IRVING, Texas –The Eagle has tweeted. But at this point, the Dallas Cowboys prefer to let their actions against Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson do the talking.
After his team got shut out 24-0 at Dallas on Sunday, Philadelphia’s speedy big-play machine was quick to respond on his Twitter page — in so many words that the Eagles would come back to "sting the Cowboys in the backside" Saturday night in the first-round playoff game.
Such salvos aren’t new for the confident Jackson, but for the Eagles back up his bold statement he must make some noise on the field.
In two games against Dallas, Nov. 8 and Jan. 3, the Cowboys limited Jackson to a combined five catches for 76 yards and no touchdowns. And he was limited to only 18 yards on punt returns.
No team has done a better job of containing the Pro Bowler.
One of several players responsible for causing that anemic output is Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick, Jackson’s former high school rival in Southern California. Scandrick knows it will be a challenge to contain Jackson a third time.
"He’s a competitor," Scandrick said. "He’s got an edge to him."
The Cowboys have used a team effort to limit Jackson’s impact. The preparation and communication have been there for all levels of the defense, not just the secondary. The pass rush has limited Donovan McNabb’s time to locate his best deep threat, backing it up with cover men who kept Jackson in front of them.
"They’ve been trying to eliminate the big play, and they’ve been very successful with it," McNabb said.
To keep Jackson from hitting home runs, it’s a two-step process. The first requires a sound coverage scheme where cornerbacks get consistent help over the top. Because the Cowboys have been effective in both rushing McNabb and stopping the Eagles’ running game with just their front seven, it has allowed safeties Ken Hamlin and Gerald Sensabaugh to patrol the deep halves.
The key is everyone maintaining coverage responsibilities yet also being able to close on Jackson—and rookie speedster Jeremy Maclin on the opposite side—while the ball is airborne.
"It’s (about) us being disciplined but still being aggressive," Hamlin said. "We have the corners who are aggressive enough to play those guys."
With a receiver as fast, as quick and as tough as Jackson, the Cowboys can’t afford to lose track of him.
"He has another gear when he gets the ball in his hands," Dallas inside linebacker Keith Brooking said. "He’s a guy you’re conscious of on every play, and what they’re trying to do with him."
Because of how they’ve stopped the long pass, the Cowboys can expect the Eagles to call more plays such as wide receiver screens and reverses to get the ball to Jackson quickly and allow him to accelerate into the open field.
The Eagles say they aren’t frustrated by what Dallas has done to slow Jackson, but the Philly coaches are surely focused on making sure he is a factor in the playoffs.
"They’ve done a great job against him," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "It’s a matter of me putting him in the right position to make the plays."
This story appears in Jan. 6’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.
IRVING, Texas –The Eagle has tweeted. But at this point, the Dallas Cowboys prefer to let their actions against Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson do the talking.
After his team got shut out 24-0 at Dallas on Sunday, Philadelphia’s speedy big-play machine was quick to respond on his Twitter page — in so many words that the Eagles would come back to "sting the Cowboys in the backside" Saturday night in the first-round playoff game.
Such salvos aren’t new for the confident Jackson, but for the Eagles back up his bold statement he must make some noise on the field.
In two games against Dallas, Nov. 8 and Jan. 3, the Cowboys limited Jackson to a combined five catches for 76 yards and no touchdowns. And he was limited to only 18 yards on punt returns.
No team has done a better job of containing the Pro Bowler.
One of several players responsible for causing that anemic output is Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick, Jackson’s former high school rival in Southern California. Scandrick knows it will be a challenge to contain Jackson a third time.
"He’s a competitor," Scandrick said. "He’s got an edge to him."
The Cowboys have used a team effort to limit Jackson’s impact. The preparation and communication have been there for all levels of the defense, not just the secondary. The pass rush has limited Donovan McNabb’s time to locate his best deep threat, backing it up with cover men who kept Jackson in front of them.
"They’ve been trying to eliminate the big play, and they’ve been very successful with it," McNabb said.
To keep Jackson from hitting home runs, it’s a two-step process. The first requires a sound coverage scheme where cornerbacks get consistent help over the top. Because the Cowboys have been effective in both rushing McNabb and stopping the Eagles’ running game with just their front seven, it has allowed safeties Ken Hamlin and Gerald Sensabaugh to patrol the deep halves.
