for months.

The only worse time for me? That was when Katie Holmes married Tom Cruise. You guys think I like Megan Fox, but that’s nothing compared to how I felt about young Katie’s skills as a thespian. To see her marry the wrong guy named Tom, just devastating. Not to mention it sidetracked her career. The horror, the horror.

I hope that one day Katie and I will meet. I can tell her about the miserable 2009 Dallas losses and she can tell me about her marriage. We’ll then fall in love and the next thing you know we’re running out of a church with friends and family showering us with Funyuns.

Until then, I’ll have to focus on beating Dallas on Sunday night. That would give the Eagles a virtual lock on the NFC East title. It would also give the Eagles their first sweep of Dallas since 2011. That sweep didn’t mean much since the team finished at 8-8 and didn’t make the postseason. But sweeping Dallas is always a good thing.

The theory in most circles is that sweeping a team is hard. First, teams aren’t all that different in terms of talent. And the team that loses the first time will be greatly motivated in the rematch. How does this game look?

I think the Eagles have the advantage on Sunday because they are the better team, but I don’t think they are substantially better. There are 2 places where I give the Eagles a definitive advantage – the DL and the coaching staff. Thankfully, those are pretty key areas.

I do think Dallas will come into this game with a chip on their shoulder. They got their noses rubbed in poo on Thanksgiving. And with the whole world watching, which is never fun. Add in the fact that a loss would really hurt their playoff chances and you can bet Dallas is going to come out fired up.

I’m not sure if that will make a significant difference. Emotion is part of football, but it can be greatly overrated by fans and the media. Execution is far more important to winning that emotion.

The Eagles shouldn’t be overconfident since they are coming off a tough loss to Seattle. The Seahawks totally shut down the offense and something tells me that Chip Kelly will have his guys ready to go nuts on Sunday night. He considers 139 yards and 14 points to be a bad half of football. That’s a disastrous game. Kelly will want to get the ball to start the game and get the offense into the end zone ASAP. He will want to make Seattle a distant memory.

Both teams have definite motivation. The motivation for Dallas is more personal since they’re mad at the Eagles, while the Eagles are mad at the Seahawks (and themselves).

Last year the Eagles lost an ugly game to Minnesota, then bounced back with a big win over the Bears on SNF. The following week the Eagles beat Dallas on SNF to clinch the NFC East. The Eagles were a good December team under Andy Reid and were last year for Kelly. Dallas has been miserable in past Decembers, but this is a different team. I don’t know what to expect.

I’ll have a full preview written for Saturday.

For now, focus on the Eagles advantages. Do you trust Chip Kelly and his staff to have the Eagles ready for Dallas? Do you think Fletcher Cox can catch Tony Romo better than he did Russell Wilson?

I fell pretty good about those things.

_


63 Comments on “The Rematch”

  1. 1 Henly125 said at 8:26 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Can’t wait to see Mr. Sunday Night Football and Fletcher Cox thrash that Dallas offensive line again.

  2. 2 mtn_green said at 9:13 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Yes and yes. They’re going to retire cox’s number by half time.

  3. 3 Mitchell said at 9:49 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Nothing better than Cox hanging from the rafters……….. Too much?

  4. 4 Michael Winter Cho said at 10:43 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    hmm, that doesn’t really work, does it?

  5. 5 Mitchell said at 11:26 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    In the context of him being in the Eagles HOF and his jersey hangs from the rafters.

  6. 6 Henly125 said at 8:34 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Key stat: Eagles have held tight ends to just one score in 2014.

    Dallas? 10 TDs allowed to opposing tight ends.

  7. 7 GEAGLE said at 12:10 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Yeah we haven’t had this good TE defense since we lost Carlos Emmos and its awesome that we are able to stay in base and still defend the TEs with jenkins and our LBs and now expose our nickel to get run on. I know people see that jenkins hasn’t had any INTs in a while and think he isnt playing as well as the start of the season but for the most part he has been pretty damn good, but I would be willing to bet fhat if he stays healthy he will be much better next year as the acheme becomes second nature to him and his chemistry with his team mates grows…
    ..
    Defense really is about playing together while executing your assignments and winning as many of the individual match ups as possible.

