PROVO — Looking fast, healthy and comfortable, wide receiver McKay Jacobson ran a variety of routes, and caught an array of passes from former BYU teammate Max Hall, during BYU’s pro day in late March.

“It was really good to throw with him,” Jacobson recalled this week. “It had been a couple of years since we’d played together. I was happy that he was there.”

The NFL scouts looking on that day apparently took notice.

Not long after pro day, former vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, Gil Brandt, who serves as a draft analyst for the NFL.com, made a bold assessment.

“Jacobson has the chance to be a very good pro player,” Brandt wrote.

Those words buoyed Jacobson, who caught 113 passes for 1,836 yards and nine touchdowns during his Cougar career.

“It’s definitely good to get some good feedback,” he said. “I knew (Brandt) was with the Cowboys for many years. It was a very cool thing to read that and feel like my hard work would pay off and that I would get an opportunity.”

The former BYU wideout will soon embark on his NFL career and try to prove Brandt right. Jacobson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles over the weekend, and will depart for the City of Brotherly Love on May 11 for rookie camp.

“I’m definitely ready for the next chapter in my life. I feel grateful that I get to play with such a great organization like Philadelphia,” he said. “For me, like all of the new guys, you’re fighting for position for playing time and making the active roster. You have to be very competitive. It’s everybody’s livelihood now. At the end of the day, it’s football and I’ve been doing it my whole life. It’s the next level. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

The Eagles weren’t the only team interested in Jacobson’s services.

“My agent told me he was in contact with a few teams. It came down to the (New York) Jets or Philadelphia,” he said. “I did some background research on some teams and thought about teams I wanted to go for if I got the chance. I felt really good about Philadelphia and decided to go with them.”

For NFL fans, there is no offseason. If we aren’t firmly ensconced in the analysis of week to week games in the fall and winter, we’re constantly striving to figure out how our teams can get better, who can be signed to fill the holes that left last season ring-less, or how to maintain success. And then of course, even though we know what teams we’ll be facing in the coming season, the announcement of the NFL schedule triggers the immediate scrutiny of the rugged roads our teams will go down in the quest for a Super Bowl title.

For Philadelphia Eagles fans, the release of the 2012 schedule will trigger arguments — some with negative undertones, some with blind enthusiasm. We love to debate football in Philly. Sadly for us, the debates usually surround the reasons why we’re left without a parade down Broad Street. Eagles fans will dig to the deepest recesses of failure if they think an answer to why we haven’t tasted Super Bowl glory could be unearthed. This year is no different. Here are three quick thoughts about the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles’ schedule, and a copy for your office cork board:

PRIME TIME PLAYERS

The Eagles are one of eight teams that will play five prime time games in 2012. Three are at home, which will delight the Birds’ tailgating faithful, but more than likely dismay the majority of employers in the Philadelphia area. The Eagles see division rival and the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants on a Sunday night in Week 4. They host Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers on a Monday night in late November (26) and the Cincinnati Bengals on a rare Thursday tilt, December 13. The Carolina and Cincinnati games are part of three prime time games the Eagles will play in an 18-day span. Sandwiched in the middle of those games is a Sunday night showdown against the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. The Birds will also visit the Big Easy on Monday night, November 5, to see the New Orleans Saints.

TEAMS GETTING PLENTY OF REST BEFORE SEEING THE BIRDS

There is an uncommon anomaly in the Eagles schedule that has them playing four games against teams that are coming off their bye week. One of those games will be against the Atlanta Falcons at home, and the Eagles will also be coming off the bye. Andy Reid is 13-0 after the bye week, just about the only results in Reid’s coaching tenure that no Eagle fan can shake a stick at. The Eagles also play the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins when they’ll have a couple weeks to prepare. Perhaps even more disturbing is that the New York Giants will have ten days to prepare for their Week 4 meeting with the Birds on a Sunday night in Philly. And worse still, the Cowboys will have ten days to prepare coming off their Thanksgiving game before facing the Eagles at home the next Sunday night. The Eagles will be coming off a short week, having played the Carolina Panthers at home the previous Monday.

