Eagles must learn to run before they can soar
Article By viyer.tsn on 8th January, 2010
IRVING, Texas -- The Eagles have one more chance to solve the Cowboys' riddle on Saturday night, or their season, which began with Super Bowl expectations, will end well short.
Expect more involvement from rookie LeSean McCoy. Considering the Eagles were shut out, 24-0, at Cowboys Stadium last week, they must do plenty of things better to have a chance to win Saturday night. Many of them are simple, fundamental football tasks, but none will come easy against the fast and physical Cowboys.
1. Stop the run. The fact Dallas running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones were both effective last week in the power rushing attack (91 yards each) threw off Philadelphia's defensive plans.
"By them running the ball well, it basically killed us," Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said.
The Cowboys passed effectively off the success of the run and kept the aggressive Eagles off-balance, leading to big holes for Barber and Jones. On Saturday night, Philadelphia will work on getting defenders in better position to fill those lanes before Barber or Jones can run into the secondary.
"We need to get a lot more guys around the ball," Mikell said. "We have to tackle better and we have to get off of blocks better."
To that end, don't be surprised to see some lineup changes, such as giving more reps to veteran run-stopping middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter on early downs.
2. Get out to a fast start. The Eagles didn't quite get started Sunday. Looking at their talent and typical offensive prowess, getting a quick score this week would give the team confidence and much-needed momentum.
"Everybody says start fast, finish strong," Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said. "But there are going to be ebbs and flows to every game. Even if you start fast, you have to try to continue that throughout the whole game."
For all their big-play abili...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for NFL
Expect more involvement from rookie LeSean McCoy. Considering the Eagles were shut out, 24-0, at Cowboys Stadium last week, they must do plenty of things better to have a chance to win Saturday night. Many of them are simple, fundamental football tasks, but none will come easy against the fast and physical Cowboys.
1. Stop the run. The fact Dallas running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones were both effective last week in the power rushing attack (91 yards each) threw off Philadelphia's defensive plans.
"By them running the ball well, it basically killed us," Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said.
The Cowboys passed effectively off the success of the run and kept the aggressive Eagles off-balance, leading to big holes for Barber and Jones. On Saturday night, Philadelphia will work on getting defenders in better position to fill those lanes before Barber or Jones can run into the secondary.
"We need to get a lot more guys around the ball," Mikell said. "We have to tackle better and we have to get off of blocks better."
To that end, don't be surprised to see some lineup changes, such as giving more reps to veteran run-stopping middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter on early downs.
2. Get out to a fast start. The Eagles didn't quite get started Sunday. Looking at their talent and typical offensive prowess, getting a quick score this week would give the team confidence and much-needed momentum.
"Everybody says start fast, finish strong," Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said. "But there are going to be ebbs and flows to every game. Even if you start fast, you have to try to continue that throughout the whole game."
For all their big-play abili...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for NFL
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