    Most of our current defenders will be even better next year, our talent level and depth should increase and we should have gelled into a defense yo

  8. 8 Henly125 said at 12:22 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Best thing about the coaching staff is that they place a lot of importance on continuity throughout the team, from coaches to players. It’s a huge key in terms of development.

  9. 9 oreofestar said at 8:49 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Harris just got 42.5 mil. Take him off the free agent corner target list, thinking Kareem Jackson

  10. 10 Insomniac said at 8:55 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Wtf? I guess they’re letting one of the Thomas duo go.

  11. 11 oreofestar said at 9:00 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    I’d think so but they will probably franchise Julius and D.Thomas might take a discount, but isn’t kNighton a free agent as well, plus Moore and Welker, they have a lot

  12. 12 holeplug said at 9:30 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    Peyton gonna retire in a year or 2 so they mine as well go all in

  13. 13 GEAGLE said at 12:26 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    We have to upgrade the secondary, but I assume it will have to come thru the draft. The corner market sucks. I assume we try to keep cary, and brad for the transition to young Corners. We will be too good to go into next season with Rookie corners start in September. We will try to keep them here so that they can start, keep building the continuity with jenkins, and once they can no longer be kept on the bench they can take over for cary and brad or Nolan…that’s how we upgrade and transition to young talent without having to take two steps back yo eventually take 3 steps forward.. Renegotiate a extension for our starting corners, just make sure ifs a contract we can get out of after next seaaon…

    Draft Mykal kendrick brother, jaylen Collins the LSU 6’2 CB and Jalen Mills the 6’1 safety from LSU that used to okay corner and has what our acheme requires of our safeties…then a WR and some OL help and….grab a free agent or two, but I wont hold my breath, weak market and we have our own players to take care of…

    This defense will be elite next year….

  14. 14 Tyler Phillips said at 2:57 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Byron Maxwell is the only one I’d even consider at CB. Great fit IMO

  15. 15 Anders said at 8:14 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    I really want Maxwell in FA with Carroll/Boykin as the other CB

  16. 16 GEAGLE said at 3:14 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    I would be thrilled to have him across from Cary until a rookie can replace Cary, but I don’t view that to be very realistic. For starters we don’t know if seattle will let him reach free agency, but thy have a lot of decisions to make so it is possible, but if he does make it to free,agency. He will be so much better than all the CB on the market that I assume the team that wins the bidding war will have to have offered him STUPID money! I don’t see us being able to get him on such a weak corner market at a fair price Howie is willing to spend in the middle of having to re sign a bunch of our players.. But I certainly wouldn’t mind being wrong! I would be hype to see us add him, but I’d be lying if I said I could see a good chance of that happening.

    Same Goes with Devin McCourty, the other safeties available will suck. Does Bellicek really want to lose him and have to find another quality safety to be good enough to play next to chung? And if the Pats do let him reach free agency he is so much better than all the other available safeties that you are probably,going to be stuck overpaying to get him too
    ..
    And I see nothing to suggest that HOWIE and chip are going to go over pay for any one else’s free agent..all the free agents we signed were good value additions. We weren’t overpaying for certain players the last two years, probably won’t start now that we have to extend so many current players coming up

    But I sure as heck WOULDNT mind being wrong and see us add McCourty next to Jenkins and Maxwell across from Cary, but I really really doubt we are able to pull that off..l but you can add my name to the petition for sure lol

  17. 17 Anders said at 3:44 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Adding McCourty and Maxwell would be sick. Draft Dupree and Kendricks and that defense has sick potential

  18. 18 GEAGLE said at 7:09 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Wow, that would be viscious… I don’t think we need any more OLBs, but I would draft Bud dupree anyway, I like the intensity he plays with, that kid will be a stud

  19. 19 GermanEagle said at 8:34 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    stop copying me. 😉

  20. 20 Tyler Phillips said at 1:56 AM on December 14th, 2014:

    I’d take one or the other. Re: mccourty or maxwell. I’d put CB at the top. Sometimes you gotta pony up the $$.

