Eagles Making The Adjustments For Cowboys Showdown

Fourteen penalties called, 10 accepted. Five pass plays allowed of 20-plus yards. A dreadfully slow start and a 17-point deficit at the half. Missed tackles and communication lapses on defense. The offense relied heavily on the passing game to move the football and did not have balance in the run/pass ratio. A special teams that lost the battle and included a 44-yard missed field goal that would have given the Eagles a late lead.

It was a bummer of a game and a fan base that has such huge expectations is just now coming out of its collective funk to focus on Sunday's game against Dallas.

With all of that said and with everything that went wrong, the Eagles lost by 2 points to a team that played spirited, physical football.

Two points. One loss.

And on to Dallas Week.

Some thoughts ...

• Cody Parkey missed four field goals last season and reached the Pro Bowl. He pushed a 44-yard kick wide on Monday night, a kick he needs to make. He knows it. The Eagles know it. But, boy, I don't get the huge level of "Are the Eagles trying out kickers?" questions I've heard this week. Parkey's misses are a product of a mechanical glitch, not a lack of leg strength or a wavering of confidence or anything like that. He's in his second season and he's going to be a great kicker in this league. But he's not automatic yet, not in his second NFL season. Does he need to be better? Of course. He is working at it. Every kick is solid, his leg strength is fine and he has a glitch that needs to be corrected - I think every miss has been a push to the right side - and we need to have a smidgen of understanding that the kid is in the second year of his career.

• Expect to see the Eagles defensive backs more in the man/press technique than they used on Monday night. There is no Julio Jones here. The Eagles can't lay back and let quarterback Tony Romo make easy throws. Byron Maxwell had a poor game, exhibited some very poor technique and expects to bounce back. Terrance Williams is a pro, and he's got a lot of talent, but he's not Dez Bryant. Cole Beasley in the slot is a nuisance and of everyone in the secondary Walter Thurmond is the guy who matches up best with Beasley. The two tight ends are dangerous players and running back Lance Dunbar was a check-down king for Romo in the win over the Giants on Sunday night.

• I say the Eagles try to throw the football down the field on Sunday. It's time to see Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor try to stretch the Dallas defense, which is missing cornerback Orlando Scandrick and defensive ends Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory.

• Kiko Alonso is exactly the kind of athletic linebacker who can help against tight end Jason Witten on Sunday. Alonso can run with Witten and he's long enough to cover in the passing game. Seems to me that Alonso and Mychal Kendricks - who is going to be key against the dump-down throws to Dunbar and the other running backs --- will get the majority of snaps as DeMeco Ryans continues to work back from his Achilles tendon injury.

• Dallas won its last two games at Lincoln Financial Field and is 7-5 there. The Cowboys aren't intimidated in the least with this trip, as the Eagles aren't when they travel to Arlington, TX. A fast start in front of an on-edge fan base is essential for the Eagles.