First place in the NFC East is on the line in a huge divisional showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Both teams enter this critical game tied atop the standings at 9-4, and a win by either will go a long way toward not only deciding the NFC East champ, but also in shaping the race for a first-round bye in the playoffs.
‘Sunday Night Football,’ Cowboys vs. Eagles 2014: NFC East title on the line in Philadelphia
The Cowboys and Eagles meet under the lights in a crucial divisional matchup that has significant playoff implications for both teams.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Eagles demolished the Cowboys in their first meeting of the season on Thanksgiving, 33-10, but things have changed for both teams since then. Tony Romo is coming off nine days of rest and a strong performance against the Chicago Bears, and appears much healthier now for this matchup than he was in Week 13 (when he had a short week to prep for the Thursday game). The Eagles just delivered their worst offensive performance of the Chip Kelly era, a 24-14 loss to Seattle Seahawks last Sunday that really exposed the limitations of quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Although the teams have identical records, Dallas is currently on the outside of the playoff picture because it doesn't own any tiebreaker advantages over the other 9-4 teams -- Eagles, Seahawks, Detroit Lions. This is obviously not an elimination game for the Cowboys, but with a tougher remaining schedule than the Eagles and fresh memories of late-season collapses, Dallas has little margin for error in the final three weeks of the season.
Neither team can clinch the division title in Philadelphia, but this game still has significant playoff implications. According to the playoff projections at FiveThirtyEight.com, the Cowboys’ playoff odds improve to 84 percent with win, but fall to 36 percent with a loss. An Eagles victory would pretty much wrap up a postseason spot and the division title, resulting in a 96 percent probability for both those outcomes; but if Philly loses, its chance to make the playoffs is essentially reduced to 50-50 odds.
Digits
A primetime matchup on the road with control of the NFC East race at stake might be a daunting task for most NFL teams. However, the Cowboys likely won’t be fazed by the pressure of playing such a critical game in front of the hostile Philadelphia crowd. Dallas is the NFL’s only unbeaten team on the road (6-0), and is 6-3 at Lincoln Financial Field over the last 10 seasons, the best record of any road team that has played at least four games there.
The Cowboys’ road success this season starts with the man under center, Romo, who leads the NFL in road passer rating (125.0), yards per attempt (8.4), completion percentage (71.8) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (15-0). The other key for the offense away from home has been its ability to keep the chains moving and capitalize on opportunities inside the 20-yard line. The Cowboys have the NFL’s best third-down conversion rate (48.7 percent) and rank third in red zone efficiency (70.0 percent) in road games this season.
The Eagles are once again one of the league’s highest-scoring teams (fourth in the NFL), but their fast-paced, high-powered offense can take only partial credit for putting a ton of points on the scoreboard. Philadelphia is tied for 10th in offensive touchdowns (34), but also has a whopping 10 touchdowns from its defense and special teams, twice as many as any other team.
The Eagles’ special teams unit is ranked first, according to the defense-adjusted ratings at Football Outsiders, and much of that success is due to their strong return game. Philadelphia leads the league in yards per kickoff return (30.2) and averages the second-most yards per punt return (14.0), a formula that has resulted in the fourth-best average starting field position in the NFL this season.
Who to Watch
DeMarco Murray -- Murray is the focal point of the Cowboys offense, and his per-game production is usually a good barometer for how the team performs on the field. That was never more true than in the Week 13 loss to the Eagles, when he was held to a season-worst 73 rushing yards and 3.7 yards per attempt. Murray has averaged just 69.5 yards per game in his career against the Eagles, his worst mark against any team he's faced more than once, and has yet to break the 100-yard rushing barrier in four career games against Philadelphia.
LeSean McCoy -- While Murray was having the worst game of his season in the first meeting between these teams, McCoy was enjoying one of his finest. He rushed for a season-high 159 yards, taking advantage of huge holes at the line scrimmage with a whopping 90 of those yards coming before contact. McCoy, however, got a reality check last week against the tough Seahawks defense, which limited him to just 50 rushing yards on 17 attempts.
The Venue
Lincoln Financial Field replaced the old Veterans Stadium in 2003 as the home of the Eagles, and was a huge upgrade in terms of modern stadium amenities and features over “The Vet.” It has double the number of luxury suites, 9,000 club seats and a 100,000-square-foot fan plaza to keep everyone entertained on game day. The stadium recently underwent a renovation project that added 1,200 seats and a new HD video/scoreboard for the 2014 season. According to the Eagles, they have sold out every game at the “Linc” since opening in 2003.
How to Watch
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NBC Sports
Odds
Philadelphia is favored by 3 points at home over Dallas, with an over/under of 55, per OddsShark.
Preliminary judgment
The experts are decidedly split on the outcome of this game. Our folks here at SB Nation give the edge to the Eagles, with six of eight taking the home team. The guys at CBS Sports and ESPN both favor the Cowboys, with the majority of those experts picking Dallas to prevail on the road.
Further Reading
For more on the Cowboys, head over to Blogging The Boys.
To keep up on the Eagles, check out Bleeding Green Nation.
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