As the Eagles are resting during their bye week, let's take a look at what's going on with the other NFC East teams. Here's a scouting report on the team that the Eagles will face on Sunday Night Football after the bye week, the Dallas Cowboys ...
What Went Right
The story of the Cowboys' season thus far has been their inability to turn yards into points despite their proficiency moving the ball on offense. In terms of points scored, their offense ranks in the middle of the pack (15th). However, in terms of yardage, their offense is the seventh-best in football, featuring the NFL's fourth-ranked passing attack.
Their defense is formidable, allowing the fifth-fewest yards in the league. Led by former NFL Defensive Player of the Year DeMarcus Ware and second-year sensation Sean Lee at the linebacker position, they allow the fewest rushing yards of any team, a paltry 69.6 per game.
What Went Wrong
Dallas has committed costly mistakes when they matter most. Tony Romo, in fact, is the 22nd-ranked starting quarterback in terms of fourth quarter efficiency, completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes and posting a 1:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. They've been even less effective scoring on the ground, with only one rushing touchdown through five games. The Cowboys have also had the second-most turnovers and points off of giveaways in the league this season.
Defensively, it's been a similar story of faltering in key spots, with a fifth-ranked defense in terms of yardage but one that is ranked 19th in the league in points allowed. They allow the 23rd-most points per trip in the red zone.
Breakout Player
Sean Lee, the Cowboys' second-round pick in 2010, has been spectacular so far this season.. He was named the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month in September, after picking off two passes and making 31 tackles in the first three weeks of the season. However, the former Penn State Nittany Lion was not a hit right off the bat. In fact, in his rookie season, the 245-pound inside linebacker struggled to get on the field, playing only 22 percent of the team's defensive snaps in the 13 games in which he was activated. This season, however, is a different story.
Lee has started each of the Cowboys' five games this season. He's been on the field for 93 percent of the team's defensive snaps, missing only two in the last three weeks combined. Lee is making the most of his opportunities in Rob Ryan's defense, leading the Cowboys in tackles with 47 and picking off three balls so far this season.
Rookie Report
Starting right tackle Tyron Smith was selected by the Cowboys this year out of USC with the ninth-overall pick in the draft. He's the first offensive lineman selected by Dallas in the first round since 1981. Since winning his starting spot outright before the start of the season, he has been impressive. According to Pro Football Focus, a site that breaks down every snap from every NFL game, Smith is the only Cowboy offensive lineman with a positive performance grade on the year.
In the second round, Dallas selected speedy rush-end Bruce Carter to rotate in with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer on the outside. The 233-pound linebacker, who once clocked in at a stunning 4.39 in the 40-yard-dash, began the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list due to a torn ACL that he suffered in his senior season at North Carolina. He is expected to be placed on the active roster in the next few weeks, as he is now eligible after sitting for the first six weeks of the season.
Second-Half Outlook
The good news for the Cowboys is that their schedule eases up a bit after the taxing five-week gauntlet they've just completed. In the first five games of the season, the Cowboys faced teams that were a combined 21-8 (.724 winning percentage. In the second half, the teams they face have gone a combined 26-36 (.419 winning percentage).
Each of the Cowboys losses have been by four, or fewer, points, meaning they've been in position to possibly win every game they've played this season. They are a team that should not be taken lightly, as they have the talent to make a run at the top spot in a well-balanced NFC East.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter @EaglesInsider
