“Idiotman.” The name alone conjures up only the worst of images, like the time your drunk uncle passed out in the gravy on Thanksgiving. For Brian Dawkins, the six-time pro-bowl free safety for the Philadelphia Eagles, the name refers to the man/monster/manster that he becomes when he steps onto the football field. And with this Sunday night’s game versus the talentedly-vile 6-1 Dallas Cowboys, “Idiotman” is set to make his much anticipated return.
The Eagles' defense will have an identity again as energetic/part-lunatic safety Brian Dawkins returns from injury on Sunday against the Cowboys. Red Bull sales are expected to hit record numbers this week now that #20 is back.
Out since the week 2 home loss to the Washington Redskins, the third most-hated team in the division, B-Dawk has been the biggest cheerleader for the team, if not the ugliest (no offense). Dawkins could be spotted on the sideline in each of the Eagles’ home games leading the raucous chant of E-A-G-L-E-S that reverberated onto the streets of South Philly every time they scored a touchdown (which wasn’t that often).
In the Cowboys, the 3-4 Birds will face both formidable and familiar foes. The formidable: Roy “King Horse Collar” Williams, who helped end McNabb’s 2005 season prematurely when the Cowboy safety ran back an interception for a score that sent the team into the tank and McNabb to the shelf with a groin injury.
The familiar: The uncharacteristically and astoundingly soft-spoken Terrell Owens. With T.O. acting so prim and proper in his second year in Dallas, it makes one almost certain that Jerry Jones is the devil. His 556 yards of receiving and five touchdowns have also helped lead the ‘Boys.
With Dawkins’ return this Sunday, it makes many fans more excited to watch the Birds’ defense instead of an offense that has become extremely claustrophobic when it reaches the red zone.
Just the chance to see #20 float over to T.O.’s side on a go route and flatten him into Lincoln Financial Field is worth the price of admission. Well, almost.
Their defense also seems to be at its best right now, with Dawkins and pro-bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard, who is playing in his second game since hurting his knee in week one, looming in the secondary. In fact, there is only one gaping hole in the Eagles’ defense, and his nickname’s “The Freak.”
It would also be nice to see the defense wipe that genuine, yet still disgusting smile off of Tony Romo’s grill. The Dallas Quarterback, who just inked a six-year deal worth around $66 million, is showing some strides in becoming one of the league’s best. But if the rumors are true, and he is “involved” with Britney Spears, that smile might have already started packing its bags and looking for the phone number of the nearest clinic.
The Cowboys leading the NFC East with a 6-1 record poses another threat. They’re good. In fact, they are the best team in the NFC right now. And if they defeat the Eagles on Sunday, the Birds will fall to 0-3 in their division, two of the losses coming at the Linc, putting any hope of winning the division to rest. On a positive note, this is the first game in a long time we will see the full compliment of Eagles’ starters on both sides of the ball.
The offense has steadily improved over the last few weeks with quarterback Donovan McNabb throwing for 333 yards and a touchdown last week in their road win against Minnesota and ex-Eagle offensive coordinator Brad Childress. Another good sign for McNabb and the offense was the designed run they called for him last week. Half brilliant, and, yes, half insane, the play went for positive yards and meant that at least defenses will have to look for it to happen again. Overall, the hop in his step that he has shown since coming back from knee surgery is something that all Eagles fans can take solace in (if you do take solace in football). That’s not to mention the biggest weapon on the entire team – halfback Brian Westbrook. He has carried this team on his diminutive back while the rest of the offense has struggled to find its rhythm. With 536 yards rushing at 4.9 yards a clip, three touchdowns and 345 yards receiving with two scores, Westbrook has made himself into a premiere stud running back in the NFL.
That’s what the Eagles have. The Cowboys, on the other hand, come in with the second-ranked offense in the league to go along with the sixth-ranked defense. So Dallas certainly has the statistical advantage in all the right places. But has McNabb turned the corner? His Chunky Soup diet may have kicked in for the better. As for Britney Spears, she’s serving up her own kind of chunky. Hopefully that diet will slow down Romo and the Eagles can walk away with a W on Sunday night.
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