Angelo Cataldi: The hype is wrong, the Cowboys aren’t back

Nick Foles, Eagles quarterback, Cowboys Nick Foles has unfond memories from previous battles with the Cowboys. Credit: Getty Images

I hate the Dallas Cowboys. Now I realize this revelation is hardly unique to the countless Eagles fans who have spent their entire lives loathing America’s most annoying team. But this is the time, right now, when that raw emotion has a renewed significance.

You see, the drumbeat for the Cowboys has begun anew after their surprising 6-1 start, and it is deafening. Troy Aikman, the former Cowboy, has shirked the pretense of objectivity in his role as Fox’s lead TV analyst and has become an evangelist for his old team. The rest of the media is following suit.

Well, let me be the first to respond with a few words of reason. The Cowboys are not back. They still have a bad defense, they still have a mediocre coach, and they will always have a clueless owner. The notion that they will deny the Eagles the NFC East title this season is laughable.

First of all, the Eagles are smarter. In the battle of wits between Jason Garrett and Chip Kelly, it is no contest. Kelly has a better record at every level of the game, and a much quicker mind on the sidelines. When is the last time anybody copied Garrett’s offensive scheme or practice regimen?

The biggest reason the Cowboys cannot finish with a better record than the Eagles is their own blind stupidity. They are already on the record saying they wouldn’t hesitate to hand the ball to their biggest weapon, running back DeMarco Murray, 400 times this year. Granted, Murray has been brilliant so far, but that workload will take its toll, as shown by his minor ankle injury Sunday.

On the other hand, the Eagles figured out that the more intelligent way to preserve the talents of a great running back is to pair him with another great running back. That’s why LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles are sharing the load this season, and will only get better as the injured offensive line regains its health.

The Eagles are also better defensively. Their eight sacks against the Giants were a statement. They have arrived. The Cowboys had the worst defense in the NFL last year, and they really aren’t much better now. The only difference is, Dallas has kept the ball away from opposing offenses by controlling the clock with Murray.

Against a smart play-caller (like Kelly) the Cowboys defense will revert to form. Believe it. Chip Kelly is not just going to embarrass Jones and his overhyped team, he’s going to do it on Thanksgiving Day in that grotesque $1.5-billion AT&T Stadium.

Yes, it’s going to be a gratifying experience for all Eagles fans as the Birds ruin another Cowboys season and move into the playoffs. All of this talk of the rebirth of America’s Team will stop, and Troy Aikman will go back to pretending he doesn’t care who wins.

I hate the Dallas Cowboys, and so do you. That’s why the next few months are going to be so much fun for all of us.