The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have been rivals for decades. Over that time, the teams have had memorable matchups including the 1980 NFC Championship Game, Bounty Bowls I and II, the 2008 winner-take-all season finale and most recently, the 2009 Wild Card game. On Sunday, the teams will add another chapter with the NFC East lead on the line.
Philadelphia beat Dallas 33-10 on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium, pulling ahead by a game in the division race. Last week, the Cowboys pulled even with an authoritative win over the Chicago Bears while the Eagles were smacked around by the Seattle Seahawks. The remaining schedules favor Philadelphia, which travels to Washington and then the New York Giants. Dallas hosts the Indianapolis Colts before finishing the season at Washington.
The offenses certainly overshadow the defenses, with running backs LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray grabbing top billing. Murray leads the league with 1,606 rushing yards on 5.0 yards per carry. Murray is also tops among NFL players with 373 touches. McCoy is enjoying a solid campaign in his own right with 1,068 rushing yards and another 23 receptions out of the backfield.
Tony Romo has been solid over 12 starts, throwing for 2,923 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 69.1 completion percentage. Romo's top target is Dez Bryant, who has reeled in 73 catches for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns. Philadelphia's passing attack is boom-or-bust with Mark Sanchez, who wasn't able to move the ball against the Seahawks. Sanchez was just 10-of-20 for 96 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Jeremy Maclin is the biggest weapon at Sanchez's disposal, boasting 1,109 yards, 10 touchdowns and with a career-high 15 yards/reception.
How to Watch
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Radio: Cowboys Radio Network, Eagles Radio Network
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.
Further Reading
For more on the Cowboys, head over to Blogging The Boys.
To keep up on the Eagles, check out Bleeding Green Nation.