Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Eagles' conditioning will help against Cowboys

Eagles defense is ready for quarterback Tony Romo and the improved Dallas offensive line.

Josh Huff finishes off his kickoff return for a touchdown.
Josh Huff finishes off his kickoff return for a touchdown.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

EAGLES DEFENDERS watched the Cowboys come back to beat the Giants on Sunday night, watched Tony Romo sit back, incredibly unpressured and unhurried, on the seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that gave Dallas the lead for good with 1:01 remaining.

Yes, generally they were impressed with the Cowboys' offensive line - though nose tackle Bennie Logan, would only grant that it was "OK," and added: "To be honest, I'm tired of hearing about it. Only thing they did was add one guy [first-round rookie guard Zack Martin]. It's not like this year, they're so special. They got to line up and play us . . . we're looking forward to it."

Outside linebacker Brandon Graham gave the Cowboys more credit, but even Graham noted that the Giants "looked a little tired . . . When you don't have a rotation in there, and you just leave all your ones out, you can expect that, because they were giving everything they got in the beginning. You could tell, the last couple of plays, they were just tired."

Graham said the Eagles, who do rotate up front, are "a well-conditioned team. We've just got to make sure we do our job, and that's not having any blown assignments."

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said of the Dallas o-line: "I think it's vastly improved. They do a really good job." Kelly noted that center Travis Frederick is more comfortable in his second season. Martin, Frederick (2013) and left tackle Tyron Smith (2011) all are first-round draft picks.

Outside linebacker Connor Barwin said the message he took from watching the Cowboys stymie the Giants at the most crucial point of the game was "you keep competing and you can't get locked onto those blocks. You have to get off blocks."

Against Tennessee and rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger, Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said he didn't blitz much. Davis was able to get pressure with a four-man rush, which of course, is optimal. Sticking with that approach might be tougher against Romo.

"[The Giants] didn't blitz, and it didn't work," Barwin acknowledged. "But then, we're not the Giants, so we'll see."

Though Romo seldom had to move on the final drive, he is among the best at buying time, waiting for plays to develop.

"You have to know not only the original route the receivers are running, but what they're going to do after Tony bides time for himself," Kelly said. "He does as good a job of any quarterback in the National Football League of keeping plays alive. He's got a great feel in the pocket. He has a unique sense, in terms of if there's an unblocked guy, he just has a way of making him miss, but he's not looking to run. He's looking to throw the ball down the field, which is dangerous."

Developing story lines

* James Casey, who has two touchdowns on four offensive touches, played 34 special-teams snaps Sunday. That's pretty special. "Probably as many as I've ever done on special teams," Casey said yesterday. "I think we covered 10 kickoffs. That's quite a bit."

* Have to admit, even knowing Bradley Fletcher's limitations, I expected him to bounce back aggressively against Tennessee, make some plays, even if he did get beat here and there. Didn't happen, except for the fumble Fletcher recovered. What Fletcher has put on film, the past few weeks, especially, is a huge concern heading into Dallas. "We had some ups and downs. That's the way the game goes, but we made enough plays to win," Fletcher said yesterday.

* Sunday's totals: Seven solo tackles for Mychal Kendricks. A pair of sacks and a pair of hurries for 32-year-old Trent Cole.

* Eagles QB Mark Sanchez said the Dallas defense is "just tough upfront. They run some good games, some good stunts." Sanchez reported to NovaCare Sunday evening to start his work on the Cowboys. "Getting the personnel down," he said.

Who knew?

That the Eagles were getting the best kicker in the NFC, statistically, when they dispatched David Fluellen to Indianapolis for Cody Parkey last August?

Obscure stat

The Eagles' 14 pass plays of 40 or more yards given up was the most in the NFL, headed into last night's action. Their 24 touchdown passes allowed was second only to the Jets and Bears, who have given up 25 apiece.

Extra point

Josh Huff's 107-yard touchdown return of the opening kickoff Sunday hinted at the potential of the Eagles' third-round rookie, who has so far been more noted for miscues than for contributions. Huff acknowledged frustration last week, said he felt like he fell behind when he missed time with a preseason shoulder injury and has been laboring to catch up.

Jeremy Maclin, 20 yards short of 1,000 for the season heading into Dallas, has been "like a big brother to me, a mentor," Huff said yesterday. Maclin told Huff the following story about his own rookie year, to help Huff stay patient.

Maclin was a first-round draft pick, 19th overall, who ended up catching 56 passes for 773 yards in 2009, but he had just six catches for 45 yards in his first three games.

"I went to [then-wide receivers coach David Culley] and I told him, 'I need to get on the field. I think I'm better than [Kevin] Curtis.' No disrespect to him, but that's how I was feeling at the time," Maclin recalled.

He said Cullen told him what he has told Huff: "For a rookie to come in and expect things to just be given to him, that's not the case here. You've got to earn everything."

"It's the same situation I'm in right now," Huff said yesterday. "I feel like I should be playing, but it's not about me, it's about the team."

Huff played 29 offensive snaps against the Titans but was not targeted on any of Mark Sanchez's 42 passing attempts.