2009 NFL Playoffs Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

Two heated rivals from the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, will square off in the Wild Card round of the 2009 NFL playoffs. Can the Eagles bounce back after the disheartening loss, or will the Cowboys find a way to beat the Eagles for the third time this season?

The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be headed for the second seed in the playoffs before they loss the last game of the season. Now they enter the 2009 NFL playoffs as a sixth seed and will face a uphill battle to reach the Super Bowl.

The Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb had issues with his efficiency against the Cowboys but had his back up against the wall when the Cowboys jumped out to a commanding lead.

If the Eagles are going to find success on Saturday, they need to find a way to run the ball effectively. This will be easier said than done against a Cowboys' defense that has allowed only 80 rushing yards in the last 2 games.

The Eagles will need to keep the game close and use running backs LeSean McCoy and Brian Westbrook effectively to keep the front seven of the Cowboys off guard.

The Eagles defense is going to have their hands full with Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo and running back Marion Barber. Both players have found their groove and the Eagles will need to find a way to disrupt it, especially Barber.

If they can chip away at his physical style of play, they can keep him below 3.5 yards per carry and force everything onto Romo's shoulders.

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2009 NFL playoffs, firing on all cylinders. They have been playing mistake free football on the offensive side and have used their defense to suffocate the opposition.

The key to the Cowboys recent success is their dominating defense that notched two consecutive shutouts to end the NFL regular season. In both games, the defense allowed their opponents to convert less than 27% or 7 of 26 third downs attempts.

The Cowboys' defense was able to maintain constant pressure on the quarterback. In two games, they racked up 7 sacks with linebacker Anthony Spencer leading the way with 2.5 sacks.

A potential problem for the Eagles lies with their pass defense that was ranked 20^th in the NFL during the regular season. If they are unable to force McNabb into making mistakes, it could prove to be fatal. Eagles' tight end had a solid game against the Cowboys, hauling in 7 receptions for 96 yards.

The majority of the NFL experts have already placed the Cowboys in the second round of the playoffs. They have discounted the fact that prior to the loss, the Eagles offense was averaging close to 28 points per game during their previous 7 games.

The Eagles will find a way to score against the Cowboys defense, but it will not be enough. The tandem of Romo and Barber will put the team on their backs and provide enough offense to help the Cowboys get a playoff win.

Prediction: Dallas 24, Philadelphia 17

Resources

http://www.nfl.com/

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl