Quick Preview: Cowboys at Eagles

Quick Preview: Cowboys at Eagles

It’s amazing how the NFL betting landscape changes in a matter of weeks. Remember when the Giants were dominating the NFC East at 5-0, and the Cowboys and Eagles were underachieving? Now the Giants are stuck in third place while the Cowboys and Eagles battle for first in Week 9’s Sunday nighter. Go figure.

Despite their recent success, both teams have demons to conquer this week. The Cowboys are finally stringing wins together but haven’t done so against elite defenses; can Tony Romo avoid one of his occasional mistake-prone efforts on the road? Meanwhile, the Eagles look explosive as ever of late but also have a knack for losing games they’re supposed to win, so they have something to prove too.

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Sportsbook odds: Eagles -3

As any NFL fantasy picks expert will tell you, Tony Romo is on a hot streak. Roy Williams may have blown off Michael Irvin’s offseason advice but Miles Austin sure didn’t; he’s exploding off the line and erupting for big plays galore, giving Romo a legit No. 1 option he hasn’t had since early 2008. Austin has five scores in his last three games and the Cowboys need him to continue that success to keep pace with the high-octane Eagles.

The problem for Dallas: their last three victims – Kansas City, Seattle, and Denver – don’t exactly have scary pass defenses. The Eagles sure do, allowing less than 200 yards per game and ranking second in the NFL with 23 sacks. It’ll be interesting to see how Romo responds when hurried all day; the last time he visited Philadelphia was in Week 17 last season. He threw for 183 yards and turned the ball over three times as Philly romped 44-6.

The Cowboys defense – particularly through DeMarcus Ware and the pass rush – is rounding into form and allows 19.4 points per game. However, Dallas’ secondary is just OK, and OK doesn’t cut it against DeSean Jackson. The sophomore Eagles wideout may be the fastest player in football today. Coach Andy Reid knows exactly how to capitalize on Jackson’s talents so it shouldn’t come as a huge shock that he has catches of 50-plus yards in six different games this season.

Both teams will want this game badly; we may see turnovers and big plays on either side. But the Eagles are just a bit more ferocious on defense and no one can stop the Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson connection right now. Are we picking the Birds? Check back Friday to see our picks.

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