If (the Story of the Eagles/Cowboys Game)

Yesterday’s NFC East title showdown was one that left many fans happy and many others embarrassed. The one-side shellacking of the Eagles was far from expected, as both of these squads traditionally play each other tough. It’s one of the reasons these teams hate each other so much (to figure out how much you hate the other teams in your division, see my NFL.com article on the subject here; mine is the second, less offensive write-up, so scroll down). Then again, there are those times where one team gets up more than the other and doles out and absolute ass kicking like none other; last year the Eagles gave out the beating with their 44-6 whomping of Dallas in the regular season finale, a game that set into motion a chain of events that led to the Eagles making the playoffs. Yesterday, though, the Cowboys had their regular-season revenge by simultaneously taking the NFC crown, preventing a first-round bye for their hated rivals, and setting up a rematch next week with much larger stakes.

But, what did we learn from this game?

Well, for starters, we learned that the Dallas defense is indeed formidable, as they finished the season by posting back-to-back shutouts.

We learned that the Eagles defense has some major holes, and that Asante Samuel, although a great weapon when it comes to timely interceptions, can also be liability the 75% of the time he isn’t getting at least one hand on the ball. If he would focus more on defending first and getting an interception second, rather than the other way around, he wouldn’t always leave himself so vulnerable. This author believes that Mr. Samuel was somewhat intimidated by the Dallas offense and intentionally chose to go for the INTs that never came because it allowed him an excuse not to get run over (let’s face it, he cannot tackle). Asante was only one problem with the defense, however; the line barely got close enough to tell Tony Romo “hi,” and Marion Barber pretty much has his way with the linebackers and secondary.

The Eagles saw a lot of Marion Barber's back yesterday. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

If the Eagles fill-in center Nick Cole doesn’t produce a low snap that results in a fumble early on in the game in the Cowboys red zone, things might have been different. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, they were unable to take advantage of a Tony Romo turnover that would have allowed them to get right back into the game.

If Donovan McNabb didn’t overthrow DeSean Jackson, which I didn’t know was even possible until yesterday, the Eagles would have engaged the Cowboys early in a potential shootout, rather than heading to the sidelines with their tails between their collective legs sulking.

The Eagles most prolific offensive weapon yesterday was busy making defensive plays. (AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)

If David Akers doesn’t miss a 53-yard field goal Andy Reid sacked up and decided to go for a 4th and 2 rather than elect to kick a 53-yard field goal, the Eagles might have been able to gain an iota of confidence in order to turn things around. Yes, Akers had enough leg behind it, but it’s a lot to ask from your kicker and also robs you offense of a key opportunity to get something going.

If Andy Reid had the slightest clue when it comes to clock management, the Eagles might have gone into halftime with some points. This annual, legitimate gripe is all too familiar for Eagles fans, who surely cringed when Andy called a timeout before punting yesterday instead of taking an 5 yard meaningless penalty that would not have negatively impacted field position. Because Eagles fans knew that timeout would have come in handy when their team was driving down field with less than a minute and no way of stopping the clock when they really needed it.

And yes, if Donovan McNabb would actually shoulder the blame for this loss the way a leader should, it would have been slightly easier to handle.

I could expand this list by at least another 5 or 6 key takeaways, but this comprises the bulk of the problems that were seen yesterday. Luckily for the Eagles, they get a rare rematch opportunity, and can make all of this nonsense go away by winning next week. It certainly won’t be easy, but in a game where opportunities matter, they’ll have a chance to cash in on Saturday what the could not this past Sunday. And I’m not particularly sold on Tony Romo just yet; yes, he’s having a nice season and his mobility allows him to make key plays, but let’s not forget the track record here. He’s crumbled under the pressure before, and I’m not sure if you can ask for more pressure in a situation that calls for you to beat your nemesis two games in a row in order to put to rest the “haven’t won a playoff game in 13 years” argument that Cowboys fans have certainly had enough of. If he is able to pull it off, he’ll lose the stigma that goes along with his reputation; however, if he does not, it will be nearly impossible to shake. But, only time will tell which “if” will prevail.