THE WHOLE THING IS A CRAPSHOOT

If the Eagles 2011 season taught us anything, it’s that the NFL is an ever-changing beast. There are new teams rising to power, and powerful teams looking long in the tooth. Reading down the Eagles schedule and seeing a string of names like Giants, Steelers, Lions, Falcons, Saints and Cowboys in consecutive order certainly looks daunting, but until each individual week comes, it’s hard to discern just what you’re facing. The Giants were 9-7 last year and got hot at the right time. Who knows what they are this year. The Steelers defense is aging and not the “curtain” it used to be. The Lions game could be a track meet. The Falcons are off the bye. The Saints could be in total disarray after “Bounty-gate.” And if you can’t get up for the Cowboys, you don’t deserve to be wearing green. Nevertheless, let the scrutiny begin.

Philadelphia Eagles Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 PM CBS

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 PM FOX

Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, New York Giants, 8:20 PM NBC

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Detroit Lions, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 9: Monday, Nov. 5, at New Orleans Saints, 8:30 PM ESPN

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, Dallas Cowboys, 4:15 PM FOX

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Washington Redskins, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 12: Monday, Nov. 26, Carolina Panthers, 8:30 PM ESPN

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at Dallas Cowboys, 8:20 PM NBC

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 15: Thursday, Dec. 13, Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 PM NFL NETWORK

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, Washington Redskins, 1:00 PM FOX

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at New York Giants, 1:00 PM FOX

Pete Lieber is a freelance writer and Philadelphia sports enthusiast. He’s already put Ws and Ls next to every game on the list above, and he plans to change those prognostications 15 times before Week 1.

SOURCE:

NFL.com

espn.com

The loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday is now behind the Dallas Cowboys and now it is time to look ahead to the New York Giants. The Eagles loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things but the Giants game will mean everything.

The most important thing for the Cowboys, and this is especially true of the Eagles loss, is to come into the Giants’ matchup at 100-percent. That means that losing to the Eagles, because they rested Tony Romo and Felix Jones, was exactly the right decision. Dallas also has to hope that defensive players, like cornerback Mike Jenkins and linebackers Sean Lee and DeMarcus Ware are also ready to go.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo injured his hand on this second pass attempt of the Eagles’ game when he knocked it against the helmet of a rushing Jason Babin. It was really the closest that Babin, the NFL sack leader, got to a Dallas quarterback in the game, which says great things about that maligned offensive line.

X-rays were negative and the hand bruised and swelled. It is thought to be broken vessels in the hand but it should be healed and ready to go for the big Giants’ game. The hope is that there is no soreness in the hand. Romo has not thrown an interception since Week 12 against Miami and he has eight touchdown passes since that game.

Felix Jones

Felix Jones had back-to-back 100-yard games heading into the Eagles matchup. However, early in the week he showed up on the injury report with a tight hamstring. When this started is unknown, but once Romo left the game and Dallas learned the Giants won, they pulled Jones out to allow him to rest his leg. There should be no worries here as Jones averaged 6-yards a carry before leaving the game.

Mike Jenkins

Mike Jenkins has been battling injuries all season but Dallas needs him in the lineup against the Giants. With the playmakers that New York has, and Eli Manning able to throw the ball all over the field, the Cowboys secondary needs all the help it can get.

DeMarcus Ware

You can’t get Ware out of the lineup. Even after Dallas learned that the Giants won, and the Eagles game meant nothing, he remained in the game and finished with two more sacks, moving his total to 18 on the season. He has been dealing with a neck injury but has not missed a game. He needs two more sacks to tie his own personal best.

Sean Lee

Sean Lee injured his hand in the first game with Philadelphia. He missed one week and has been playing with a cast ever since. In this game, he injured his hamstring. He says he could have come back into the game but didn’t because of the Giants win. He finished with five tackles before leaving the game. He says he will be ready for the Giants.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

PHILADELPHIA – For all those super expectations, all the preseason hype, all the big-name additions, the Philadelphia Eagles are left to ponder all that went wrong.

Despite their late-season surge — a three-game winning streak — the Eagles (7-8) aren’t going to the playoffs. That’s the reality for this Dream Team.

So before they begin looking ahead to next season, they’re thinking about the ‘what ifs?’ One play could be the difference in several of the losses, especially because the Eagles blew five fourth-quarter leads.

“If we would have gotten into the playoffs, I feel we would have definitely done some damage,” quarterback Michael Vick said after Saturday’s 20-7 win at Dallas. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t and that’s the game of football. If you make some mistakes early and you get behind in the count in the win/loss column, you sell yourself short in the end and you’re in the position that we are in. We’re just happy that we are finishing strong. We have one more game to play and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Vick and his teammates wasted an opportunity to repeat as division champions in a mediocre NFC East that will crown a champion — either the Cowboys or New York Giants — with no more than nine wins.

The Eagles entered Saturday at 6-8 and still had a chance to win the division, but were eliminated when the Giants beat the New York Jets, rendering their game at Dallas meaningless.

“I’ve watched this team grow as the weeks have went on,” Vick said. “The last three or four weeks, we’ve come together as a team. It’s a family environment, a family atmosphere and that translates to winning. That’s why you see a different team. I think we are well put together and well fit. We’re playing together and that’s what it’s all about. But it takes time to build that chemistry, build that unity, that togetherness. Doing it now, it’s exciting for me and there’s not a place that I’d rather be each and every day.”

When the Eagles went on a spending spree and brought in Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown and Vince Young to join a roster that already had a talented core of star players, expectations were elevated to perhaps unrealistic levels.

Even management declared this an all-or-nothing season in which nothing less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a success. Now the Eagles are looking back and wondering how much they really needed those off-season minicamps and a full training camp.

“We are finishing strong, and are showing the fans and everybody else what the true Eagles could have been, what we could have been doing at the beginning of the season,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “It just took a while to get there. We take that into the off-season and don’t look back.”

It seemed the Eagles could be headed for major changes when they were 4-8. Fans wanted coach Andy Reid fired and it appeared offensive-line-coach-turned-defensive-co-ordinator Juan Castillo would lose his job.

But a strong finish could keep this coaching staff together for at least another season. Reid is missing the playoffs for just the fourth time in 13 years, so this is new territory for many of his players.

“This is an unfamiliar feeling, an unfamiliar sight,” wide receiver DeSean Jackson said. “I’ve never really witnessed this. It’s a reality check. Look in the mirror. Everybody has to check themselves. Hopefully, we can finish strong and come back in the off-season or next year, whenever we are all together, and really eliminate all the mistakes we had early on.”

So before they begin looking ahead to next season, they’re thinking about the ‘what ifs?’ One play could be the difference in several of the losses, especially because the Eagles blew five fourth-quarter leads.

“If we would have gotten into the playoffs, I feel we would have definitely done some damage,” quarterback Michael Vick said after Saturday’s 20-7 win at Dallas. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t and that’s the game of football. If you make some mistakes early and you get behind in the count in the win/loss column, you sell yourself short in the end and you’re in the position that we are in. We’re just happy that we are finishing strong. We have one more game to play and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Vick and his teammates wasted an opportunity to repeat as division champions in a mediocre NFC East that will crown a champion — either the Cowboys or New York Giants — with no more than nine wins.

The Eagles entered Saturday at 6-8 and still had a chance to win the division, but were eliminated when the Giants beat the New York Jets, rendering their game at Dallas meaningless.

“I’ve watched this team grow as the weeks have went on,” Vick said. “The last three or four weeks, we’ve come together as a team. It’s a family environment, a family atmosphere and that translates to winning. That’s why you see a different team. I think we are well put together and well fit. We’re playing together and that’s what it’s all about. But it takes time to build that chemistry, build that unity, that togetherness. Doing it now, it’s exciting for me and there’s not a place that I’d rather be each and every day.”

When the Eagles went on a spending spree and brought in Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown and Vince Young to join a roster that already had a talented core of star players, expectations were elevated to perhaps unrealistic levels.

Even management declared this an all-or-nothing season in which nothing less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a success. Now the Eagles are looking back and wondering how much they really needed those offseason minicamps and a full training camp.

