Cowboys-Eagles: Five things to watch

The Dallas Cowboys hit the road this weekend with a stop in Philadelphia, where they’ll see former teammates DeMarco Murray and Miles Austin.

The Cowboys were 8-0 on the road last season. The eight road wins were the most in team history since the NFL began a 16-game schedule.

Records aside, it’s a business trip, like most NFL games.

It’s also a key early NFC East matchup. For the sixth time in team history, and the first since the 2000 season, the Cowboys begin with back-to-back division games after beating the New York Giants 27-26 to open the season last week.

1. Replacing Dez

The injury to Dez Bryant ranks among the biggest blows the Cowboys could have had early this season. Losing their playmaking receiver affects the entire offense, as defenses now don’t have to game plan around slowing Bryant down. It’s on Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley to become more of a factor in the passing game, and don’t be surprised if Gavin Escobar is used as a mismatch guy in the red zone.

2. Backfield committee

The Cowboys were OK with the committee approach to the running game in the season opener, although they didn’t put up the numbers some expected. Still, Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden had their moments, and Lance Dunbar showed he can have an important role in the offense. And don’t forget about Texas A&M product Christine Michael, who could be active.

3. The run D

It’s no secret that the top storyline going into this game is DeMarco Murray facing his old team. But the Eagles have more than just Murray coming out of the backfield, as he shares duties with Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. The Cowboys will have their hands full containing the Eagles’ running game.

4. The pass D

Getting pressure on the quarterback got more challenging for the Cowboys with Randy Gregory going down with a high-ankle injury. But that remains a priority in order to slow down Philly’s new signal caller, Sam Bradford, and their passing game. If the Cowboys can’t get pressure up front, that will put the secondary in a vulnerable position against receivers such as Jordan Matthews.

5. Road warriors

The Cowboys were the only team last year to go 8-0 on the road during the regular season. Maybe it was the matchups. Maybe it had something to do with the makeup of the team. Regardless, they want nothing more than to duplicate that road success this year and will get their first test in always hostile Philly.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Cowboys-Eagles: Five things to watch."