Cowboys-Eagles Preview

Get your popcorn ready, T.O. The 1-0 Philadelphia Eagles will have an answer for your comments Monday night and it will not be in the form of words. Terrell Owens, the infamous wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, had plenty of comments all week, from saying he got "too big" in the city of Philadelphia for McNabb to claiming the '08 Cowboys are better than the '04 Eagles and most recently saying that the Eagles can't cover him 1 on 1.

Remember Mr. Owens. Your Cowboys have only beaten Philadelphia once in the 2 years you have been in your new home and you have failed to be effective in those losses.
Records: DAL (1-0); PHI (1-0). Dallas leads series 54-43.
Scheduling: 8:30 on ESPN. Game is in Dallas
Last week: Dallas beat Cleveland 28-10. Philadelphia beat St. Louis 38-3
Last time met: December 16, 2007 - Eagles beat the Cowboys 10-6 in Dallas.
Ratings after the jump:

Assessing the Offenses:
Dallas: Tony Romo is coming off of a great win over the Browns last week. Despite having injuries to the receiving corps, Romo was able to create 4 scoring drives, throwing a TD to Owens. Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton stepped up as well to help Dallas' offense. On the ground they have Marion Barber and rookie Felix Jones. They combined for 142 yards on 25 carries and 3 TDs last week. This Cowboys offense is very capable of putting up points. Their 2-RB attack can be a bit of a problem against a young Eagles front 7. Their offensive line is one of the best in the league.

Philadelphia: Donovan McNabb is healthy and hungry. He played phenomenal last week, shaking any suspicion of him being washed up. DeSean Jackson was spectacular in his first NFL game showing that he has the ability to be a play maker in the NFL. Injured receiver Reggie Brown is listed as questionable for Monday but he will likely be playing. TE LJ Smith is healthy as well and his presence could be very well needed when Dallas sends the blitz. The big story will be how will Brian Westbrook exploit the Cowboys defense. The entire league knows about him so he is definitely not going to be a secret to Dallas. One way he pay exploit the defense is the attention he will receive. Seeing him lined out wide can take attention off of Jackson, Smith, and Brown, opening up the field to all 3 of them. The offensive line looked good, not allowing a sack.
Advantage: Even

Assessing the Defenses:
Dallas: Dallas has a good front 7, with the line led by end Marcus Spears. The line backers are very good with Greg Ellis, Bradie James, Zach Thomas, and Demarcus Ware. It can be a long day for the run game and an even longer one for the offensive line of the Eagles if they can't get a push. The secondary for Dallas is good but there are question marks with Adam Jones. He is listed as the nickel for Dallas but plays on 3rd down when they move Anthony Henry to the free position because of Roy Williams lack of success as a pass defender.

Philadelphia: The Eagles young line backing corps was the story last week as they shut down Stephen Jackson. This week, they will face a tougher challenge as they see Dallas' two backs in Jones and Barber. The defensive line is pretty strong despite not having Victor Abiamiri in the rotation. Trent Cole is still the leader of the line and expect him to do some damage versus that line. The secondary is going to be the big story on defense. Will it be T.O versus Lito Sheppard, who has the most experience versus him, T.O. versus Asante Samuel, one of the best corners in the game who shut down Tory Holt last week, or T.O. versus Sheldon Brown. All 3 have the ability to cover him and it is going to be known that all day one of those 3 corners will get help from the safety position. If the Eagles send the heavy blitz like they have in the 3 games they won against the 'Boys, then expect T.O. to disappear early and the offense unable to get rolling against the Eagles. Jim Johnson loves planning against Dallas and expect to see a special game plan for Owens.
Advantage: Eagles.

Special Teams:
Dallas: Nick Folk is the best kicker in the league. Felix Jones is very fast and very dangerous in the open field. Miles Austin and Adam Jones are both in the equation as returners for the kick off and punts as well.

Philadelphia: David Akers shook off some rust hitting a field goal last week. He isn't top in the league anymore. Sav Rocca is turning into a very good punter as he dropped 3/4 kicks inside the 20 last week. He will be the one to keep the returners for Dallas at bay. Philly has a good trio of their own in Jackson, Lorenzo Booker, and Quinton Demps. Jackson almost brought one back last week. Give him room and he's gone.
Advantage: Eagles

Coaching:
Dallas: Wade Phillips is good. He knows how to prepare his team for big games.

Philadelphia: Andy Reid and Jim Johnson know how to beat Dallas. Expect them to show what they know on Monday.
Advantage: Even

Prediction: Eagles 27, Dallas 24