Philadelphia Eagles: Takeaways from victory over Dallas
By Ryan Crane
The Philadelphia Eagles’ 33-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys addressed nearly all of the questions surrounding the Eagles entering their bye week. Sam Bradford remained interception free for the third time this season and the running game provided the boost expected from such a talented backfield.
Sam Bradford entered the bye tied for the most interceptions. A closer look pinned some of them on balls hitting off of his own receivers’ hands, but there was debate over whether or not Bradford was leading receivers into dangerous spots causing the drops. Bradford’s week nine performance was his best of the season. While it was his second highest passer rating, second to the three-TD performance against the Redskins, his completion percentage was 16 percent higher.
At that, Bradford wasn’t forcing throws. Up to this point, Bradford had a tendency in the red zone to force throws into tight windows that contributed to his league-leading interceptions in the red zone. Helping Bradford’s turnover-free game was a commanding running game.
The offensive line finally seems to be getting bigger pushes off the line and are giving Bradford plenty of time. Murray, Mathews, and Sproles combined for the second-highest total on the ground this season.
Play calling
It seems obvious that a team should run the plays that are giving them the best success. The Patriots are masters at understanding the weakness of the defense and going against it, regardless of how unorthodox it is. Consider their game against the Jets where they rushed for 15 yards, knowing that that was not the way to beat them.
The Eagles were clearly running the ball well last night. A drive early in the second quarter that went for 80 yards on 13 plays had nine rushes. A timeout showed Cowboys defensive linemen with hands on their hips, gasping for air. On the next drive, the Eagles went back to short passes and stagnant check downs. While a touchdown pass went for the game-winning score, it was curious to see how the Eagles laid off the run at points when it looked like the most viable option.
Final Points
Dez Bryant is still a menace. It’s a pessimistic viewpoint, but had the Cowboys had Tony Romo out there, this game probably would not have turned out the way it did. Another thing to consider is that the Eagles didn’t have a turnover (first time this season).
Defensive pressure on the quarterback is a strong ability of the Eagles that doesn’t get utilized enough. We bash the secondary for letting guys get open and having receivers catch passes, turn, and have no Eagles defender within five yards. Once the linebackers pushed up and put pressure on Dallas’ line, Cassel looked a lot less like an elite quarterback.
Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin are unleashed beasts when called upon to get after the quarterback. The Eagles need to take better advantage of one of the better defensive line and line backing groups in the NFC.
More from isportsweb.com:
