What I Am Looking For In The Cowboys vs. Eagles Game!

Tony Romo: What Romo will we get this week? Tony has played very well at times this season and just as poorly at other times.  Romo is going to need a good game to beat the Eagles, and he is going to have to limit the stupid mistakes. The Eagles defense has been shaky at times, but they still have a very good secondary; if Romo doesn’t take care of the ball it could be a very long night for the Boys. Romo also needs to get back in rhythm with Miles Austin who is going to be a key guy if the Cowboys want to win on Sunday. I see Romo having 250 yards passing and 2 touchdowns.

DeMarco Murray: How good is Murray really? Let’s be honest: no one saw the 200 plus performance from Murray coming. However, how good is Murray really, I mean the Rams defense is one of the worst in the league at stopping the run. For Murray, this is his week to shine; he has a chance to take the starting job from Felix Jones with a solid game. Murray also has the chance to really help Tony Romo this weekend; the better the run is, the less the Eagles will be focusing on the pass. I see Murray having 85 yards and a touchdown, maybe not as explosive as last week, but still getting the job done.

Miles Austin: Where has he been since returning from his injury? Yes I know he had a 74 yard performance against the Pats, but he only had 2 catches last week against the Rams. Austin since coming back has only caught 9 passes in 2 games, and he has no touchdown receptions. Against the Eagles he is going to have to be big for Romo, because the Eagles know how dangerous Witten is, and Bryant has not been the most reliable at times this season. If the Cowboys are going to win on Sunday, Austin is going to have to return to the guy he was before his injury. I see 70 yards receiving but most importantly a touchdown reception.

Defense

The Dallas Secondary: Can you stop Maclin and Jackson from making the big plays? The secondary for the Cowboys has played really well the last 2 weeks. On Sunday they are going to get a test in the form of Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. Jackson and Maclin are two huge targets for Michael Vick, and the fewer big plays you allow the better you will do against them. I know they are going to catch some passes during the game, but the Cowboys secondary cannot allow them to do what Calvin Johnson did to them just weeks earlier. Keeping Maclin and Jackson out of the end zone will be big if the Cowboys want to win on Sunday.

Rob Ryan: What defensive scheme will you have in place to keep Vick in the pocket? When Mike Vick gets a chance to run, he is very deadly; however, when you keep him in the pocket he is more likely to make mistakes. Vick has returned at times to the Vick of old by throwing ugly picks and committing big turnovers in big game situations. Ryan’s job this week will be to make Vick stand in the pocket and throw the ball; getting guys in there to hit Vick will also be crucial. Vick has been injury prone this season, and getting pressure on him might cause him to get hurt or make a mistake and throw a pick.  Vick can win you games and lose games just like Romo has proven at times, but when Vick doesn’t use his feet he is more likely to make a mistake, and that is what we are all hoping to get on Sunday.

Special Teams

Matt McBriar: Can you keep Jackson from hurting us on Special Teams? Anyone who watches football can remember the Jackson punt return against the Giants last season. The punter was told to punt it away from Jackson, he didn’t and the Giants got burned. Matt take a cue from that guy and don’t do that, the Cowboys will have their hands full enough without Jackson hurting us on special teams. McBriar is one of the best punters in the league, and man does he have a leg, but this week he needs to make sure that if he kicks it to Jackson that he gives his guys enough time to get down the field to make the play. Do not let Jackson beat us on special teams.

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