The key is everyone maintaining coverage responsibilities yet also being able to close on Jackson—and rookie speedster Jeremy Maclin on the opposite side—while the ball is airborne.
"It’s (about) us being disciplined but still being aggressive," Hamlin said. "We have the corners who are aggressive enough to play those guys."
With a receiver as fast, as quick and as tough as Jackson, the Cowboys can’t afford to lose track of him.
"He has another gear when he gets the ball in his hands," Dallas inside linebacker Keith Brooking said. "He’s a guy you’re conscious of on every play, and what they’re trying to do with him."
Because of how they’ve stopped the long pass, the Cowboys can expect the Eagles to call more plays such as wide receiver screens and reverses to get the ball to Jackson quickly and allow him to accelerate into the open field.
The Eagles say they aren’t frustrated by what Dallas has done to slow Jackson, but the Philly coaches are surely focused on making sure he is a factor in the playoffs.
"They’ve done a great job against him," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "It’s a matter of me putting him in the right position to make the plays."
This story appears in Jan. 6’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.
That should make Dallas Cowboys faithful feel better about their chances in their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, a team they beat 20-16 at Philadelphia in Week 9 and then 24-0 at home on Sunday. (Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET Saturday.)
Last season, the Steelers pulled off a three-feat of Baltimore en route to winning Super Bowl 43. Dallas, however, has failed in its only two attempts—in 1998 against the Cardinals and 2007 against the Giants, both part of the franchise’s 13-year postseason drought.
"I don’t know that we have faced in the playoffs, since I’ve been here, more of a challenge to turn around and play that good of a team for a third time," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of the Eagles. "Now we’ve done it two years ago with a team that we thought could go all the way with all the talent and we couldn’t get it done."
Jones’ players aren’t expecting Philadelphia to struggle to play defense and score points in their return trip to Cowboys Stadium.
"It definitely gets our attention, because I know (Eagles coach) Andy Reid is going to have those guys ready," Dallas wide receiver Patrick Crayton said.
Here are three notable obstacles Dallas must overcome to beat Philadelphia one more time:
More Brian Westbrook
He didn’t play in the Nov. 8 matchup and was limited to nine touches for 37 total yards Sunday. Reid is slowly working Westbrook back into the mix, and if the Cowboys keep focusing on taking away DeSean Jackson deep, Westbrook could burn them on underneath routes that get him into the open field.
Before the final month of the season, there was a question as to whether Westbrook, 30, would return at all after suffering two concussions and missing nine games. But he is back with fresh legs, having avoided the grind that would have put more wear and tear on his knees and ankles.
The Eagles kept Westbrook active, so Reid must think Westbrook can have big impact. The only way to find out is increasing his touches to 15 to 20, using him in the running and short passing games to keep the Cowboys’ pass rush in check. Using him more on early downs would help keep Philadelphia on schedule and out of one-dimensional third-and-long situations.
"I feel pretty good," Westbrook said Sunday. "I don’t think the offense really got into the rhythm — some parts we did, but for the most part, we didn’t."
Keeping the offense balanced will help that cause, and that means Westbrook, rookie LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver all need to be involved more in the game plan.
A better Donovan McNabb
Five previous times this season, McNabb has seen his passer rating dip into the 80s or below and followed it up with a strong, efficient outing.
"At times, I feel like when you are at the top you sometimes have to get knocked back down to dust yourself back off and to get yourself back in order," McNabb said.
McNabb usually takes advantage when defenses work so hard to not let Jackson beat them. On Sunday, he was a little off with his connection to rookie No. 2 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who found himself open often, and his starting wideouts were each limited to just three catches for 47 yards.
Look for No. 3 receiver Jason Avant, also capable of making big plays, to get more looks in Saturday night’s playoff rematch. The good news is tight end Brent Celek should draw more coverage in the middle, which should open up some deep out routes.
A more aggressive defense
Cowboys QB Tony Romo had plenty of time to throw Sunday, so Philadelphia is certain to dial up its pressure even more than usual this weekend.
"They’re going to blitz a lot," Romo said. "They’re going to try to create turnovers, try to disrupt the flow of the offense."