“We are finishing strong, and are showing the fans and everybody else what the true Eagles could have been, what we could have been doing at the beginning of the season,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “It just took a while to get there. We take that into the offseason and don’t look back.”

It seemed the Eagles could be headed for major changes when they were 4-8. Fans wanted coach Andy Reid fired and it appeared offensive-line-coach-turned-defensive-coordinator Juan Castillo would lose his job.

But a strong finish could keep this coaching staff together for at least another season. Reid is missing the playoffs for just the fourth time in 13 years, so this is new territory for many of his players.

“This is an unfamiliar feeling, an unfamiliar sight,” wide receiver DeSean Jackson said. “I’ve never really witnessed this. It’s a reality check. Look in the mirror. Everybody has to check themselves. Hopefully, we can finish strong and come back in the offseason or next year, whenever we are all together, and really eliminate all the mistakes we had early on.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For all those super expectations, all the preseason hype, all
the big-name additions, the Philadelphia Eagles are left to ponder
all that went wrong.

Despite their late-season surge _ a three-game winning streak _
the Eagles (7-8) aren’t going to the playoffs. That’s the reality
for this Dream Team.

So before they begin looking ahead to next season, they’re
thinking about the `what ifs?’ One play could be the difference in
several of the losses, especially because the Eagles blew five
fourth-quarter leads.

“If we would have gotten into the playoffs, I feel we would have
definitely done some damage,” quarterback Michael Vick said after
Saturday’s 20-7 win at Dallas. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t and
that’s the game of football. If you make some mistakes early and
you get behind in the count in the win/loss column, you sell
yourself short in the end and you’re in the position that we are
in. We’re just happy that we are finishing strong. We have one more
game to play and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Vick and his teammates wasted an opportunity to repeat as
division champions in a mediocre NFC East that will crown a
champion _ either the Cowboys or New York Giants _ with no more
than nine wins.

The Eagles entered Saturday at 6-8 and still had a chance to win
the division, but were eliminated when the Giants beat the New York
Jets, rendering their game at Dallas meaningless.

“I’ve watched this team grow as the weeks have went on,” Vick
said. “The last three or four weeks, we’ve come together as a team.
It’s a family environment, a family atmosphere and that translates
to winning. That’s why you see a different team. I think we are
well put together and well fit. We’re playing together and that’s
what it’s all about. But it takes time to build that chemistry,
build that unity, that togetherness. Doing it now, it’s exciting
for me and there’s not a place that I’d rather be each and every
day.”

When the Eagles went on a spending spree and brought in Nnamdi
Asomugha, Jason Babin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins,
Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown and Vince Young to join a roster that
already had a talented core of star players, expectations were
elevated to perhaps unrealistic levels.

Even management declared this an all-or-nothing season in which
nothing less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a
success. Now the Eagles are looking back and wondering how much
they really needed those offseason minicamps and a full training
camp.

“We are finishing strong, and are showing the fans and everybody
else what the true Eagles could have been, what we could have been
doing at the beginning of the season,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “It
just took a while to get there. We take that into the offseason and
don’t look back.”

It seemed the Eagles could be headed for major changes when they
were 4-8. Fans wanted coach Andy Reid fired and it appeared
offensive-line-coach-turned-defensive-coordinator Juan Castillo
would lose his job.

But a strong finish could keep this coaching staff together for
at least another season. Reid is missing the playoffs for just the
fourth time in 13 years, so this is new territory for many of his
players.

“This is an unfamiliar feeling, an unfamiliar sight,” wide
receiver DeSean Jackson said. “I’ve never really witnessed this.
It’s a reality check. Look in the mirror. Everybody has to check
themselves. Hopefully, we can finish strong and come back in the
offseason or next year, whenever we are all together, and really
eliminate all the mistakes we had early on.”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — For all those super expectations, all the preseason hype, all the big-name additions, the Philadelphia Eagles are left to ponder all that went wrong.

Despite their late-season surge — a three-game winning streak — the Eagles (7-8) aren’t going to the playoffs. That’s the reality for this Dream Team.

So before they begin looking ahead to next season, they’re thinking about the ‘what ifs?’ One play could be the difference in several of the losses, especially because the Eagles blew five fourth-quarter leads.

