Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy celebrate after one of McCoy's two touchdowns in the Eagles 54-11 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. (Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com)
I watched a lot of football Sunday, but there were two games I paid more attention to than others – the keen eye of analysis and breakdown.
Obviously, with all of my coverage on the Philadelphia Eagles, I focused intently on the Eagles game against the Chicago Bears. The other game was earlier that afternoon between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.
I have to admit; I had some nerves about the Eagles game last night. After the way the Dallas-Washington game ended and the series of events that gave the Bears a chance to clinch the NFC North, it seemed the stars were aligning for Chicago.
The ending to the Cowboys-Redskins game was difficult to digest, mainly because it took a lot out of Sunday night’s game for the Eagles. The NFL was going to get what it wanted, a primetime, winner-take-all game for the NFC East.
In watching both games, I learned a lot about the two teams all Eagles fans will prepare for in six days.
The Dallas Cowboys are not a good football team. Their performance has been sufficient eight times this season and seven times not. Even their win against Philadelphia in Week 7 is no reflection of where the Eagles are now. That team on Sunday wasn’t playing just for Week 16.
The Eagles are playing for something greater, and perhaps that doesn’t mean just the NFC East division. This team appears to be setting their sights on something bigger.
The reason the Eagles could not clinch last night was two-fold. Yes, the Redskins squandered away a game they should have won, keeping the Cowboys alive into the final week of the season. But the Eagles miserable performance in Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings also ruined their chances of clinch Sunday night.
Whatever happened in Minnesota is nearly irrelevant at this point. It did nothing more than force this deciding game. On the positive side, it appeared to give the Eagles the wake-up call they desperately needed at this time.
They saw vulnerability in themselves, that any team could and would take advantage of weakness. They went back to the source of success with the running game and when they took a sizable first-half lead, never took the foot of the throttle.
So, it doesn’t matter that the Eagles have to go to Dallas with the playoffs on the line. In fact, it might be more pleasurable to watch the Eagles do this against the Cowboys.
The Bears, formidable on all fronts except run defense, were stopped in ever facet of the game. They couldn’t establish the run. Jay Cutler struggled mightily. The Bears defense was no match for the Eagles dominant offense. And this was the NFC North-leading Bears.
The Eagles may not have faced teams like the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints or Carolina Panthers during the regular season, but with the way the NFL season has gone, anything seems possible this season.
This may have been about as masterful a game as any team could put together at this stretch. Nick Foles was nearly perfect, completing all but four passes for 230 and two touchdowns – bringing his season total to 25.
LeSean McCoy got involved in a big way. Not only did he rush for 133 yards and two touchdowns, he’s now 37 yards away from setting the new single-season franchise rushing record.
All three running backs scored touchdowns. Foles got every receiver involved with Brent Celek and Riley Cooper scoring touchdowns.
Defensively, everybody played a role. Brandon Boykin returned an interception for a touchdown. Bradley Fletcher forced a fumble. Cary Williams recovered. Cedric Thornton stopped Matt Forte in the end zone for a safety. Trent Cole had three sacks. Mychal Kendricks had two.
Games don’t get more dominant than that. Simply put, the Eagles put on a clinic on Sunday night.
Half of that effort will win in Dallas. There is no question which team is not only the best in the division but hotter.
Seven seconds and a touchdown pass from Tony Romo to DeMarco Murray separated the end of the Cowboys season – and likely Jason Garrett’s tenure as head coach – and this important final game of the season. The Cowboys, still in position for the NFC East title, nearly fell at the hands of the 3-11 Redskins.
Not only are the Eagles more proven and their Week 7 loss to the Cowboys a distant memory, the fighting words from Chip Kelly and McCoy are further indicators of why this team will succeed.
“We’re from Philadelphia, and we fight,” Kelly said. “If there’s a game on, we’re playing. End of story.”
“They didn’t see the best of the Eagles,” McCoy said of the Week 7 loss to the Cowboys. “They didn’t see the best of Nick Foles or LeSean McCoy. They didn’t see the best of us, but they will on Sunday, so it’ll be different.”
So here it is, Monday of Dallas Week, Part 2. The Eagles are talking the talk and walking the walk. The Cowboys might at the moment be praying for a miracle.
They have a lot at stake as well. But the Cowboys may not be facing a red-hot Eagles team. They are facing a team that just handled the Bears like a well-oiled machine. With a running back straight ‘outta Madden and a quarterback will phenomenal control, this was video game-like.
As the laugher over the Bears continued, fans, knowing well what is to come in the next week, starting chanting “we want Dallas.”
Well, Eagles fans, you’ve got Dallas. So does the team. And better yet, you’ve got them right where you want them.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Eagledelphia. Look for his Game Preview and recap every Sunday. Follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
