Fokou was in the rotation to fill in for the MLB position when Stewart Bradley went down this year. However, he was one of many of the short term solutions that didn’t work out. With the injury to Gocong, Fokou gets yet another chance to fill into a starting position on this team.

The Cowboys know they have Will Witherspoon who is not a natural MLB and a rookie in this starting lineup and will look to exploit them all game. Witherspoon is undersized for a MLB so I expect to see a lot of Marion Barber pounding it up the middle early in the game. If they can continually pick up yardage pounding the ball up the middle, it will make for a long game. I think we may see more Jeremiah Trotter if the Cowboys show that they really want to run the ball.

The linebackers are also going to need to stretch the field when they see the ball in Felix Jones’ hands as he will look to turn the corner and make a play with his speed. I look for Dallas to try to swing him out of the backfield as well and set up the screen to try and get him in the open field. Our linebackers are going to need to fight off their blocks quickly and not let a big play develop.

Jason Witten must be watched closely as well. If he gets going, it’s hard to stop him. It should be interesting to see how the Eagles choose to cover him throughout the game. If he lines up on the line, I hope whoever is lined up against him gives him a good bump if he’s releasing. This helps slow down the play and throw off timing.

The defense is going to need a complete effort to win this game; however, I see a lot of pressure on the linebackers due to recent circumstances.

If the pressure wasn’t on Witherspoon already, it sure is now. He will be asked to step in and fill the middle linebacker position, one that the Eagles haven’t had a consistent player at all season. It has been a struggle all year and we are all hoping that Witherspoon will be able to step up. If he can’t, than I don’t know what they will do. He has big shoes to fill and a lot of the Eagles success on defense the rest of the year will be based on his play.

I know that he’s talented and can contribute so I think that this will workout. If not, we’re all in for a long season.

He doesn’t have tremendous size for a MLB, at 6′1 and 239 pounds, but he is a pure tackler and a very talented player. Throughout his career, he has had his share of 100 tackle seasons and has also shown an ability to defend the pass. We’re all aware of our problems of covering tight ends and saw Trotter not be able to run down a running back on a short pass where a stop could have given us the chance to win the game. Coming to Philadelphia, I’m sure he is aware of our struggles and knows what we are asking from him. The whole city will have their eyes on him when he takes the field on Monday.

I think the guy can definitely help this team out in an area they’ve struggled in so far this year. Witherspoon isn’t going to be a Pro-Bowl middle linebacker, but I believe he has the skill set to be solid enough where he can play to a level that will make us believe the Eagles made the right move. Acquiring him also adds depth to the linebacking corps for next year when he is moved out of the middle. Akeem Jordan has played pretty well at the WILL position but may be replaced by Witherspoon when Bradley is healthy. This is nothing too big for Jordan to worry about as he is still a young player and can learn a lot from Witherspoon. However, my focus right now is this guy filling in the middle and making plays. I’m not sure how much he will be asked to play on Monday, but the advantage of bringing a guy like him in over Trotter is you know that he’s in game shape and not passed his prime.

The Redskins are a team that should be manageable to beat, but we thought the same thing about the Raiders. I hope Witherspoon makes a big play or two on Monday and takes a little tension off our shoulders.

Based upon the interest in Sidbury it is hard to tell what round he will be drafted in and whether or not he’ll have a higher demand by teams who use a 3-4 defense based on his versatility. With the Eagles being a 4-3 defense, it is more likely that he would spend all of his time at the DE position if he found himself in Philadelphia.