“If we would have gotten into the playoffs, I feel we would have definitely done some damage,” quarterback Michael Vick said after Saturday’s 20-7 win at Dallas. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t and that’s the game of football. If you make some mistakes early and you get behind in the count in the win/loss column, you sell yourself short in the end and you’re in the position that we are in. We’re just happy that we are finishing strong. We have one more game to play and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Vick and his teammates wasted an opportunity to repeat as division champions in a mediocre NFC East that will crown a champion — either the Cowboys or New York Giants — with no more than nine wins.

The Eagles entered Saturday at 6-8 and still had a chance to win the division, but were eliminated when the Giants beat the New York Jets, rendering their game at Dallas meaningless.

“I’ve watched this team grow as the weeks have went on,” Vick said. “The last three or four weeks, we’ve come together as a team. It’s a family environment, a family atmosphere and that translates to winning. That’s why you see a different team. I think we are well put together and well fit. We’re playing together and that’s what it’s all about. But it takes time to build that chemistry, build that unity, that togetherness. Doing it now, it’s exciting for me and there’s not a place that I’d rather be each and every day.”

When the Eagles went on a spending spree and brought in Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown and Vince Young to join a roster that already had a talented core of star players, expectations were elevated to perhaps unrealistic levels.

Even management declared this an all-or-nothing season in which nothing less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a success. Now the Eagles are looking back and wondering how much they really needed those offseason minicamps and a full training camp.

“We are finishing strong, and are showing the fans and everybody else what the true Eagles could have been, what we could have been doing at the beginning of the season,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “It just took a while to get there. We take that into the offseason and don’t look back.”

It seemed the Eagles could be headed for major changes when they were 4-8. Fans wanted coach Andy Reid fired and it appeared offensive-line-coach-turned-defensive-coordinator Juan Castillo would lose his job.

But a strong finish could keep this coaching staff together for at least another season. Reid is missing the playoffs for just the fourth time in 13 years, so this is new territory for many of his players.

“This is an unfamiliar feeling, an unfamiliar sight,” wide receiver DeSean Jackson said. “I’ve never really witnessed this. It’s a reality check. Look in the mirror. Everybody has to check themselves. Hopefully, we can finish strong and come back in the offseason or next year, whenever we are all together, and really eliminate all the mistakes we had early on.”

Read More: Michael Vick (QB – PHI), Brent Celek (TE – PHI), Jason Babin (DE – PHI), Miles Austin (WR – DAL), Tony Romo (QB – DAL), DeSean Jackson (WR – PHI), Jeremy Maclin (WR – PHI), LeSean McCoy (RB – PHI), Stephen McGee (QB – DAL), New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins

By the time the Philadelphia Eagles scored their first touchdown on Saturday early in the first quarter, they had already been eliminated from the 2011 playoffs, thanks to the New York Giants’ 29-14 victory over the New York Jets. But the Eagles played hard, and benefited from a hand injury to Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo, in a 20-7 victory that helped them complete a season sweep of Big D.

The Eagles got on the board on their first drive of the game after Michael Vick hit Brent Celek in the back of the end zone for a 13 yard touchdown. On the Cowboys’ ensuing drive, Tony Romo crushed his throwing hand on the front of the helmet of an unblocked Jason Babin. The hand immediately swelled up, and Romo was taken out of the game and into the locker room for x-rays, which came back negative. There has been no word from Dallas on the severity of Romo’s injury, which is currently being called a “right hand contusion,” but Romo was seen on the sideline toward the end of the game telling a Cowboys staffer that he’ll “be fine.”

His replacement, back up QB Stephen McGee, was efficient and careful with the ball, going 24-38 for 182 yards and a garbage time touchdown to Miles Austin with seven seconds left in the game. But the Eagles defense continued its stellar end of the season, holding the Cowboys to only 238 total yards, some of which came long after the game was decided.

