COWBOYS (13-2) VS. EAGLES (6-9)
SUNDAY, 1 P.M., LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD, PHILADELPHIA uTV: FOX, DIRECTV 714
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
About the Cowboys: The first leg of the journey is over. Dallas has locked up the NFC East and the top seed in the NFC playoffs. This game is meaningless in the standings, but indications are coach will play it straight, and QB RB
WR and LB will be on the field, at least for a while.
About the Eagles: If nothing else during this rebuilding season, Philadelphia has proved it isn’t going down without a fight. Last week, the Eagles ended their five-game losing streak by jumping to an early lead and holding off the New York Giants. While the No. 1 goal for coach is identifying and developing players who can help in the future, beginning with rookie QB he also has his team hungry and playing hard, even in games that mean nothing.
A big-time matchup of Pro Bowlers. Cox has rebounded from a midseason lull with dominating performances over the last three weeks, ringing up 21⁄ sacks, four quarterback hits and two tackles for losses. But there might not be a better right guard in football than Martin, who has played at an all-pro level since he took the field as a rookie in 2014.
With the NFC’s No. 1 seed secured, the eyes of Cowboys fans will be fixed squarely on Romo, even if he never leaves the sideline. If Garrett pulls Prescott to keep him fresh and healthy for the playoffs, will Romo get the call? Or will the Cowboys try to protect the fragile Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson returned last week from a 10-game ban.
36-year-old star who serves as a high-dollar insurance policy in case their rookie star gets hurt? And if he does get on the field, will Romo, who hasn’t played since Thanksgiving 2015, be able to play at the level that allowed him to set virtually every franchise passing record?
The Eagles have their fair share of issues on offense and defense, but their special teams might be the
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
best in the NFL. Philadelphia leads the league in kickoff return average (27.9 yards) and is second in punt return average (12.9). The coverage units are just as strong: The Eagles are third in kickoff return defense (19.1) and have allowed two punt returns longer than 12 yards all season. 33 field goals are one short of Nick Novak’s league high.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Something to play for: Dallas needs to stay sharp and keep momentum going into the postseason. Eagles players are playing for their jobs, a chance to show the rebuilding process is working and to create confidence heading into 2017.
2. Stop the run: No team runs the ball more than the Cowboys, and only the Buffalo Bills do it more effectively — Dallas’ 4.9 yardsper-carry average is second to the that of the Bills. Whether it’s with Elliott or backups
and the Cowboys live by pounding the ball behind their strong offensive line. Despite having a talented front seven, the Eagles run defense has allowed 124 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry over the last three games.
When the Eagles lost RT to a 10-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation, they were 3-1. They went 2-8 without him and won his first game back. Johnson can pass protect, maul defenders at the point of attack and run well enough to lead ballcarriers into the second level. His return makes Philly’s offense much more effective.
Andy Friedlander