Back to work: Eagles need a good practice week to prepare for Cowboys…

Good to be back from the Bay… got a sunburn and a nice holiday… but no big fish. And now I’m just catching up on the scores from Sunday. It will be interesting to see how Benny Gold and Leo Pizzini scored on predicting those games. One thing’s for sure, the Dallas Cowboys showed no signs of regression in the beating they gave St. Louis.

Which got me to thinking— all this “Hate Dallas” stuff has become a trumped up distraction in Philly, and maybe it’s time to concentrate on catching a big fish this Sunday. In the end, it’s not the team that plays with hatred for its rival that matters, it’s how well the team is prepared for that given contest to play its best possible game. Maybe I’m wrong, but too much artificial emotion is like “distracted driving”… which doesn’t help much in reaching a destination on time.

A cool professional approach to strategic attack and smart defense will be a key element in preparation for Dallas this week. We know our talent and our physical conditioning, and they know theirs. The Achilles heel for both teams in the early going has been a loss of focus on steady execution of play designs (and ball possession) when the game is either on the line or ready to be put away. No amount of emotion or disdain for a rival will matter when the money’s on the line in this one…

The Eagles have a light practice Monday and then will resume their normal practice schedule on Wednesday as they prepare for their first of two showdowns with the Cowboys, who are coming off a convincing win over the Rams that pushed them to 3-3 on the year.

The Eagles are 12-0 following the bye under Andy Reid, and will play four of their next five games at home.

NFC EAST STANDINGS

Since I didn’t see the Dallas vs. Rams game (Cowboys 34, St. Louis 7), I brought in a guest analysist John Machota from Dallas to help us understand the strong performance of the Cowboys against the Rams… and also a thoughtful doubt about the quality of the Rams, thus suggesting that what Dallas did on Sunday is irrelevant to what they will be up against in Philadelphia.

Instant Analysis: DeMarco Murray was record-setting, but remember the defense he did it against

By

Jon Machota / Special Contributor 

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6:07 PM on Sun., Oct. 23, 2011 | Permalink

ARLINGTON — The Cowboys easily ran past the St. Louis Rams Sunday at Cowboys Stadium  . In the process, DeMarco Murray grabbed the Cowboys’ single-game rushing record with a 253 yards on 25 carries.

Here are my five thoughts on the lopsided outcome that allowed the Cowboys to improve to 3-3.

1.) Murray was tough the entire afternoon and made good use of his increased playing time. With Felix Jones injured, Murray provided nearly all of the highlights Sunday. He took advantage of the opportunity and showed why the Rams run defense is the worst in the league. St. Louis allowed opponents an average of 161.8 yards per game entering the Week 7 matchup, that’s nearly 100 yards more a game than what the Cowboys are averaging. But hats off to Murray, regardless of the competition, he topped a mark that was previously held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. I wonder if Smith is happy for Murray or mad that his record no longer stands.

2.) Dez Bryant had his best second half of the season. He only caught two balls in the second half of the previous five games this season, but he grabbed four, including a touchdown, during the second half against St. Louis. He dropped two catchable balls on consecutive plays late in the second quarter, and said afterward that he felt like he needed to make up for the incomplete passes that forced the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. Bryant finished with five catches for 90 yards.

3.) Sure, the game was a yawn-fest, well suited for those that needed to catch up on their missed sleep from watching the World Series the night before. But a win is a win. After dropping a last-minute contest at New England, a 34-7 blowout seemed to have everyone in a good mood in the post game locker room.

4.) Rob Ryan’s defense held up their end of the bargain, again. Cornerback Mike Jenkins , safety Abe Elam and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware were the standouts. Each of the three caused a turnover. Without quarterback Sam Bradford available for the Rams it was expected that the Cowboys defense would be able to cause plenty of problems, and they performed up to those expectations.

5.) Tony Romo was very good at managing the game. He didn’t need to be great but he also didn’t need to make any mistakes to jeopardize the outcome. The Cowboys never trailed and Romo didn’t make any errors, passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. All of the “Romosexuals” are happy for another week.

Thanks, John… and by no means do I undervalue what your Cowboys achieved on Sunday against St. Louis. If anything, I sense your offensive line is coming along a lot better than Eagles fans have been led to believe. And no question in my mind, after reading your game analysis, Dez Bryant as well as DeMarco Murray must be accounted for in the Eagles defensive meeting this week. The Eagles who watched that Dallas-Rams game sure know it. There’s no time for hatred or emotional rivalry… just pure preparation.