Can the Philadelphia Eagles get over the hump against the Dallas Cowboys?
The NFL only has two playoff spots remaining. One is the AFC's No. 6 seed which will be decided mostly by a two-way battle between the 8-6 Pittsburgh Steelers and 8-6 Tennessee Titans, though the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders (both 6-8) are still lurking around. The final spot in the NFC, meanwhile, comes down to two old school rivals, The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
Both teams are 7-7 and have had relatively disappointing seasons. But thanks to a less-than-stellar division, they each still have a shot to lay claim to the NFC East and get a home playoff game against a superior team come Wild Card weekend in January. If Dallas pulls out Sunday's victory, they'll clinch the division, while Philadelphia would still have to win next week even if they win Sunday. But that's against the lowly Giants, so the Eagles-Cowboys clash sure feels like a winner-take-all game.
The Eagles are only two years removed from a Super Bowl Championship and boast a talented roster, but they've struggled against the Cowboys of late. Dallas beat Philadelphia twice last season, winning the division by just one game, and they handled them easily earlier this year in a 37-10 victory in Dallas. Maybe quarterback Carson Wentz and the Eagles will bounce back behind their home crowd, but either way their playoffs hope are tied to whether they can shed their issues against Dallas. The Eagles and Cowboys will square off in Philadelphia at 4:25 p.m. on Fox.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Unprepared for a pandemic
Opinion What happens if bird flu evolves to spread among humans?
By William Falk Published
-
6 impressive homes in Toronto
Feature Featuring floating stairs in Lytton Park and a two-tiered infinity pool in Banbury-Don Mills
By The Week Staff Published
-
Samantha Harvey's 6 favorite books that redefine how we see the world
Feature The Booker Prize-winning author recommends works by Marilynne Robinson, George Eliot, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published