Although the Cowboys’ offensive line turned in a superb run-blocking performance against Philadelphia in Week 17, the right side of guard Leonard Davis and tackle Doug Free had some trouble in pass protection against Eagles defensive end Juqua Parker and defensive tackle Mike Patterson.
Look for Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to throw a lot more blitzes and exotic formations at Romo, including loading the line with four ends to get a size-speed-athleticism mismatch against interior linemen. Also expect occasional safety blitz to attack Romo from different angles. The key is stopping the run first, even if it requires an eighth defender to consistently do it.
This story appears in Jan. 5’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.
That should make Dallas Cowboys faithful feel better about their chances in their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, a team they beat 20-16 at Philadelphia in Week 9 and then 24-0 at home on Sunday. (Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET Saturday.)
Last season, the Steelers pulled off a three-feat of Baltimore en route to winning Super Bowl 43. Dallas, however, has failed in its only two attempts—in 1998 against the Cardinals and 2007 against the Giants, both part of the franchise’s 13-year postseason drought.
"I don’t know that we have faced in the playoffs, since I’ve been here, more of a challenge to turn around and play that good of a team for a third time," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of the Eagles. "Now we’ve done it two years ago with a team that we thought could go all the way with all the talent and we couldn’t get it done."
Jones’ players aren’t expecting Philadelphia to struggle to play defense and score points in their return trip to Cowboys Stadium.
"It definitely gets our attention, because I know (Eagles coach) Andy Reid is going to have those guys ready," Dallas wide receiver Patrick Crayton said.
Here are three notable obstacles Dallas must overcome to beat Philadelphia one more time:
More Brian Westbrook
He didn’t play in the Nov. 8 matchup and was limited to nine touches for 37 total yards Sunday. Reid is slowly working Westbrook back into the mix, and if the Cowboys keep focusing on taking away DeSean Jackson deep, Westbrook could burn them on underneath routes that get him into the open field.
Before the final month of the season, there was a question as to whether Westbrook, 30, would return at all after suffering two concussions and missing nine games. But he is back with fresh legs, having avoided the grind that would have put more wear and tear on his knees and ankles.
The Eagles kept Westbrook active, so Reid must think Westbrook can have big impact. The only way to find out is increasing his touches to 15 to 20, using him in the running and short passing games to keep the Cowboys’ pass rush in check. Using him more on early downs would help keep Philadelphia on schedule and out of one-dimensional third-and-long situations.
"I feel pretty good," Westbrook said Sunday. "I don’t think the offense really got into the rhythm — some parts we did, but for the most part, we didn’t."
Keeping the offense balanced will help that cause, and that means Westbrook, rookie LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver all need to be involved more in the game plan.
A better Donovan McNabb
Five previous times this season, McNabb has seen his passer rating dip into the 80s or below and followed it up with a strong, efficient outing.
"At times, I feel like when you are at the top you sometimes have to get knocked back down to dust yourself back off and to get yourself back in order," McNabb said.
McNabb usually takes advantage when defenses work so hard to not let Jackson beat them. On Sunday, he was a little off with his connection to rookie No. 2 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who found himself open often, and his starting wideouts were each limited to just three catches for 47 yards.
Look for No. 3 receiver Jason Avant, also capable of making big plays, to get more looks in Saturday night’s playoff rematch. The good news is tight end Brent Celek should draw more coverage in the middle, which should open up some deep out routes.
A more aggressive defense
Cowboys QB Tony Romo had plenty of time to throw Sunday, so Philadelphia is certain to dial up its pressure even more than usual this weekend.
"They’re going to blitz a lot," Romo said. "They’re going to try to create turnovers, try to disrupt the flow of the offense."
Although the Cowboys’ offensive line turned in a superb run-blocking performance against Philadelphia in Week 17, the right side of guard Leonard Davis and tackle Doug Free had some trouble in pass protection against Eagles defensive end Juqua Parker and defensive tackle Mike Patterson.
Look for Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to throw a lot more blitzes and exotic formations at Romo, including loading the line with four ends to get a size-speed-athleticism mismatch against interior linemen. Also expect occasional safety blitz to attack Romo from different angles. The key is stopping the run first, even if it requires an eighth defender to consistently do it.
This story appears in Jan. 5’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.