“We had a lot of success last game. We can’t live off of it. Just like if we had a whole bunch of failures…you just have to have a short term memory. We have to come out and try and dominate and execute out own game plan like we did last time.” — Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton on getting ready to play the Cowboys just two weeks after beating them 33-10 on Thanksgiving Day. Photo by Pete Lerro/contrastphotography.com

Several young Eagles players are getting their first experience at competing against a team for the second time in a season since high school, and in some cases for the first time ever.

For the most part, the Eagles players liked the idea.

Rookie defensive tackle Beau Allen talked about the pluses of playing an opponent two out of three weeks.

“I’ve never been a part of that (playing a team twice in regular season),” Allen said. “But obviously in the Division, you play each team twice, which is nice. You can look back on your own film which is obviously really recent. You can get an idea of what they are going to try and do differently and what you can do differently. I think it is definitely interesting.”

Every player in the locker room this week said they expect a different Cowboys team. The Birds (9-4) dominated Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, 33-10.
The defense was outstanding hold DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher to 73 yards on 20 carries (3.7) and the one Cowboys touchdown.

Allen said most teams will try to dominate on the ground and he expects the Cowboys (9-4) to by physical come Sunday Night (8:30 P.M. ET, NBC). Allen also said he and his teammates will be prepared for any strategy Dallas tries.

“We have a feeling going into every game that they are going to try and run the ball,” Allen said. “It would not surprise us at all if they came out and really tried to pound the ball with their offensive line, their run game, running back and all that. But you never know. We did a pretty good job of stopping the run the last time we played them. They might do something completely different. That is what’s interesting about playing another team so soon. You kind of have and idea but at the same time they could do something completely different.”

“It would not surprise us at all if they came out and really tried to pound the ball with their offensive line, their run game, running back and all that. But you never know. We did a pretty good job of stopping the run the last time we played them. They might do something completely different. That is what’s interesting about playing another team so soon.” — Eagles DT Beau Allen on playing the Cowboys so soon after Thanksgiving Day. Photo by Jesse Simmers/contrastphotography.com

The NFL season is long an unforgiving.

The league switched the schedule around to make division games more intense by scheduling the second half of division play at end of the season.

Playing Dallas – of all teams– almost back-to-back is a twist that has worked to get fans locked in on the race.

“You don’t have time to dwell on any single game,” Allen said. “Once you’ve played a game, you’ve got to just move on whether it’s a win or a loss, start prepping and get to practice.”

Allen said he is enjoying the preparation. He and the rest of the line will be ready to stop an angry Dallas offensive line and a running back with something to prove.

“It’s fun when you get to play teams again,” Allen said. “I think you get to know who you’re playing. You get a better feel for the offensive line match ups and things like that. You get to know what you can exploit but that is true for the other team as well.”

Defensive end Cedric Thornton said the key to playing well against Dallas and really the last three games which also includes road trips to Washington and the Giants is to focus on the game in front of you and not past results, good or bad.

“We have to have a short term memory,” said Thornton, who has 38 combined tackles after 13 games. “We had a lot of success last game. We can’t live off of it. Just like if we had a whole bunch of failures…you just have to have a short term memory. We have to come out and try and dominate and execute out own game plan like we did last time.”

Are the Eagles expecting a tougher effort from the Cowboys?

“Just harder play,” Thornton said. “They get another opportunity (to make up for loss), just like we wish we could get another opportunity against the Seahawks. But the Cowboys get another opportunity. I just think they are going to play more physical, they are going to try and finish more plays and from that aspect and try to do better than they did last time.”

Thornton said he loves playing against the Cowboys three weeks apart.
“That’s good,” Thornton said. “We’ll be real familiar with our opponent, so nobody has any excuses this time. Nobody can say ‘we didn’t know what they run’ — let the best team win.”