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In a matchup that features two high-flying offenses in the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s easy to pick Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray or even Jeremy Maclin as the key player who will decide the winner of this game. But in reality, this game will come down to the play of a single defensive back, Orlando Scandrick.
What killed the Cowboys in the first game was the big play; it didn’t matter if it was LeSean McCoy running off for a 30-yard gain or Mark Sanchez throwing the ball deep to Jordan Matthews, the Eagles could not be stopped that Thanksgiving afternoon. Every time the Cowboys needed to get a key stop so that they could get back in the game, the Eagles would pull their heart out every time with a big play down the field. And this is exactly why the play of Scandrick will be so crucial to the outcome of the game this Sunday night.
The Cowboys will be fully committed to stopping McCoy and the ground game this time around, as they feel the Eagles’ offense is centered around the success of their rushing attack. So this means that their pass rush will be even weaker than it normally is and that they will also be asking for more from their defensive backs in this game. The Eagles’ deep play threat is Maclin, so the Cowboys will need a cornerback to keep him in check and that player is none other than Scandrick. Scandrick is easily the Cowboys’ best defensive back as Brandon Carr continues to be a disappointment, giving up as many big plays as he stops.
So expect Scandrick to try and play the role of Richard Sherman as he will end up shadowing Maclin all night. The more the Cowboys are able to frustrate the Eagles in the ground game and the more they are able to keep them from making the big play down the field, the more this Eagles’ offense will look like your garden variety gimmicky offense.
Scandrick is quickly becoming one of the team’s more vocal leaders on the defensive side of the ball, and he continues to back up his words with his play. So if this trend continues, look for the Cowboys to come out of Philadelphia with a much-needed win.
Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.