The Eagles were led on offense by QB Michael Vick, who was 18-32 for 293 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin both contributed five catches on the day, with Jackson going for 90 yards and a touchdown and Maclin for 72. Running back LeSean McCoy was mostly neutralized on the day, running for only 35 yards, and he left the game temporarily with a left ankle injury before returning for one carry in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles will end their 2011 season next week at home against the Washington Redskins. Philly will have a chance to finish 8-8, which is pretty good considering where they were a month ago, but pretty disappointing considering the preseason expectations for the team.

For more coverage of the Eagles vs. Cowboys, stay tuned to our storystream. For more Philadelphia Eagles coverage, visit our team page, or our blog Bleeding Green Nation.

The
Dallas Cowboys
have complete control of their path to another NFC East title, and they might be even closer by kickoff.

The
Philadelphia Eagles
‘ playoff fate could be determined then, too.

The Cowboys may have a chance to clinch the division crown when they host the surging Eagles on Saturday.

Dallas (8-6) leads the second-place
New York Giants
by one game and is two in front of the third-place Eagles (6-8) heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Only one of those teams will reach the playoffs, and the Cowboys could clinch that spot Saturday with a win combined with
a Giants’ loss to the
New York Jets
earlier in the day.

That matchup also has serious implications for Philadelphia, which also needs a Jets victory to remain alive in the division.

For the Eagles to repeat as East champions, they must beat the Cowboys and Washington at home on Jan. 1. They need the Giants
to lose to the Jets and then beat Dallas in their last game.

That would leave all three teams at 8-8, and Philadelphia would own the tiebreaker based on a superior divisional record.

“I’m a big Jets fan this week,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “You control what you control. You have to play the game whether
that team wins or loses.”

The Eagles’ playoff hopes remained alive after a 45-19 romp over the Jets on Sunday, their second straight victory.

“It feels good that we are still alive,” said tight end
Brent Celek
, who had a career-high 156 yards and one touchdown. “That is all you can ask for at this point. We just have to play together
as a team and go up there, fight and beat Dallas.”

The Cowboys should be eager for revenge after losing 34-7 at Philadelphia in Week 8. That was just their second loss in the
last six meetings in the series since the Eagles kept them out of the playoffs with a 44-6 win in Week 17 of 2008.

“We’ve got to get the wins. We’ve got to get in,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “Best way to do it is win this thing.”

Dallas regained some momentum by beating Tampa Bay 31-15 last Saturday after blowing fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games.

“We just can’t let up,” receiver
Dez Bryant
said. “We know where we want to go and it don’t matter who comes in here, we’re going to keep the same intensity and just
play hard and hopefully we can win out. … We just got to keep focusing and keep playing hard.”

Tony Romo
is doing his part to get Dallas into the postseason, completing 69.9 percent of his passes for 869 yards with eight touchdowns,
no interceptions and a 121.4 passer rating over the last three games.

Romo has thrown 18 touchdown passes and just two picks in the past seven contests since struggling with a season-low 66.7
rating against the Eagles. He finished with 203 yards on 18-of-35 passing with one touchdown and one INT in that defeat.

Romo has 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while going 5-4 as a starter against Philadelphia.

The onus may again be on Romo and the passing game since Dallas is dealing with a rash of injuries to its backfield, with

Felix Jones
‘ hamstring tightness the latest issue.

Jones is listed as questionable after running for more than 100 yards each of the past two weeks. He may be joining rookie
running backs
DeMarco Murray
and
Phillip Tanner
on the sidelines, leaving the Cowboys with 12-year veteran
Sammy Morris
and practice squad member
Chauncey Washington
.

Morris made his season debut with 12 carries for 53 yards against the Buccaneers, and is expected to start if Jones can’t
play.

“Sammy is the most logical choice … and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance
to do some of that too,” coach Jason Garrett said.

Dallas’ defense is looking to build on its best performance of the season, holding Tampa Bay to 190 total yards.

The unit is likely to be tested much more thoroughly by
LeSean McCoy
, who ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries last week.

He’s scored eight TDs in the past four games, giving him 20 total scores – an Eagles single-season record. Two of those came
when McCoy ran for a career-high 185 yards in the October rout of the Cowboys.

“It tells you I’m a pretty good back and I have an outstanding offensive line,” said McCoy, who had 149 yards on 16 carries
in a 30-27 win at Dallas on Dec. 12, 2010. “It’s definitely a team thing.”