  21. 21 Anders said at 8:14 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Isnt Collins more of a safety playing CB? or do I remember wrong?

  22. 22 GEAGLE said at 3:05 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    No you Arent wrong because really both of them could go the safety or CB route.. Collins is the one you see on #1 WRs this year like Amari Cooper who roasted him pretty well that night).. But Collins has tons of bump n run experiwnce against quality outside WRs, so my guess is the other would play safety, but the other safety also used to be a corner anyway, so in reality both have the size and the man to man skills to cover the slot so either can move to safety in our scheme. Remind me a lot of young Antrel Rolle types who billy moved to safety

  23. 23 Anders said at 3:45 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    I guess Collins makes perfect sense as a cover safety next to Jenkins, to give us mirror safeties.

  24. 24 GEAGLE said at 7:06 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Curious to see which of the LSU DBs has the better combine. Knowing chip, we should probably get up to speed with DB prospects ST ability, check for red flag behavior problems, is he on track to graduate… I like the LSU boys because like Jaylen watkins, if you don’t like them at one positions or if injuries pile up, you can move them to another position in the secondary since they both bring versatility… Like them LSU DBs…

    Of course, we can’t really talk WRs or DBs without seeing who seperates themselves at the combine..
    ..
    I like the stanford Big Corner alex Carter, but I’m kind of fed up with at does bullshit graduation crap

  25. 25 Anders said at 8:14 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    I know Chris Harris has been better than Boykin as a slot CB, but dam almost 9 mill per year for a slot CB?

  26. 26 GEAGLE said at 8:19 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Lol feel bad for the steelers. Ike Reese has NOTHING left in the tank. I don’t thnk he can even run with jason Avant these days lol… They had this promising young corner, what’s his Name, Cortez allen or something, who was a promising kid, they gave him a brand new fresh spanking contract, the moment he signed the contracts he just decided to start sucking again..Since the steelers SHOWED HIM THE MONEY he has completely imploded. benching a corner you just gave a big money deal to, when your other corner learned the game playing flag football with Jesus thousands of years ago, is hands down the worst cornerback tandem in the NFL..

    Steelers aren’t some polished roster, they have some holes that need filling, but I think they are soooo Focked up at outside corner that I thbk they are practically forced to draft a CB In round 1

  27. 27 Mitchell said at 8:26 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    The sad thing is. There isn’t many corners, as of now, worth drafting in the first. The ones that are ALL have character issues. Trae Waynes from MSU maybe?

  28. 28 P_P_K said at 8:55 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    I was concerned before the Thaksgiving game but I feel very confident about this one. Dallas is more rested but they need more rest because Romo can hardly get on the field until gametime. I think the Eagles losing to Seattle may have been a blessing in disguise. The loss will light a big fire under their collective butts and they will be as fired up as they’ve been all season. There’s no sleeping on the job with this game being so important for the playoffs.

    These are the same two teams that met about two weeks ago. I didn’t see anything last week in either team that makes me think someone has suddenly gone south or discovered a new way to win. After watching the Dallas-Chicago game, I don’t see the Dallas D being able to contain Shady any better than they did last time. And after watching the Eagles chase around Wilson, I see our D all over Romo all game long. With a playoff spot possibly hinging on this game, I just can’t imagine a motivated, well-conditioned Chip Kelly team dropping this one at home.

