Eagles Wake-Up Call: Welcome To Dallas Week

Eagles fans kickstarted Dallas week a little early.

With the game against Tennessee pretty well in hand in the second half, “Beat Dallas” chants began to ring out at Lincoln Financial Field.

“There were a few drunk fans yelling more than that,” said Lane Johnson.

Their Week 12 games now in the books, the stage is set for an important Thanksgiving game in Big “D” between the Eagles and Cowboys. Both teams enter 8-3 after wins on Sunday. The Eagles cruised to a 43-24 victory over the Titans while the Cowboys came from behind to topple the Giants 31-28 on Sunday Night Football.

New York had an 11-point lead heading into halftime thanks in large part to this man: 

Just filthy.

Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants clung to a 28-24 lead late, but Tony Romo engineered a seven-play, 80-yard drive and found Dez Bryant in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard score with 1:01 remaining to put Dallas ahead. The offensive line allotted Romo  over seven seconds in the pocket on that TD.

The Giants nearly did the Eagles a big favor but coudn’t hold on, so the Eagles and Cowboys enter the home stretch with identical records. They’ll face each other twice in the span of three weeks. Needless to say, the playoff ramifications are significant.

A quick look at the Eagles and Cowboys’ final five games:

Eagles

@Cowboys
vs. Seahawks
vs. Cowboys
@Redskins
@Giants

Cowboys

vs. Eagles
@Bears
@Eagles
vs. Colts
@Redskins

Head-to-head is the first division tiebreaker, followed by division record and common game record. The Eagles are 2-0 in the division while Dallas is 2-1 heading in.

The rivalry will have a little extra juice to it this year. Some newcomers got a small taste of it on Sunday. Mark Sanchez said he was  speaking with Chip Kelly on the sideline during the second half when a fan yelled so loud about Dallas that it cut into the moment.

“We’re in the third quarter and people are screaming about the Dallas game while this game is still going on,” he said. “I’ll get into it throughout this next week.”

Others need no introduction.

“We take on a little bit of what the fans feel,” said Brent Celek. “If a fans dislike a team, we dislike a team. We’re all in this thing together. I don’t like Dallas. I’m excited to play this game.”

WHAT YOU MISSED

Sheil’s observations from the Eagles’ win over the Titans.

Notes on LeSean McCoy‘s big day, Sanchez’s turnovers and more.

Will Pat Shurmur get another shot at head coaching this offseason?

Breaking down the Eagles power structure.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com shares his ten observations of the Eagles-Titans game:

2. I spent all week telling anybody who’d listen that LeSean McCoy was fine, and the running game’s issues had nothing to do with him losing a step. He sure looked like the Shady of old Sunday, didn’t he? Twenty-one carries for 130 yards and a touchdown. Over the last seven weeks, McCoy is averaging 95 yards and 4.5 yards per carry. That’s legit production. The Shady of old? You got him.

3. OK, the Eagles allowed 24 points to a team averaging 16.8 points per game with a rookie making his fourth career start on the road during a short week. That can’t happen. It’s one thing when Aaron Rodgers is torching you. But for this secondary to let an inexperienced rookie sixth-round pick who’s never won a game come into your stadium and throw the ball up and down the field for 345 yards and two TD passes and engineer three touchdown drives … it’s simply unacceptable. This is just a terrible secondary.

Paul Domowitch of the Daily News gives his full team report card:

RUN DEFENSE: Even without run-stopping inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans, the Eagles continue to be strong against the run. They held the Titan to 2.7 yards per carry. Over the last six games, they’ve allowed 89.7 yards per game on the ground and just 3.6 yards per carry. Their front three is as good against the run as any 3-4 front in the league.

Grade: A

PASS DEFENSE: The Eagles continue to give up big passing plays. Linebacker Emmanuel Acho gave up a 68-yard catch to Titans tight end Delanie Walker, and the secondary gave up a 40-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter. The Eagles did have five sacks and a pick, but cornerback Bradley Fletcher continues to struggle.

Grade: D

COMING UP

Quick turnaround. Kelly speaks at 11:15 before the Eagles begin training for Dallas.