Here are two of the key matchups to keep an eye on this Saturday as the Eagles clash with the Cowboys for a third time, this time to determine who advances in the postseason ...
RDE Trent Cole vs. LT Flozell AdamsCole was elected to the Pro Bowl after setting a career high of 12.5 sacks this season, but he was shut out in the important Week 17 matchup by the mammoth 6-7, 338-pound Cowboys' left tackle. Cole has carried the Eagles' pass rush all season long and, fair or not, it's incumbent upon him to be more of a factor Saturday night in pressuring Romo. If the Cowboys are forced to account for a productive Cole, it will open opportunities elsewhere for the Eagles to get pressure. Cole is also one of the Eagles' best run stoppers, so a big game from him is imperative for the Eagles' defense.
WR DeSean Jackson vs. CB Mike Jenkins
Big time players make big time plays in big time games. For Jackson, the first player in NFL history to be voted as a Pro Bowl starter at two different positions, it's time to come up big against a Cowboys' secondary that has effectively corralled him in both meetings this season. Jenkins, the Cowboys' first-round pick in 2008, has surfaced as a star in his second season. If Jenkins can quiet Jackson's productivity again come Saturday night, it will be difficult for the Eagles' offense to work on all cylinders. But if the NFL's premier big-play wide receiver can create some fireworks down the field, it will go a long way in putting the necessary points on the board for the Eagles.
For our complete Eagles-Cowboys preview, click here.
-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 10:40 a.m., January 5