    P.S. Katie and Funyuns would be great, but smacking around the Cowboys for the second time on National tv is also going to be pretty damn fine,

  29. 29 GEAGLE said at 7:51 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Chip kelly hasn’t lost two games in a row since Vick was his QB. If we would have spanked Seattle, I would be worrying about a letdown, but after losing to Seattle I expect to kick this inferior teams ass

  30. 30 P_P_K said at 4:36 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Right you are. I have never been more confident about a big game. I fail to see what the fuss is about Dallas. We are the superior team, proved it in the first game, and now we have the home-field advantage. I know, I know, “any given Sunday,” but this has all the makings of the Eagles knocking out the Cowboys.

  31. 31 GEAGLE said at 7:00 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    No worries mate… Sit back, kick your feet up and enjoy us smashing them in the trenches..
    ..
    Anyone who thinks the best OL in football is made up of Doug Free and Ronald leary is a clueless donkey.

    Demarco Murray Will get Shut down like he always does against us, we will run for around 200 yard again on that pathetic defense… I’m setting the over and unders on how many time we Sack Romo at 7… I like the overs lol.. I’m not at All nervous for this one, even tho it’s a big enough game that I should be nervous… No chance a jerry jpnes built team has more heart and guts than a chip built team

  32. 32 P_P_K said at 7:23 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    “No chance a jerry jpnes built team has more heart and guts than a chip built team.”

    That’s truth right there.

  33. 33 GEAGLE said at 7:40 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    I would be more concerned for a letdown if we would have spanked the seahawks. But we have some very proud, high caliber players like Kelce, Brent Celek, Mathis who played like dog crap against seattle, whiffing on blocks in the run game they typically make… Our OLineman can play so much better than what last weeks tape whos, so I assume our OL is going to be very pissed off this week and look to take it out on a crappy front 7. With the injury to LB Durrant, they are having issues tackling, and their front Line is pretty Crappy…
    I mean, Mincey isn’t going to put much fear in the heart of Jason Peters lol, the Carwford kid is OK, Rolondo McClain is a known quitter and imbecile.. Not only can we execute in a dominant fashion aganst this dallas front 7, but their secondary is also dog crap. It just happens to be name brand dog crap so some people DONT realize how poor it is… Like I said all year when morons were saying Dallas had a good defense and the best OL in the NFL:

    1) The dallas defense puts up the same percentages as last years pathetic difference, the only difference is dallas was able to run the ball, keep the putrid defense off the field and hide it…. Morons took that and assumed they can play defense, but it’s the same weak crap we see every year.
    ..
    2) anyone who thinks it’s possible that the best OL in the NFL can be made up of Ronald Leary and Doug Free, just doesn’t know the trenches. Ronald Leary has NEVER been good, and Free had the worst 2012 an OL can possibly have, since then he rebounded as a run blocker, but there is a reason they almost always lineup the Tight end on his side, he is a total Liability in pass blockng… How the hell can an OL with 2 of the 5 members being BUMs, Average At the very best, a rookie guard, and a second year center, possibly be the best OL in the NFL? Soooo many media members said that crap.
    ..
    How can media members be taken serious after claiming for two months that dallas had the best OL and they said their defens was so improved they were raving about Marinelli lol..l improved my ass, they were just able t hide it better

  34. 34 mtn_green said at 9:14 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    That poor pro bowl rookie guard of Dallas Oline is going to get destroyed on national television again.

  35. 35 GEAGLE said at 7:55 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Yup!!! Even worse is what Cox will do when he lines up against that Pigeon Ronald Leary. All year when the nation was making a fool of themselves, calling an OL with Leary and Doug Free the best in the NFL, what a joke!!! And bennie Logan will again kick their prized second year centers ass…
    … And BG and Barwin will continue to take advantage of Doug free being a liability in pass protection… I think Wilson was one of the very few QBs capable of evading last weeks scary pass rush… No chance in hell 57yr old romo will be able to run away from Kendricks, no matter how many pain needles he takes!!! 8 sack day tomorrow for my beloved front 7

  36. 36 daveH said at 9:15 PM on December 12th, 2014:

    you literall are the best mr peter lawford!

