More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

The Dallas secondary could try to bump DeSean Jackson out of Andy Reid's gameplan.

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How do you defend the hottest receiving threat in the NFC East? Both the Dallas and the Philadelphia defenses could be asking themselves this very question all the way up to the Cowboys @ Eagles matchup on Sunday Night Football.

It could be tough for us, fans, to relax and watch the day games without twiddling our thumbs in anxiety over such thoughts as, "will Miles Austin's touchdown streak continue?" or "can the secondary stop DeSean Jackson?" Certainly, there are many other stories to the game to focus on, but lately it has been the continued emergence of these two weapons that has greatly increased the threat of these teams' respective offenses.

When that first ball kicks off, though, we will forget this week's headlines and get caught up in the hard-hitting, well-balanced contest that this should turn out to be. Playing physically has helped put the Cowboys where they are today. Continuing to do so could help produce on the scoreboard, and better yet, lead to a 6-2 record come Monday.

Can the physical play of Mike Jenkins stop DeSean Jackson? Eagles' safety Quintin Demps says, "no".

"Just be physical," Jenkins said Wednesday. "Go out and hit them in the mouth."

If that means playing press coverage, Jenkins might want to re-think that stance, Philadelphia safety Quintin Demps suggested in a phone interview.

"I've never seen a guy that fast and quick at the same time," Demps, a Roosevelt graduate, said of Jackson. "And he's smart. He knows how to play off of leverage and get off press coverage."

More Cowboys @ Eagles after the jump.

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From ESPNDallas:

Dallas Cowboys

Marion Barber (thumb), Jay Ratliff (knee), Allen Rossum (hamstring), Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb) and DeMarcus Ware (foot) were on the injury report. Only Rossum did not practice, and don't expect him to play Sunday at Philadelphia.

We did notice that Rossum was wearing a practice jersey.

Also, Miles Austin, who tweaked his groin during the Seattle game last Sunday, isn't on the injury report.

Make the jump.

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More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Working as a team has helped Dallas develop the potential of some of their rising stars, such as WR Miles Austin and TE Martellus Bennett.

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The numbers 44-6 still have a sting to them, but this Dallas team is different from the last one that management fielded against the Eagles.

"That was a low point that everybody still tastes, everybody remembers," Jerry Jones said Sunday evening. "We brought it on ourselves, more so than anything else, and we’ll remember that as we go back up and play in a similar situation."

While the Cowboys seem to be benefiting from a growing team chemistry, they are also much healthier going into this game.

Some things are clearly different now, such as Miles Austin. The only time he touched the ball against the Eagles was on kickoff returns. That night, at least, there were a lot of them.

"We have a lot of other new faces here," Jones countered. "Just add them up." He chose to add up faces that have healed. "I think Romo is healthier and better than he was against Philadelphia," Jones said. "I think Marion Barber is healthier. I think Felix Jones is healthier."

Romo’s thumb had mostly healed by late December, but point taken. Barber was bothered at the end of last season by a sore toe, and he carried only three times in the finale against the Eagles. Felix was out.

More VRR after the jump.

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More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Wade Phillips likes the way his defense is physically attacking ball carriers.

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For the second week in a row, the Cowboys defeated their opponent in dominating fashion. The team's offensive, defensive, and special teams units outplayed, out-muscled, and simply outperformed Seattle on its way to a 38-17 victory.

As soon as the fourth quarter began, it was becoming more and more obvious that Dallas could not be caught. That felt good, but only for so long. Those scoring updates on FOX did little to shield us from the anxiety of how well the Eagles, the Cowboys' next opponents, were dismantling the Giants. 

Admit it, you were staring at that big, blue star on the turf at Cowboys Stadium, but the peripheral view of your imagination was skipping ahead to next week, to Lincoln Financial Field.

We, fans, usually use Monday and Tuesday to relish and reflect on Sunday's game. On Wednesday, we are ready to transition. Nevertheless, the players, the coaches, and the media are already thinking Philadelphia. It was evident from the very first question in today's press conference with Coach Phillips.

But before we look to the future, let's first look to the recent past to see how this team achieved its 5-2 record yesterday. Here's what Coach Phillips had to say today about the performance of his players against the Seahawks.

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More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Could Miles Austin make it three big games in a row to help the Cowboys to three consecutive victories?

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The two games before their bye last week, the Seattle Seahawks have respectively been super hot, and then super cold. It would behoove the Cowboys to prepare for the former, so there is no chance of losing out on a much needed three-game win streak.

Dallas must stay focused no matter which Seattle team comes to play.

"For right now, it's good to be in a good position," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "But at the end of the day, you've got to put more wins together and be a solid team throughout the whole season in order to be what you want to be."

This Sunday, the team with the identity crisis will be the visitors.

The Seahawks have no idea what they are: the team that beat Jacksonville 41-0 or the team that didn't convert a third down in a 27-3 loss to Arizona.

"It's amazing how one week can change the way you think, isn't it?" Seattle coach Jim Mora.

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More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

This guy will be in Dallas for a long time.

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With the confirmation of DeMarcus Ware's contract extension, a question was posed as to how the salary cap works. A complete answer, with all of the legal terminology and cross-references to sections, items and subsections, could put grown men into the fetal position for an extended period of time.

So in an effort to convey some of the basics, I can only impart what I understand to be the essential concepts of the Salary Cap. For those who want to be brave, you can read the Collective Bargaining Agreement at the NFL Players website. Good luck with that!

To start, you will have to know what specific terms mean, such as Paragraph 5 Salary, Rule of 51, Proration and the like.

So let's get started.

More after the jump ...

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More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

The Dallas pass rushers hope to have a field day hunting down this bird.

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The Dallas Cowboys dominated the Atlanta Falcons through their offensive air power, their physical defense, and their explosive special teams play. This Sunday, a bird of a different feather flocks to Arlington.

Part two in a three-game series against NFC bird teams has the Seattle Seahawks coming to town. Having just defeated a high-flying Falcons team and trying not to look ahead to the division rival Eagles, the Cowboys must keep their six-shooters from being holstered.

Luckily, they've found some more ammunition on the defensive side of the ball to match those flashy bullets on offense.The Seattle offensive line had better watch out. The Dallas pass rush is back with a vengeance.

The Cowboys this season had no sacks in the first 10 quarters, a period in which the opponents used 96 pass plays. In the last 14 quarters, the Cowboys have 14 sacks in 137 pass plays.

That puts the defense one sack behind last year's total through six games, when the Cowboys led the NFL in the category with 59.

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More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Keep this guy happy!

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How good can it get for Cowboys' fans right now? A day after the team puts up another fat "W" to go 4-2, Jerry Jones and company follow that up by giving DeMarcus Ware a fat contract extension. The agreement is said to be six years for $78 million with $40 million guaranteed.

Now, Dallas has one of the best defensive players in the game locked up through 2015.

Coach Phillips knows a good defender when he sees one. He thinks Ware is as special a player as any he's coached.

"I’ve been lucky to be around a lot of good ones. He’s at the top of the class, and it doesn’t take long to call the roll," said Philllips, also the team’s defensive coordinator. "He’s an all-around player, and he plays the run well, too. That’s what you really like about him."

The Cowboys drafted Ware from Troy instead of Shawne Merriman, who was then taken 12th overall by San Diego when Phillips was the defensive coordinator there.

"I was around Merriman, he had 17 sacks in 12 games. Of course, Reggie White and Bruce Smith were special. (Ware) is special. He’s a special guy in that way," Phillips said. "He’s got all the things it takes and he utilizes them and he works hard at it. He’s only going to get better."

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