Cowboys: The Cowboys are 23rd in kickoff coverage and 28th in punt coverage, though that second ranking is largely the result of the big leg of P Mat McBriar, who is averaging 49.7 yards per attempt. PR Patrick Crayton is is fifth in the league with a 12.6-yard average.
PICK: EVEN
- Eagles: DE Trent Cole. His two sacks vs. Vikings give him a league-leading nine.
- Cowboys: TE Jason Witten. Leads all NFC tight ends in catches and receiving yards.
Not
- Eagles: WR Jason Avant. Has just four receptions in the last five games.
- Cowboys: RB Julius Jones. Is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and has just 15 carries in the last two games.
1. Avoiding turnovers. The Eagles have turned the ball over only seven times this season, only twice in the last four games. The Colts are the only team with fewer turnovers (five). Donovan McNabb has thrown only one interception in his last 236 attempts. The Cowboys are fourth in the NFC in takeaways with 14, including 10 interceptions.
2. Attacking the Cowboys' safeties. Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin are excellent run-stopping safeties, but neither is very good in coverage. The Eagles have two pass-catching weapons - running back Brian Westbrook and tight end L.J. Smith - capable of exploiting Williams and Hamlin in coverage.
3. Defending Witten. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has become Tony Romo's go-to receiver. He already has 42 catches and is averaging 12.9 yards per catch, which is impressive for a TE. The expected return of FS Brian Dawkins should help the Eagles' chances of keeping Witten under control.
4. Protecting McNabb. The Eagles' quarterback is starting to get some of his pre-ACL mobility back, but he's not there yet. His offensive line must protect him from the Cowboys' aggressive pass rush, which has notched 15 sacks in the last five games. The fewer thirds-and-long the Eagles face, the better. They have converted only two of 23 third downs of 10 yards or more.
5. First-and-10. Through seven games, the Cowboys have the most productive first-down offense in the league. They're averaging an NFL-best 6.77 yards on first down, which is a big reason they're fifth in the league in third-down efficiency, converting 46.7 percent of their third-down tries.