  37. 37 OregonDucker said at 2:03 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    My guess is that Romo will pass the first couple of downs, probably to Dez – who will be flyiing. It will be interesting to see if we are in base D during these downs or in Nickle.

    I truely believe Romo will be successful, at first. Then the DL will annihilate the Dallas OL, and that will be the game.

    I expect a lot of fights in this one. Probably see Sanchez hit cheap a few times too.

  38. 38 JEinOKC said at 2:38 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    The only Eagles game I’ve ever attended was the 2009 shutout. Not a good time…. The only memory not totally repressed is that you could see every freckle on the cheerleaders on that monstrous screen

  39. 39 Tyler Phillips said at 2:55 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    Regardless of health/rest, Romo has been missing the deep ball all season. That’s our biggest weakness and its why I’m not very concerned at all. I expect it to be closer, but IMO that’s not assured.

    Contrary to what most are expecting (air it out from the start for DAL), I fully believe that the Cowboys will come out trying to establish the run. Ultimately, it will have been a fools errand, but that’s the only chance they have at impeding our DL/Pass Rush from murdering Romo again.

  40. 40 P_P_K said at 11:04 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    I’ve wondered if Romo’s problems with the deep ball are related to his back and rib injuries.

  41. 41 GEAGLE said at 8:13 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    His deep ball problems tomorrow night will be related to Fletcher Cox, VINNY Curry and Barwin all having a reunion, they wil be meeting Sunday night at Romos rib cage!!! 😉

  42. 42 Tyler Phillips said at 1:58 AM on December 14th, 2014:

    It would stand to reason that it’s adversely affecting the torque he can get on the deep ball.

  43. 43 Raul Estrada said at 7:21 AM on December 13th, 2014:

    That happened to us back in 2000 also when NYG made their SB run; sweeping us by thumping us 3 times. It’s hard for us, but why does it have to be easy for them, eh?

  44. 44 Anders said at 5:20 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    We beat the Giants 3 times in 2008

  45. 45 BC1968 said at 1:24 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Merry Xmas Tommy!

  46. 46 shah8 said at 1:59 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    I think it’s simply a matter of getting a solid early lead. Same as before. Dallas D is still talentless.

  47. 47 GEAGLE said at 8:06 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Yeah, watch out for that awesome Dallas Defense lol

  48. 48 shah8 said at 3:26 AM on December 14th, 2014:

    Horrendous is Ryan Lindley.

  49. 49 GEAGLE said at 12:39 PM on December 14th, 2014:

    Horrendous is the bullshit you consistently waste people’s time typijng

  50. 50 GermanEagle said at 2:08 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    To steal an Eagles fan’s tweet:

    This is by far the biggest game of the Chip Kelly era coming up. Win and establish division dominance. Lose and progress is questioned.

    So true!

  51. 51 GEAGLE said at 6:57 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    I’d argue this Game is just as big as last years dallas game and not as big as the saint playoff game, but why split hairs

  52. 52 McNabbulousness said at 2:55 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    oh boy that wild card game against dallas, one of the great no shows in eagles history. still angry about that one. once dallas figured out that our offense had nothing if you shut down the deep ball it was game over.

    one of the only big plays was a long td pass from vick (the back up at the time). sadly mcnabb’s last game as an eagle. unfortunate it had to end in the worst way possible when for most of his career he whooped the cowboys.

    you knew that team wasn’t a top tier team when they had that second game against dallas to clinch a first round bye and didn’t come through (hell we did the same thing with that vikings joe webb game the next year). early 2000s eagles teams get that win.

  53. 53 SteveH said at 7:16 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Air guitar Mcnabb!!! Who could forget. He was so loose you could tell!

