Lay back can play coverage against the terrific group of receivers and quarterback Tony Romo will find a way to get the football out and down the field. Go after Romo and risk the big play on the back end. Sleep on the running game and find running back Felix Jones in the end zone bowing to the Texas Stadium crowd.
Castillo understands that he has to mix things up against the Cowboys. He understands things a lot better these days, doesn't he? The defensive transformation against Miami and New York has been startling, encouraging and plain fun to watch. And Castillo, the earnest, likeable and extremely hard-working defensive coordinator on whom head coach Andy Reid risked so much by moving him from offensive line to overseeing the defense, is all of a sudden on top of his game.
The growth of Castillo has been obvious and extraordinary. He has had had moments throughout the year when the defense played particularly well -- think Atlanta for much of the second and third quarter -- only to suffer inexplicable collapses. The troubles in the fourth quarter were particularly alarming, compounded by the offense's failure to sustain drives and put the ball in the end zone.
And there have been times when it appeared his players hadn't totally bought into what Castillo was scheming on game days, although every party insists that the effort and enthusiasm was there, if not the execution.
But Castillo has been steadfast in his approach. He has no doubt heard the criticism and the calls for Reid to consider replacing him. Reid has backed Castillo every day of the year, and here we are, with the defense raging at just the right time.
What happens in the future? Who knows? That's a story for another day. Castillo has come a long, long way and that is undeniable. He has varied the scheme and added wrinkles and blitzes and, geez, hasn't it been fun to watch the defense the last two weeks?
Saturday is the huge test, though. With all due respect to the Dolphins and Jets, those offenses aren't in the class of what Dallas brings to the table. Romo has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league in the second half of the season. The trio of wide receivers, Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and the out-of-nowhere Laurant Robinson, challenge even the deepest secondary. Tight end Jason Witten is an all-time great.
Dallas wants to stretch the defense and hit with big plays. Romo is capable of throwing on three-step drops and of escaping the pass rush and making plays on the run. Jones, who is nursing a hamstring injury and who hasn't practiced all week, is still expected to play. He has home-run speed and terrific quickness.
So Castillo has a lot to think about. But he is never going to be outworked and he is not going to be overwhelmed. Even in the most intense heat of this season, Castillo was insistently upbeat, non-plussed and confident that by sticking to the basics and stressing repetition, his defense would come around.
Perhaps his greatest advancement has been knowing his personnel and finding the right ways to use his players. Rookie Casey Matthews, a starting middle linebacker in the opener at St. Louis, is now playing nickel and has made plays in space. Defensive end Jason Babin, a threat in the Wide 9 formation off the edge, has been a sack star the last couple of weeks in a two-point stance off the line of scrimmage, blitzing on stunts and delays. Rookie Phillip Hunt has stepped up as a pass rusher. The blown coverages from earlier in the year have been minimized. The tackling, so troublesome for much of the year, is much improved.
Dallas is a great test for Castillo, for this Eagles defense. The enthusiasm that Castillo and his coaches bring has been contagious in practice, in the locker room, on game days the last two weeks. Castillo has made a great deal of advancement as a defensive coordinator and everyone is now following his lead. He's the guy in charge of a defense that is as dangerous as any around, with the expectation that things are only going to get better.
