There will be serious implications on Sunday afternoon when the Philadelphia Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC East rivalry showdown. The Cowboys are listed as 3.5-point favorites at home with an over/under of 44 points.
A month after some ruled the Cowboys out of their playoff race following a Monday night loss to the Titans, Dallas sits all alone atop the NFC East. The Cowboys have rattled off four straight wins, none more shocking than last week’s 13-10 win over the Saints. At 7-5, Dallas could potentially take a two-game lead atop the NFC East with three games left to play if they beat the Eagles and Washington also loses this week.
Of course, the Eagles are also feeling good about their playoff chances after back-to-back wins over the Redskins and Giants. The defending champs have worked their way back to 6-6, making them relevant in both the NFC East race and the wild-card chase. With a win over the Cowboys, Philadelphia will be tied with Dallas atop the division, making this game critical for their playoff hopes.
It’s Gold, Jerry!
Is it possible that the Philadelphia offense is finally hitting their stride? The Eagles have scored 25-plus points the last two weeks, albeit against the Giants and Redskins. Carson Wentz has put his disastrous outing against New Orleans behind him and Josh Adams has run for 80-plus yards in back-to-back games. The real kicker is that Golden Tate finally had his breakout game in green last week, giving Wentz another playmaker outside of Zach Ertz, who has been unreal this year. Remember, Ertz had 14 catches for 145 yards when he faced the Cowboys a few weeks ago.
Of course, the Dallas defense held the previously unstoppable Saints to just 10 points in their last time out. The Cowboys were incredible at stopping both Drew Brees and the New Orleans running game. They’ve also had a little extra time to get ready to face Wentz and company, who they kept mostly in check back in Week 10.
Who Is This Guy?
Dak Prescott has looked like a completely different quarterback for the past month. He completed 24 of his 28 passes for 249 yards last time out against a good New Orleans defense. Prescott has been accurate and efficient during the team’s four-game winning streak, completely turning things around from earlier in the year. The presence of Amari Cooper is a big reason for the turnaround, especially since opposing defenses still have to respect Ezekiel Elliott and the running game.
Meanwhile, the jury is still out on the Philadelphia defense. They’re good one week and not so good the next. The Eagles have been vulnerable against the run most of the year, and with a banged-up secondary, there are concerns with their pass defense as well. Both areas could be a problem against a suddenly balanced Dallas offense.
All-In
It’s time to go all-in on the Cowboys being the best team in the NFC East. The Cowboys have had over a week to bask in their win over the Saints and refocus for the Eagles. The Dallas defense is solid while the offense has surpassed functional and is actually good. Bet on the Cowboys beating the Eagles and covering the 3.5-point spread on Sunday.