  54. 54 GEAGLE said at 7:26 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    “#5 will always love you!!!”, and then spend the rest of his life talking shit about you..,,lol

    “you see all those DIVISION BANNERS (bwahahah LOL) I want you all to understand, We DID THAT!!!!” Bwahahahahahahah
    ..
    Can anyone recall another moment An NFL player listd his Division banners as grand accomplishments? Lol
    ..l
    I wish FOles would just Troll McNabb, and change his number to 5 !!! LOL

    Speaking of trolling, lovd when coach fishers stood up for his buddy Shannahan and sent all the players they got from the Rg3 as the captains for thee coin toss against the skins, but as much as I hate Bruce Arians, I liked hearing him blast fisher and his mediocre teams who have been better than 8-8 only like 6 times out of 20 seasons…

  55. 55 GEAGLE said at 7:19 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Wish I could get a straight honest answer from howie.. What will have to happen for the Eagles to sign Vinny Curry Longterm?

    That’s a question that frustrates me. Not sure there even is a chance of keeping him longterm, but I know that a kid who is new to a scheme he isn’t supposed to fit, who plays less then 30% of defensive snaps and finishes his 3rd year with 10 sacks is NOT a player I look forward to losing, but I am a realist,and I understand that Ced, Fletch and Logan Are bigger priorities.
    ..
    I’ll tell you right now, if VC ever hits the free agent market, he is GONE!! We won’t match what other teams offer him, but I wonder if offering some security to hm, by extending him a year or two before he hits free agency, could enable us to reach an agreement that allows us to keep him here, without having to lose our starting front 3?

    If we make VINNY wait Til right before he is a free agent to try and sign him, we probably won’t be able to get it done because he will have dollar signs in his eyes so close to free agency, but I wonder if we can offer him a banner deal to stay long term, cheaper deal, but lock him up early a year before he gets free agent pay day dollars in his eyes,

    Basically, I’d like to know what would have to happen, or if it’s even possible to be able to keep cox, CED, Logan AND VINNY here long term?

    And if there is no realistic way to get that done, as much as I don’t Want to lose VINNY, we have to SELL when his value is the highest…

  56. 56 Mitchell said at 8:36 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    IF we lock up Curry along with the rest of the starting 3 and Allen and Hart continue to develop it will be the best starting front in the NFL. NO question.

  57. 57 mtn_green said at 10:04 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Awesome DL. And so young ready for dominance for a decade.

  58. 58 CrackSammich said at 11:26 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    As often as you come on here talking about how you expect every player on the team to give home town discounts, Curry might be the only one that would actually do it. They couldn’t put the cameras in his house on draft day because he refused to take down his Eagles decorations.

  59. 59 GEAGLE said at 12:38 PM on December 14th, 2014:

    Go away

  60. 60 CrackSammich said at 9:23 AM on December 15th, 2014:

    A well phrased argument, sir.

  61. 61 GEAGLE said at 8:04 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    The season is almost over so soon, we should be getting an idea soon about stevie Johnson’s #’s and what incentives he will have triggered in terms of what the compensation will be for trading away Bryce Brown last year.
    ..
    Probably won’t be able to find the exact parameters of the deal, but I’ll ask one of the lodal beat writers I trust to dig up the info of the deal. I know that it can be a 4th round pick, or a 3rd round pick, but what worries me is that it also can become a pick in NEXT years draft instead of this year, which would piss me off…
    ..
    Like to find out what stevie has to accomplish these next 3 games for the Niners to make the Bills owe is a 3rd round pick in THIS DRAFT, instead of a 4th in Next years draft… I had that the compensation parameters in trades like that are never made clear to the media..

    Btw, if I’m not mistaken, we wont be awarded any compensatory picks This year either…..correct?

  62. 62 A_T_G said at 9:36 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    There is no condition that results in a third this year.

    http://www.wgr550.com/The-Bryce-Brown-trade-explained-for-Bills/9034669?pid=400723

  63. 63 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:45 PM on December 13th, 2014:

    Dallas sucks!!!

    Seriously, gents. 50+ comments in on a Dallas thread and no one has pointed out the obvious yet? Thankfully, I’m here to help. You’re welcome.