Jim Johnson put together a great game plan and the Eagles defensive players went out there and executed it. The defense played a great football game with the help of Tony Romo who was off target all afternoon long.
The Birds put consistent pressure on Romo but he was really off his game. It didn't seem that Romo was on the same page with his receivers and for some unknown reason, the Cowboys abandoned their running game. Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett threw the ball play after play. It didn't make sense before Romo hurt his thumb and surely didn't make sense after it.
The Eagles defensive line led by Trent Cole, kept the pressure on Romo. Cole used his quickness against mammoth Dallas offensive tackle Flozell Adams to get around the corner. Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley both got in Romo's face with pressure up the gut.
The secondary coverage was also outstanding. Lito Sheppard was paired up with Terrell Owens and he blanketed him, step for step. Sheppard also stepped in front of an Owens out route and picked off one of Romo's passes. Lito who seemed to playing injured for the last couple of weeks, played like he had fresh legs against Dallas. Brian Dawkins came down with a big interception. Safety Quintin Mikell also picked a pass off even though he foolishly tried to come out the endzone with it and fumbled it back to Dallas.
The game plan was the key because it seemed to keep Romo off balance. They kept him in the pocket by making sure there was pressure coming from outside. He never was sure where the pressure was coming from and what coverage the Eagles were really playing. Romo isn't the same quarterback when he stays in the pocket. He seems to be at his best, when he's on the move.
