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The NFC East will have a very clear direction following this Sunday Night Football showdown. The Philadelphia Eagles (10-2; 6-3-3 ATS) have first place right now, thanks to a 28-23 win over the Cowboys a few weeks ago. However, the Dallas Cowboys (9-3; 8-4-0 ATS) can even up the standings with a win this weekend. This game is in AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys have beaten the Eagles five straight seasons. Does the streak continue at 8:20 p.m. EDT, or will the Eagles fend off challengers for their division crown (and the NFC's top seed)? Regular season games don't get much bigger than this.
Last week was also a major test for the Eagles, and they failed miserably at home. The San Francisco 49ers beat them 42-19 in a game that featured zero turnovers. Philadelphia will try to bounce back and clinch a playoff spot this Sunday. The simplest scenarios are an Eagles win paired with a loss by the Rams or Seahawks. As with the first Dallas game, the Eagles will rely on an offense that's fourth in scoring (27.4 ppg). A.J. Brown had 66 receiving yards and a touchdown in the first meeting, with DeVonta Smith adding another 51 yards and a score. Philadelphia, who has a -2 turnover differential this season, avoided giving the ball away in that game. The Eagles pick up 5.4 yards per play (13th), have the third-best third-down conversion percentage, and the NFL's top fourth-down success rate. Will the Eagl es outscore Dallas again?
That should be the blueprint because this struggling defense will have its hands full with the Cowboys' offense. The Eagles have allowed 76 points in the past two weeks, bringing them up to 24.0 points allowed per game (24th) this season. They give up 5.4 yards per play (24th) and only have 12 takeaways in 12 games. Dallas ended the first battle with 406 total yards. Philadelphia has a clear weakness, and it is a defense responsible for 147 points allowed over their past five games.