Stifling Romo will be key to Eagles' success over Cowboys

In his three losing starts to the Eagles, he had a 46.1 completion percent, a 5.18 yards-per-attempt average, one TD pass and six interceptions and was sacked 10 times.

So forget about Marion Barber and Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Forget about the return of Brian Westbrook. Forget about DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and whether they'll be able to make the Cowboys' cornerbacks eat their dust.

Tomorrow night's NFC East clash will come down to which Romo shows up - the very, very good one or the very, very bad one.

The Eagles' defense will have a lot to say about which one we see. If it can pressure the Cowboys quarterback the way it did in the Eagles' three wins against him, the Birds likely will have first place in the NFC East all to themselves by the end of the night. If they can't, they'll probably fly to San Diego next week with a 5-3 record.

Pressuring Romo means not only hurrying him, but keeping him in the pocket. He has the ability to extend plays with his feet, and much like Michael Vick when he was with the Falcons, he's much more dangerous outside the pocket than inside it.

"I mentioned to the team that part of their success on offense is due in part to those [outside-the-pocket] plays," Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said. "Those Brett Favre-type plays, where he scrambles, the play breaks down, he checks the ball down to a running back or tight end, or gains a first down with his feet, or throws the ball down the field to a [wide] receiver when he's going through the impromptu stuff that he does. Yards-after-breakdown, so to speak. I don't know if that's a stat, but he does a great job with it, and we have to be aware of it.

"This week, it's important that we try to trap the quarterback and that he doesn't get out of the pocket, either outside or up the middle."

Easier said than done, of course. Keeping a mobile quarterback like Romo in the pocket means staying in your rush lanes. And staying in your rush lanes often means sacrificing time to the target.

The Eagles have studied Romo closely on tape this week. They know his tendencies. They know how he tries to escape a pass-rusher.

"The biggest thing for us is fundamentals," said defensive lineman Jason Babin, who has replaced injured Victor Abiamiri as an inside rusher in the Eagles' nickel package and has notched a sack in each of the last two games. "We know he likes to do that little butt-turn spin. We need to focus on that and not let him get out of the pocket."

Right end Trent Cole has a team-high 6 1/2 sacks. But he's had tough luck getting his hands on Romo, with only one of those 10 Eagles sacks against the Cowboys quarterback.

"It's going to be very important to keep him in the pocket," Cole said. "Because this guy can elude people. [He can] do that little twist and run out of the pocket backwards. After he eludes people, he can get that ball off. He keeps his eyes downfield."

Cole said he rushes Romo differently from how he would a less-mobile quarterback who isn't looking to get out of the pocket.

"When I rush at him, I make sure I come at his upfield shoulder," he said. "Because the first way he wants to go is backwards and spin out. So I want to stay on that upfield shoulder, stay on that the whole game. And stay high, not low."

B-West update

 

Brian Westbrook didn't practice yesterday and is listed as questionable on the team's injury report. But the running back is expected to play against the Cowboys.

"He had 2 hard days of work [on Wednesday and Thursday]," coach Andy Reid said. "He took a ton of reps the last 2 days. He's all right. I just held him out, like I've done on other Fridays."