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BY SAM HITCHCOCK
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
The Eagles and Cowboys have been chasing the Giants in the standings all season, but now they share the lead for the division. The question of where they will go from here starts this week.
Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb have both played as well as any quarterback in the league these past two weeks. The Cowboys and Eagles have been meshing offensively and defensively, with unlikely suspects emerging as offensive dynamos (Miles Austin, Leonard Weaver). This week, the two teams meet for the first time at Lincoln Field, where the Eagles' only loss came to the undefeated Saints.
Eight touchdowns, zero interceptions. Those are Tony Romo's statistics the last three weeks. He has been finding Miles Austin often, with Austin catching five of those eight touchdown passes and easily eclipsing Roy Williams for the number one receiving option. But this wave of confidence from the Cowboys could be attributed to one play made three weeks ago. On October 11th in Arrowhead Stadium, the Cowboys were battling hard against the Kansas City Chiefs. Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe were giving it their best effort to upturn the already shaky Cowboys, pushing them into overtime.
It was then that Miles Austin, who already was having a career receiving day with almost 200 yards, caught a pass near the sidelines and took it 60 yards for a touchdown. From then on, the Cowboys offense has sizzled, with Austin and Romo on a tear, and Felix Jones and Marion Barber complimenting each other nicely with their respective carries. Impressive efforts from their defense and special teams have also been a large part of their success.
The Eagles defense deserves a lot of credit for its performance last week against the Giants. Seeing Eli Manning that confused and rattled is truly a rarity. Forcing Manning to throw two picks, as well as many passes far off target, it would seem that Eagles' defensive coordinator Sean McDermott's schemes have been working to perfection.
Despite Romo showing more variety with whom he throws to, it is hard to argue with the Eagles' momentum at home this season. Whether it is on offense, defense, or special teams, they are getting it done. They are making few mistakes, and forcing their opponents to make errors.
While the Cowboys defense has been stellar, it is their offense that has dominated. Nevertheless, McDermott has a knack for frustrating quarterbacks, and Romo certainly can lose his confidence if the right amount of pressure is applied. Look for the Eagles to pull out the game by a sizeable margin, and to hear the usual media banter questioning the Cowboys, a regular occurrence whenever they lose.
Prediction: Eagles 31, Cowboys 17
