Eagles Face Must-Win Situation Against the Rival Dallas Cowboys
It is all in front of the Eagles. If they win their final two games, then the Eagles will go to the playoffs as the NFC East champion.
That is why Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. game at Lincoln Financial Field against the Dallas Cowboys will feel like a playoff game.
Both teams are 7-7.
The Eagles would make the playoffs by winning their final two games, Sunday vs. Dallas and December 29 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants.
Dallas, on the other hand would clinch the division with a win over the Eagles.
If the Eagles beat Dallas, but then lose to the Giants and Dallas beats the visiting Washington Redskins in the season finale, then the Cowboys would win the division based on the second tiebreaker, best won-loss record based on games played within the division.
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head. Dallas won the first meeting 37-10 and that is why the Cowboys would clinch the division with a win since the Cowboys would earn a 2-0 advantage and if the Eagles lose they couldn’t earn a better record than Dallas.
If the Eagles beat Dallas and lose to the Giants, and Dallas beats Washington then both would be 8-8. In that instance, Dallas would win the second tiebreaker, which is record within the division. Dallas would be 5-1 and the Eagles 4-2.
Of course, all the Eagles need to do is win on Sunday and the Birds would be in a commanding position.
One thing that is certain – the Eagles likely aren’t going to suffer another blowout at the hands of the Cowboys.
Dallas was reeling, having lost three in a row until Sunday’s 44-21 win over a hot Los Angeles Rams squad.
The Cowboys have been up and down all year as their 7-7 record suggests.
The Eagles have won two in a row over two teams with three wins each, the Giants and Redskins. In both games, quarterback Carson Wentz had to engineer fourth quarter comebacks.
Now a skeptic would say that if the Eagles were a quality team, they wouldn’t need to fight back against two inept squads.
However, those comebacks appear to have given Wentz and the offense confidence, that they can make the big play.
The fact that Sunday’s game is at the Linc, should be a huge advantage for the Eagles.
Sunday’s forecast, courtesy of weather.com calls for a high of 45 degrees, although by kickoff, it will almost be sundown and no doubt a little colder. Still, there is only a 10 percent chance of precipitation, so it shouldn’t be something the Cowboys couldn’t handle.
Whether they can deal with the Eagles fans is a different story.
The Eagles fans consider Dallas their most heated rival. The fact that Redskins and Giants fans also consider Dallas their biggest rival, shows how much disdain there is for the Cowboys.
The key will be the quarterbacks. Dallas Dak Prescott has great statistics, but can he make he big play in a big spot? It’s often felt that Prescott is a solid quarterback, but one who needs a strong supporting cast. Wentz on the other hand is missing so many key players who are injured and he has had to elevate the offense.
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It may be simplistic, but the quarterback who plays better will likely be the one guiding his team to a win in this game that will feel every bit like a postseason matchup.
© SouthJersey.com 2019. All rights reserved. This article or parts thereof may not be reprinted or reproduced by any other party without the express written consent of SouthJersey.com. For more information, please call 856-797-9910.
For more Local Sports features, visit our South Jersey Sports page.
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It may be simplistic, but the quarterback who plays better will likely be the one guiding his team to a win in this game that will feel every bit like a postseason matchup.
© SouthJersey.com 2019. All rights reserved. This article or parts thereof may not be reprinted or reproduced by any other party without the express written consent of SouthJersey.com. For more information, please call 856-797-9910.
For more Local Sports features, visit our South Jersey Sports page.
Author: Marc Narducci; Photo by Marc Narducci
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