It's the eve of the final Eagles-Cowboys showdown of the season. The Eagles look to exact revenge for the Week 2 loss at Lincoln Financial Field, while Dallas is in search of its first win since that game. Let's look at how some of the key storylines have developed over the course of the week in our 5 Things to Know Today for Saturday, November 7 ...
1. Bill Davis Takes Over The Kellystrator
For the post-bye week edition of Eagles Game Plan, defensive coordinator Bill Davis stepped in for head coach Chip Kelly on the Kellystrator to explain what has made the defense successful in 2015. Davis breaks down the All-22 of the biggest plays from the defensive line and the secondary that has propelled the team to a league-high 19 takeaways entering the Week 9 slate of games.
2. O-Line Back In The Spotlight
Jason Peters is questionable for Sunday night's showdown. Lane Johnson took the reps at Peters' left tackle spot this week and is prepared to go. That spot will be crucial as the player who will typically line up across from the left tackle for Dallas is defensive end Greg Hardy. Fran Duffy showed in the All-22 preview of Dallas' defense just how dominant Hardy has been. If Johnson moves from right to left tackle, Dennis Kelly worked at right tackle in training while Matt Tobin stayed at right guard. The Eagles' run game found its stride before the bye week, but the injuries to Peters and running back Ryan Mathews (questionable, groin) could provide another hurdle to overcome.
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3. Fantasy Outlook: Bank On Murray
DeMarco Murray had just 2 yards rushing in the Week 2 matchup with Dallas. Despite the potential changes along the offensive line, Joe Dolan from FantasyGuru.com says that Murray owners in fantasy should include him in their lineups.
"Murray has an outside shot at 30 touches here," Dolan wrote. "This week, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur commented that Murray is the healthiest he's been all year, and that may be the biggest blessing of all for the Eagles heading into this matchup with Dallas."
4. Behind Enemy Lines With The Cowboys
This week, David Helman from DallasCowboys.com joined us on Behind Enemy Lines presented by Gatorade to offer a look at the Eagles' opponent. I asked Helman about the rise of Darren McFadden, the health of Dez Bryant and the increased role of first-round pick Byron Jones, who is now a starter at safety. I also asked why the team is sticking with Matt Cassel, who threw for just 97 yards (3.88 yards per attempt) in last week's loss to Seattle.
"I still think he's probably the best option because we've seen him do it before. He does have an 11-year track record of being able to do that," Helman said. "I think it's back to the drawing board and trying to figure out a better way to get all these guys utilized. He showed the ability to do it against a pretty good Giants defense. It's going to be interesting to see how they respond to that setback against the Seahawks."
5. Glen Macnow's Bold Predictions
Every week, Eagles 360 co-host Glen Macnow offers five bold predictions for the upcoming game. Three are released during the week, and the final two are offered on The Kickoff Show just before the start of the game. Here's a look at the initial offering for Sunday's Eagles-Cowboys game.
First, the Eagles will commit zero turnovers on offense. The reason for optimism is that the Cowboys went four straight games following the Week 2 win over the Eagles without forcing a turnover. That streak ended last Sunday in the loss to Seattle.
Second, Murray will gain over 100 yards rushing against his former team. The Cowboys are allowing 103 yards per contest on the ground and 4.1 yards per carry for the season.
Third, Kiko Alonso will make a big play in the form of a turnover or a sack. Alonso is probable for Sunday night after missing the last five games with a knee injury. His last game was the Week 2 matchup with Dallas. With Dallas' tight end duo of Jason Witten and Gavin Escobar, along with the team's ability to get the ball to the backs in the pass game, Alonso's return comes at the perfect time.