Michael Vick
also starred against the Cowboys earlier this season, completing 21 of 28 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns while running
seven times for 50 yards.

“It feels good to still have a chance to even be considered in the playoff race,” said Vick, who threw for 274 yards with
one touchdown while adding another score on the ground last week.

“We’ve been through a lot, but we’re resilient.”

The
Dallas Cowboys
have complete control of their path to another NFC East title, and they might be even closer by kickoff.

The
Philadelphia Eagles
‘ playoff fate could be determined then, too.

The Cowboys may have a chance to clinch the division crown when they host the surging Eagles on Saturday.

Dallas (8-6) leads the second-place
New York Giants
by one game and is two in front of the third-place Eagles (6-8) heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Only one of those teams will reach the playoffs, and the Cowboys could clinch that spot Saturday with a win combined with
a Giants’ loss to the
New York Jets
earlier in the day.

That matchup also has serious implications for Philadelphia, which also needs a Jets victory to remain alive in the division.

For the Eagles to repeat as East champions, they must beat the Cowboys and Washington at home on Jan. 1. They need the Giants
to lose to the Jets and then beat Dallas in their last game.

That would leave all three teams at 8-8, and Philadelphia would own the tiebreaker based on a superior divisional record.

“I’m a big Jets fan this week,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “You control what you control. You have to play the game whether
that team wins or loses.”

The Eagles’ playoff hopes remained alive after a 45-19 romp over the Jets on Sunday, their second straight victory.

“It feels good that we are still alive,” said tight end
Brent Celek
, who had a career-high 156 yards and one touchdown. “That is all you can ask for at this point. We just have to play together
as a team and go up there, fight and beat Dallas.”

The Cowboys should be eager for revenge after losing 34-7 at Philadelphia in Week 8. That was just their second loss in the
last six meetings in the series since the Eagles kept them out of the playoffs with a 44-6 win in Week 17 of 2008.

“We’ve got to get the wins. We’ve got to get in,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “Best way to do it is win this thing.”

Dallas regained some momentum by beating Tampa Bay 31-15 last Saturday after blowing fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games.

“We just can’t let up,” receiver
Dez Bryant
said. “We know where we want to go and it don’t matter who comes in here, we’re going to keep the same intensity and just
play hard and hopefully we can win out. … We just got to keep focusing and keep playing hard.”

Tony Romo
is doing his part to get Dallas into the postseason, completing 69.9 percent of his passes for 869 yards with eight touchdowns,
no interceptions and a 121.4 passer rating over the last three games.

Romo has thrown 18 touchdown passes and just two picks in the past seven contests since struggling with a season-low 66.7
rating against the Eagles. He finished with 203 yards on 18-of-35 passing with one touchdown and one INT in that defeat.

Romo has 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while going 5-4 as a starter against Philadelphia.

The onus may again be on Romo and the passing game since Dallas is dealing with a rash of injuries to its backfield, with

Felix Jones
‘ hamstring tightness the latest issue.

Jones is listed as questionable after running for more than 100 yards each of the past two weeks. He may be joining rookie
running backs
DeMarco Murray
and
Phillip Tanner
on the sidelines, leaving the Cowboys with 12-year veteran
Sammy Morris
and practice squad member
Chauncey Washington
.

Morris made his season debut with 12 carries for 53 yards against the Buccaneers, and is expected to start if Jones can’t
play.

“Sammy is the most logical choice … and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance
to do some of that too,” coach Jason Garrett said.

Dallas’ defense is looking to build on its best performance of the season, holding Tampa Bay to 190 total yards.

The unit is likely to be tested much more thoroughly by
LeSean McCoy
, who ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries last week.

He’s scored eight TDs in the past four games, giving him 20 total scores – an Eagles single-season record. Two of those came
when McCoy ran for a career-high 185 yards in the October rout of the Cowboys.

“It tells you I’m a pretty good back and I have an outstanding offensive line,” said McCoy, who had 149 yards on 16 carries
in a 30-27 win at Dallas on Dec. 12, 2010. “It’s definitely a team thing.”

