All of us NFL fans have witnessed the emergence of Cowboys’ Wide Receiver Miles Austin over the early course of the season. Due to the departure, or shall we say exile, of the ego-driven WR Terrell Owens in the offseason, Austin was placed in an ideal situation in the Dallas offense. The undrafted receiver has risen above Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton on the depth chart, even though Williams feels he is still the number one WR on the roster. So just how has Miles Austin made the jump from undrafted rookie to leading receiver on “America’s Team”?

The Stats

We all know that Miles Austin has proven to be one of this year’s most talented receivers in the NFL with his early season performances, but have you noticed how he ranks among some of the league’s best? He currently ranks 10th among all WRs in receiving yards, but has the fewest receptions out of all the top ten receivers. His 26 catches rank 52nd in the league, further proving how lethal he is when the ball gets in his hands, as he frequently breaks free of the secondary for long runs. He is tied for the lead in touchdown receptions by Wide Receivers at 6, and only trails 49ers’ TE Vernon Davis (7 TDs) for the most overall scores by catch. Austin also has 4 catches over 40 yards, which trails only our very own DeSean Jackson, who has 6 catches of 40+ yards.

 The Defenses

Despite those impressive numbers, you can make an argument that he has faced poor defenses so far this season. He went against the 28th ranked defense in Kansas City, the 31st ranked in Atlanta, and the 18th ranked defense in Seattle. All of his big days came against those three teams. Take a look:

Week 5 vs. KC: 10 rec, 250 yards, 2 TD

Week 7 vs. ATL: 6 rec, 171 yards, 2 TD

 Week 8 vs. SEA: 5 rec, 61 yards, 1 TD

How The Eagles Will Look To Contain Him

The Eagles rank 10th in pass defense, meaning that Austin will likely go against his toughest opponent yet. He clearly knows what he is up against and has addressed the situation:

“I want to see me do it against a Philly defense and a division game on the road,” “All I can do is play my hardest. That’s what I’ve been doing and we’ll see what happens.”

Just last week the Eagles shut down New York Giants’ WR Steve Smith, another young rising star in the NFL. The Eagles kept the highly-regarded target under 70 yards and out of the end zone despite his previous weeks of success. One way the Eagles were able to do this was the play of their Safeties. They used backup Quintin Demps as a “centerfielder-type” deep defensive back to shadow Smith throughout the game, and took away the deep ball. This style of defense will most likely be used a lot against Dallas, for they often rely on throwing long passes to Miles Austin.

Another way the Eagles will look to eliminate the passing game is to apply pressure on Dallas’ Quarterback, Tony Romo (who, in my opinion, is easily frightened by heavy rush). If the Eagles can bring the heat on Romo, he will likely throw his common “lame duck” passes, and have to hit the underneath routes.

 The Outcome

 It will be a great matchup with CB Asante Samuel primarily covering Miles Austin. Samuel is a very tough corner to go up against, but is prone to biting on quick plays in hopes of picking off a pass. He will need to avoid falling for the pump-and-go’s and hitch-and-go routes that Austin is accustomed to running. As long as Samuel can stick with Austin all game, and the Safeties help over the top, the Eagles should be able to limit the play of the dangerous Miles Austin.

(Quote gathered from yahoo.com)