The Eagles walloped Dallas on October 30, and that insult is fresh in the Cowboys' minds. There is a "revenge" factor here, but with so much at stake for both teams, the "urgency" angle levels the playing field.
It's going to be a great game. Both teams are coming off wins, and both teams are hoping to finish the season strong. A Dallas win could clinch them the NFC East title. An Eagles win could (depending upon the Giants-Jets game) keep their season alive.
No matter, though, a great rivalry is renewed, and here are some battles to watch ...
EAGLES C JASON KELCE VS. COWBOYS DT JAY RATLIFF
This is a great chance to see how much Jason Kelce has improved in his rookie season. Ratliff is the best of the best covering the center and his combination of strength and quickness is unmatched in the league. Kelce battled Ratliff in October and came away impressed. Kelce understands how good Ratliff is, and there is no question that the loud crowd at Cowboys Stadium helps the Cowboys defense here.
The Eagles won't leave Kelce isolated too much against Ratliff, but there will be times the two are going to tangle man to man. How Kelce handles the inside will be key to the running game and to quarterback Michael Vick and his ability to move in the pocket.
EAGLES DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JUAN CASTILLO VS. DALLAS PASSING GAME
Dallas is loaded with weapons in the passing game. Miles Austin is back in the lineup and is healthy. Dez Bryant is a standout and a very tough matchup. Laurant Robinson has been a favorite target for quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten remains as productive as ever. Castillo needs to come up with a game plan that limits Romo's time in the pocket and his ability to get the ball down the field to his big-play receivers.
This is going to be a great game of cat and mouse. The Eagles have done all kinds of creative things in the last couple of weeks defensively. Castillo has used all of his personnel and has moved his pass rushers around to not allow the pass protection to lock in. As a result, Jason Babin has recorded 6 quarterback sacks and Trent Cole has had 3, with plenty of other pressures. Blitzes have gotten home. The Eagles have forced 7 turnovers in the wins over Miami and New York.
Stopping the run is the first priority and Dallas running back Felix Jones is coming off a terrific performance in the win over Tampa Bay. But the Cowboys could miss the power game of DeMarco Murray, who is out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. The Eagles need to force Romo into passing situations and then make him uncomfortable loading up and throwing the football.
EAGLES RB LeSEAN McCOY VS. DALLAS EDGE GAME
At some point it's going to become very difficult for LeSean McCoy to find those cutback lanes and the reverse-his-field gains. The Cowboys like to come up the field off the edge with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, but they have to be aware of McCoy and the sprint draw the Eagles like to run.
Dallas has to focus on limiting McCoy, but can the Cowboys do that and still come off the ball and get up the field as quickly as they prefer? Linebacker Sean Lee figures to be an important piece of the equation shadowing McCoy in the passing game, and Ratliff will try to control the middle in the run game.
Will the Eagles go after the edges with McCoy and the ground game? Do they go away from the sprint draw? McCoy's importance here is not just in the running game, though. He will have to step up and pass protect against the Cowboys blitz to keep Vick clean.
EAGLES QB MICHAEL VICK VS. DALLAS PASS DEFENSE
Dallas is getting healthy in the secondary and will likely tweak the scheme that struggled in the first meeting between the teams. The Cowboys like to bring pressure and they know they have to disguiseĀ their coverage, so Vick has to trust what he sees and make quick decisions. He can't hold the football in that loud environment. Lee is one of the best cover linebackers in the league. Dallas has talent in the secondary.
Marty Mornhinweg will likely try to get Dallas chasing receivers on crossing routes and clear outs and then give the passing game some catch-and-run opportunities. Tight end Brent Celek has suddenly jumped to the head of the team in pass receptions and he has been a standout with the ball in his hands. A couple of shallow crosses to Jeremy Maclin or DeSean Jackson could do major damage with a linebacker giving chase. Jason Avant remains a touch matchup for any defense.
The key is reading and recognizing, and then executing at a great tempo what Mornhinweg designs.
EAGLES VS. DALLAS CROWD
OK, so Cowboys Stadium is eye-popping and all that, but the Eagles have been here and won. The aura of the building is gone after a tough 2009 back-to-back experience there. Last season's win was important for the Eagles in every way, so Andy Reid knows going in that his team can focus in the hostile environment.
Still, the Eagles have two rookies along the offensive line in Kelce and Danny Watkins. They have to be at their absolute best and focus for 60 minutes as the crowd tries to give the Dallas defense an edge of any kind.
