The Dallas Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday with first place in the NFC East on the line.
Dallas enters the week one game behind Philadelphia at 9-3 after winning four in a row since a loss to the Eagles in Week 9 and closes the regular season with four of its final five games against teams currently vying for playoff spots.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to play in playoff games without playoff consequences,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told the media during a press conference on Monday. “I think that serves [us] very well because December football is something that, personally, I’ve always enjoyed, [and] I think it’s a great indication of where you are as a team and what you need to do to get into the playoffs and be ready for the playoffs.”
The Cowboys and Eagles will meet for the 130th time on Sunday. Dallas holds a 73-56 advantage in the series and has won four of the last six meetings, but after reaching the Super Bowl last season, the Eagles have gained the most attention and lead the NFC with five games remaining.
The Eagles have made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, winning one Super Bowl and two division titles. Dallas has two division titles in the same time frame but has not advanced far enough in the playoffs in recent seasons and has not appeared in a Super Bowl in 27 years.
The Cowboys would love nothing more than to spoil the Eagles’ weekend and throw a wrench into the NFC playoff picture.
“It’s the Cowboys and the Eagles,” McCarthy added. “I don’t think I have to say anything more than that.”
Dallas is playing Philadelphia for the second time this season and could face others like San Francisco or Detroit twice, depending on how the playoff race turns out. While San Francisco annihilated the Cowboys in their previous meeting, and Philadelphia held on for a win, team owner Jerry Jones continues to convey confidence in his team’s ability to compete.
“It won’t be the same game when we play any of those teams a second time,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan when asked about Philadelphia and San Francisco during his weekly radio appearance on Tuesday, “But do I expect [an] all-out, complete, NFL war? To overexaggerate, I do because they’ve got great players. … They’ve got outstanding players, and they’ve got great coaching, but we do too. That’s what makes the ball game.”
Both Dallas and Philadelphia have opportunities to clinch playoff berths with a win on Sunday, as does San Francisco.
The Cowboys (9-3) and Eagles (10-2) kick off at 7:20 p.m. CT from AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday.
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EXTRA POINTS
— All-Pro linebacker Shaq Leonard has chosen to sign with the Eagles over the Cowboys after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. Leonard visited Dallas last week.
— McCarthy is having an appendectomy on Wednesday but is expected to be released from the hospital later in the day and be available to coach on Sunday.
— The New York Jets will start Zach Wilson at quarterback on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
— Von Miller will be available to play for the Buffalo Bills after his arrest in Dallas.