The Final Time Filthadelphia Visits Texas Stadium

Growing up watching the Cowboys, I generally disliked two teams…San Francisco and Washington. Every other team Dallas played was just another game. This included the Giants and Eagles. Even though they were division foes, I really didn’t have a deep disliking for either of these teams. My deeply rooted disliking for the Eagles came in 1999 as I saw Michael Irvin lying motionless on the turf at Veterans’s Stadium in Filthadelphia due to a hit he had just sustained. For fear of a spinal injury, his helmet was left on but his face mask removed while he was transported off the field on a stretcher. And the classy Eagles fans cheered. Make no mistake, they weren’t clapping, as he was being transported off the field, honoring him for his play or the injury he had sustained which is normally heard at stadiums, for the home and visiting teams alike, whenever someone sustains an injury. No they were cheering out of joy that Michael Irvin was hurt and had to be carried off the field. At that point, no one knew if Irvin would ever walk again, much less play football. But they just cheered as if they had won the Super Bowl. Their hatred the Cowboys permeated all levels decency and class and showed them for what they are. It was at that moment that my hatred for all things Filthadelphia was born.

For the past few years, really since 2000, this is the game that has made me more nervous than any of the others on the Cowboy’s schedule. This is due in part because the Foul has pretty much owned the Cowboys since then and also because of my dislike for that team…and city. When the NFL schedules come out each spring, this is the game that I look for first…the Eagles @ Cowboys (the next game I look for is Cowboys @ Eagles). So when I turned on the TV last Sunday in the final two minutes of the Eagles/Rams game and saw Filthy was up 38-3, I felt an uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. The uneasiness was quelled a bit watching Dallas destroy Cleveland but there still is a nervous residue that remains.

The Eagles look pretty formidable this year. In playing the Rams last week, which I read looked like they were playing their 16th game of the year instead of their first, Filthy put up 522 yards of offense (414 passing; 108 rushing) went 8 of 14 on 3rd down conversions and had 28 first downs. The Eagle’s defense gave up only 166 yards (130 passing; 36 rushing) and had 4 sacks. Now that is a dominating performance. The area that the Eagles needed to address in the off season, special teams, has been addressed with the addition of DeSean Jackson and for the first time in several years, Donovan McNabb is completely healthy. So even though Dallas may be the “team to beat in the NFC”, the Eagles might be the team to beat Dallas.

I believe (just like I did last week) that this will be a tight game. Even though last week’s game vs. Cleveland ended up not being quite as tight as I thought it would be, the Eagles and the Cowboys aren’t that far apart and I can’t see either team blowing the other off the field. I think both teams will find weaknesses of the opposing defense and exploit those weaknesses for big plays and large chunks of yardage. I think TO Owens will want to make amends for his poor Week 15 showing against the Eagles last season and I think Witten will have a big day as Filthy didn’t have an answer for him last year (11 passes for 190 yds in two games last season) and I don’t think they will have much of one this year. I think Barber, based on what he did last week, will run with a purpose but due to the fact that Eagles blitz quite a bit, I look for Felix Jones to play a bit more this week than he did last week. Also, I think the game will come down to the turnover battle and the number of big plays that were made and not missed. And even though the Eagles could only play the opponent in front of them last week, the Rams and the Cowboys are leagues apart. Dallas playing at home and this being the home opener will have a little to do with it despite the fact Filthy has been successful at Texas Stadium of late. After the smoke clears, Dallas will be a game up on Filthy in the NFC East

Prediction: Dallas 27, Filthy 21.

Oh, one more thing…I’m getting so tired of seeing Jessica Simpson and the Dallas Cowboys in the same news story. During an appearance on Good Morning America earlier this week, Jessica Simpson screamed "Go Cowboys!" She later added that when the Cowboys play the Eagles Monday night that, "We're gonna kick your butts, too!" Vomit, Vomit, Vomit. This is not an anti Jessica Simpson rant (although it may sound like one) but, Jessica, for the love of all things blue and silver can you please just fade into the background? I know you and Romo are supposed to be Ozzie and Harriet but, honestly, crap like this make you look like a buffoon. Just be his girlfriend, go to the games and be a classy fan and let that be it. Don’t go out there chirping about how “we’re gonna kick your butt” because here’s a hot tip…YOU aren’t doing anything. YOU aren’t kicking anyone’s butt. YOU are in the stands (or luxury suite) or watching on TV at home just like the rest of us. I mean, you never heard that she was this big Cowboy fan before she and Romo hooked up despite the fact she grew up in the Dallas area. Here ends the rant…for now.