Michael Vick
also starred against the Cowboys earlier this season, completing 21 of 28 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns while running
seven times for 50 yards.

“It feels good to still have a chance to even be considered in the playoff race,” said Vick, who threw for 274 yards with
one touchdown while adding another score on the ground last week.

“We’ve been through a lot, but we’re resilient.”

The Philadelphia Eagles were eliminated from NFL playoff contention after the New York Giants beat the Jets on Saturday.

The 29-14 win by the Giants took the Eagles out of the playoff race.

The Dallas Cowboys will play the Giants next weekend for the NFC East title, which the Eagles won last season.

The Eagles beat the Cowboys 20-7 in a game played later on Saturday.

Philadelphia came into the 2011 regular season with a huge amount of hype with a slew of free agent signings.

But the Eagles became unhinged quickly as the team couldn’t put together consistent games and lost big leads in the fourth quarter with regularity.

What’s next for the Eagles is unclear, starting with the fate of head coach Andy Reid and his staff

Reid is expected to return as he has two years left on his contract with the Eagles

Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo was under fire all season.
The Eagles never had a winning record after week one of the season, and the team struggled at home.

And while LeSean McCoy, Jason Peters and Jason Babin had Pro Bowl seasons, DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick and Nnamdi Asomugha didn’t.

The fate of receiver Jackson is also unknown. Jackson becomes a free agent in the offseason after a poor year in Philadelphia punctuated by a contract dispute.

The Eagles also need to sign McCoy and Jeremy Maclin to long-term deals and need to shore up a leaky defense, so Jackson’s return is unlikely.
 

The Philadelphia Eagles are not facing America’s Team on Dec. 24 after all. While Eagles fans like myself have had no problem hating the Dallas Cowboys, the rest of the nation still regards the Cowboys as America’s Team. Yet for now, America has dethroned Dallas in the latest sign of the Cowboys’ lack of glory lately.

According to a new poll on Dec. 21 from Public Policy Polling, the Green Bay Packers are now the new favorite team for the average American. In fact, with 22 percent of the vote, the Packers doubled the Cowboys’ vote total. Since Green Bay is the defending Super Bowl champion, the favorite for a second straight ring and are more universally beloved than Dallas, it makes sense that it would finally take this crown.

The Cowboys do at least still have one No. 1 mark as America’s least favorite team, as they got 22 percent in that vote and doubled up the Chicago Bears. But that is a given for Dallas, although it at least had the America’s Team label and Super Bowl rings to balance it out. However, that applied to Cowboys teams of a different era, as the modern day Boys are now just another team struggling to get over the hump. They’ve been that for about 15 years now and for over five years with Tony Romo at the helm.

Despite the old glorious image and the new billion dollar stadium, Dallas is no more special than anyone else these days. It could have been a much different story this year, since if the Cowboys had held onto half their blown fourth quarter leads, they would be right up there with the Packers in 2011. Instead they are 8-6, struggling to hold on in a pathetic NFC East and are no one’s favorite to reach the Super Bowl if they do make the playoffs.

Still, although the Cowboys don’t inspire the buzz and as much love as they used to, at least people do still feel something for them. In contrast, the Eagles didn’t even make the cut of most liked teams, while the Cowboys, New York Giants and Washington Redskins all got above 4 percent support. Philadelphia didn’t even make the cut of most hated teams either, despite the negativity that has surrounded the Eagles at home most of the year. Yet Michael Vick remains the most hated quarterback in the NFL to help balance it out.

The Eagles used to have to envy the Cowboys for being so famous and successful. But even now when Dallas is leading its division, it isn’t sitting on the kind of pedestal it used to anymore. Perhaps nothing short of making or winning a Super Bowl will put the Cowboys back in America’s good graces. Yet until then, they only have the usual bad graces and more December disappointment to define them now.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

Coughlin even closer to being fired than Reid

Eagles to have their way with Cowboys in December again?

Eagles improbably building up playoff hype again

Eagles playoff picture depends on unreliable Jets, Giants

Eagles, Redskins look more impressive than Cowboys, Giants

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