The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are both barely holding on to hope of finishing 2015 with a winning season. One team will get at least a step closer after their second rivalry game of the year on Sunday Night Football.
Eagles vs. Cowboys 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Regardless of records, Eagles vs. Cowboys is always a fun NFC East battle.
Just when the Eagles were getting into a rhythm with two straight wins against the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants, they lost in primetime to an undefeated Carolina Panthers team. They are coming off a bye week, but time away isn't likely to help the quarterback and offensive issues that have plagued them all season.
Two offensive weapons will line up against their former team for the second time this season, and both are looking to drastically improve their impact from the Week 2 matchup. Running back DeMarco Murray is still trying to find his footing in the Eagles' two-back system, but he's been more effective since his first game against the Cowboys, when he rushed for a measly 2 yards on 13 carries. Wideout Miles Austin, also a former Cowboy, was held without a catch in the first matchup and though he has just 185 receiving yards and one touchdown this season, he's put together two productive games in a row.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles' defense has been a nice surprise for Philadelphia. The secondary was an early concern ahead of the season. The Eagles didn't have a clear No. 2 behind Malcolm Jenkins, forcing them to cross-train defensive backs at safety and other roles. In Weeks 6 and 7, the defense found its stride, forcing five interceptions, two fumbles and three sacks.
Fresh off a one-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Cowboys are mired in a five-game slump. Even if you didn’t know their record, it’d be easy to surmise how their season is going based on the amount of in-fighting on the sideline.
Dallas’ season seems to revolve around three names: Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Greg Hardy. Romo has been sidelined since fracturing his collarbone against the Eagles in September. He won’t be back until Week 11, so the Cowboys have to hesitantly rely on Matt Cassel in the meantime.
After the bye week, Cassel took the starting role from backup Brandon Weeden, but he threw for only 97 yards against the Seahawks. That number was surprisingly low considering Bryant was making his return from a broken foot. Cassel targeted Bryant six times, leading to just two catches for 12 yards.
Hardy recorded his first career interception when he picked off Russell Wilson last week in a game that, despite the loss, was an improvement for the Dallas defense. The Cowboys were able to hold the Seahawks to one touchdown and two field goals.
The Cowboys released running back Joseph Randle earlier in the week and have handed the starting job to Darren McFadden, who has been heating up lately. Two weeks ago, he exploded for 152 yards, his best rushing game since 2011. Although he managed just 3.2 yards per carry against the Seahawks, he was a weapon in the passing game with six catches for 49 yards.
The Eagles lost to the Cowboys in September, but both teams look a lot different than they did in that 20-10 game. With the NFC East title still in reach for both teams, they are hoping to start a run at the postseason.
How to watch
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
Online: NBC Sports
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