Mike McGlynn will face his toughest test this season.


For all the great matchups that this most recent Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys showdown will feature -- DeMarcus Ware vs. Jason Peters, DeSean Jackson vs. the entire Cowboys' secondary, Jason Garrett vs. Sean McDermott, etc. -- there is one that will decide the outcome of the game, and it's not any just mentioned.

Instead, the matchup to watch will be Mike McGlynn and the guards against Jay Ratliff and the Cowboys inside linebackers.

Because the Cowboys run the 3-4, left guard Todd Herremans and whomever will be starting at right guard (Nick Cole or Max Jean-Gilles) will not have a guy directly across from them. They will be counted upon to make blocks on the second level all game long while McGlynn will be counted upon to move Ratliff.

Ratliff, although he is a nose tackle, does not play a two-gap style (meaning he attempts to control both 'A' gaps by creating a stalemate at the line) that most nose tackles play. Instead, he is usually shooting either gap in an attempt to create havoc in the backfield.

What this does is force the guard on either side to be aware of what Ratliff is doing. It's likely that both guys will crash down on Ratliff to help McGlynn move him off the line of scrimmage, then scrape off to the second level and leave the rest to McGlynn.

Because Ratliff will be shooting one gap or another, one guy won't be needed. But Eagles offensive line coach Juan Castillo will likely tell both guys to react to Ratliff first before heading to the linebacker.

If those three guys can work together, moving Ratliff should not be an issue. At only 303 pounds, he should not be too difficult to move for two guys who weigh, at a minimum, a combined 640 pounds.

The problem I see is going to be neutralizing Ratliff and then getting to the second level on time.

Herremans is a fairly athletic guy, so he should not have a hard time getting in front of either Bradie James or Keith Brooking.

Cole and Jean-Gilles, on the other hand, are a serious cause for concern. Neither guy is very quick, nor do they have great feet. Both seem competent at blocking guys who are right across from them, but getting down onto linebackers is going to be a challenge for them.

The concern has to be that in the running game there will be a guy roaming freely. Of course, moving Ratliff off the line is the first priority and doing that should allow LeSean McCoy three or four yards on every carry, but a linebacker moving freely is going to prevent the big gains we're used to out of McCoy.

The passing game also presents a problem. While McGlynn has been very good all year long, I'm not sure if he's ready to handle a guy like Ratliff one-on-one. And if the Cowboys are smart and blitz their inside linebackers, that's what he's going to be asked to do.

If the Cowboys bring both Brooking and James right at the guards, it's going to mean absolutely no help for McGlynn. And because Ratliff shoots a gap, it's going to leave the middle wide open unless the guard can step in and fill where McGlynn and Ratliff have vacated.

If it's Herremans who's being asked to step down, it's not a big deal. But if it's Cole or Jean-Gilles, the same problems arise as in the run game.

Because neither have good feet, they try to lunge at guys and are usually left either on the ground watching the blitzer hit Michael Vick or they're being flagged because they grabbed his jersey and held on for dear life.

Or, in other words, the Cowboys could do the exact same thing they did at the end of last season when they embarrassed the Eagles in consecutive weeks.

They disrupted Donovan McNabb's rhythm by bringing pressure right up the middle, which forced him to roll to either side rather than allowing him to step up into the pocket and make a throw.

Vick is obviously much quicker than McNabb (or anyone else), so it shouldn't be as much of a worry, but if he's caught in the pocket it could mean a lot of big hits.

If the interior of the offensive line can control the triangle (nose tackle and inside linebackers) of the Cowboys' defense, it should be a fairly easy win. The Cowboys don't match up well anywhere else (as far as Eagles offense vs. Cowboys defense is concerned) and should be easy to exploit.

That is, of course, assuming the three guys in the middle do their jobs.
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The Eagles should get creative with DeSean Jackson.


The Eagles are heading into their third straight divisional game, their second at home, and are looking at a very good opportunity to get on a roll at the half-way point of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys present a particularly unusual problem for defenses because of their inconsistencies. One week they can win a game by running the ball, then the next week the running game will completely disappear. The case is the same with the passing game and the play of Tony Romo as well, so it's difficult to prepare for this team.

Millions will tune in to this game on Sunday night expecting a shootout in the same fashion of Week Two of last season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see this game come down to defense and whoever holds the ball last.

Let's see what the Eagles have to do Sunday night to ensure those millions of viewers see them win.

Jay Ratliff vs. Jamaal Jackson

This isn't a matchup that will get hyped up in the same way that DeSean Jackson vs. Terrence Newman will, but it could wind up being the most important matchup of the entire game.

Ratliff is unusual in that he does not play both 'A' gaps. Instead, he will pick and choose a gap to shoot before the play and attack that gap. What his job becomes then is to get penetration rather than to eat space as is the job description of a more conventional nose tackle.

What Ratliff does sounds more like the job of a nose tackle in a 3-5 system you'd find in high school or college football.

Jackson is most likely going to have to get help from either guard, depending on the gap that Ratliff shoots. What will, or should, happen is that the guard would chip Ratliff with the hope to turn his shoulders square to Jackson, allowing him to gain the leverage and stop Ratliff's penetration.

The trick for the guard will then to be able to get off the combo block on Ratliff and watch for the blitzing inside linebacker, which the Cowboys will do a lot of if for no other reason than to have a man in the other 'A' gap.

On running plays, it will be imperative that the guard first help Jackson blow Ratliff off the ball before coming off the block to get a hat on the linebacker. If the Eagles linemen can do that, Philly should be able to have their way on offense.

Coverage Must Be Perfect

Personally, I don't believe that the Cowboys' receiving corps' is as good as most would say. Miles Austin is riding a three-game career, Patrick Crayton is nothing more than a good slot but below average starting receiver, and then there's Roy Williams.

Why people still refuse to call him a bust at this point is beyond me, but let me just go on record as slapping that title on him right now. He has a lot of raw talent, but the reputation of him as lazy with little work ethic seems to have certainly been warranted.

He obviously doesn't do what needs to be done in order to make himself better, and it certainly shows in his lack of production and Romo's lack of faith in him.

That said, they are big-play receivers if the coverage on them is lax. They all have the speed necessary to get down the field and make a secondary look foolish as they showed against Tampa Bay.

Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown should be able to shut these receivers down, but they will have to work for it. If they can harrass and abuse these receivers, they may even be able to come up with a few turnovers.

Avoid the Shootout at All Costs

This Cowboys defense is not good enough to stop this Eagles offense -- if Reid is willing to do what it takes as far as the playcalling is concerned.

The way you beat the Cowboys is by keeping that offense and sidelines and beating the Cowboys defense until they can't move. You have to tire them out both physically and mentally, then take advantage of them with the big play.

However, if Reid comes out and wants to immediately take shots down the field, the defense is going to start pinning their ears back and attacking McNabb. It's something that will eventually work as DeMarcus Ware will be difficult to stop if he's able to just attack McNabb with reckless abandon.

Short passes, screen plays, and more importantly, running the football then hitting that defense with the big play is what will win this game for the Birds. Getting into a shootout plays right into the hands of Romo who likes to move around and make plays through the air.

Keep him off the field, win the time of possession battle, and the Eagles should be able to move to 6-2 and a game atop the NFC East.
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