Writer: Kevin Durso
Week 9 Preview: Eagles battle Cowboys in Dallas
I have been writing for Sports Talk Philly since 2011. Currently editor and lead writer of Philadelphia Flyers coverage. Co-host of the YWT Podcast. I also am Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN-FM in South Jersey. I graduated from Cabrini University in 2014.
All posts by Kevin DursoPublished08 Nov 2015
A Monday night win over the Giants, a loss on Sunday night to the Panthers two weeks ago, and now in Week 9, the Eagles are back in primetime again.
This Sunday night matchup goes back to Week 2, when the Eagles inconsistency cost them a chance to rally against the Dallas Cowboys at home.
Now, the Eagles make the annual visit to Dallas, set to get revenge on the early-season loss and return to an even 4-4. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. from AT&T Stadium.
The Eagles offense already faces quite a task, having to play with O-line mainstay and cornerstone Jason Peters. That leaves a lot in the hands of the offensive line to protect Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray and company.
This season, it's been hit or miss for the Eagles offense. While they have not truly put together a great offensive game from start to finish, the Eagles have either recovered nicely to still put up sufficient points or fallen a couple scores short because of the earlier scores.
Murray is one player that will be looking for much better results. In Week 2, Murray carried the ball 13 times for a total of two yards.
Defensively, the Eagles are looking to pick up where they left off before the bye week. Despite the 3-4 record, the defense has kept the Eagles deep into games this season, which has been a pleasant role reversal of previous years.
Dallas comes in with its share of problems. They recently benched Joseph Randle, turning full-time starting duties at running back over to Darren McFadden. They are still without Tony Romo, so Matt Cassel gets the start.
Dez Bryant made his return a week ago, getting two catches for 12 yards. The Cowboys also have Jason Witten, and with Bryant back as a threat, Witten should find a way to get more space and will certainly be targeted.
Defensively, one player the Eagles will see on Sunday night that they didn't in Week 2 is Greg Hardy. The defensive lineman was serving a suspension for the first four weeks of the season. Throw in Nick Hayden and Tyrone Crawford on the line as well, and it could be a long day for the shorthanded offensive line of the Eagles.
Sean Lee made an impact in the Cowboys Week 2 win in Philadelphia and with Rolando McClain joining him at the linebacker position and Brandon Carr, J.J. Wilcox and Orlando Scandrick in the secondary, the Eagles are facing a very capable defense.
Game Notes
- The Eagles are 4-6 in their last 10 games against the Cowboys, but have a 3-1 record at AT&T Stadium since 2011.
- The Eagles defense has forced a turnover in 13 straight games and has 32 turnovers in the last 13 games.
- The Eagles lead the NFL in takeaways with 19 this season.
Injury Report
Eagles
Out
- T Jason Peters (back)
Questionable
- WR Nelson Agholor (ankle)
- RB Ryan Mathews (groin)
- LB DeMeco Ryans (hamstring)
Probable
- LB Kiko Alonso (knee)
- DE Brandon Bair (groin)
- LB Bryan Braman (shoulder)
Cowboys
Questionable
- WR Brice Butler (hamstring)
- S Barry Church (ankle)
Probable
- QB Matt Cassel (knee)
- TE James Hanna (ankle)
- DE Demarcus Lawrence (back)
- WR Dez Bryant (foot)
Where To Watch
TV: NBC10 (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)
Radio: 94 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Howard Eskin)
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
