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.”

Leave your comments on the news below.

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.”

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

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’ status is unclear after he ran for over 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.

“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.”

There is the quick update of the day.

The Philadelphia Eagles have had some great performances despite their slow start in 2011. However, the defense has mostly been criticized. A lot of that is warranted as the Eagles have failed to tackle and allowed too many big plays. For fantasy football owners, the Eagles have been a mixed bag. If you are in a fantasy league with individual players, some Eagles defenders have done a lot better than others for you. Here is a look at some Eagles defensive players have done well for fantasy owners through the bye week despite the slow start of the team as whole.

1. Jason Babin(notes)

The Eagles brought back Babin after he thrived with the Tennessee Titans. So far, he is looking like one of the biggest steals of the season. Babin is among the league leaders with seven sacks. He has slowed the past two weeks in terms of getting sacks but his aggressive nature enables him to constantly pressure quarterbacks. Babin has looked like a superstar so far in 2011.

2. Cullen Jenkins(notes)

The other newcomer on the defensive line has also done a great job. Jenkins has five sacks, an impressive total for a guy in his position. Jenkins is an excellent run stuffer that also has the ability to rush the passer. He hasn’t forced any turnovers yet but he certainly has that capability. He is one of the top defensive tackles in 2011 in terms of numbers.

3. Nnamdi Asomugha(notes)

Asomugha struggled in the first few games in terms of finding his spot in the defensive scheme. But he has still been able to get an interception and he is one of the better tacklers in the secondary, which doesn’t say a whole lot. Asomugha has been on fire the past two weeks and should be a solid starter the rest of the season.

4. Jamar Chaney(notes)

The Eagles have had pretty poor play at the linebacker position. But Chaney he has actually been okay and is getting better. He is tied for the team lead with 36 tackles. He also has an interception on the season. With the amount of plays that offenses run toward the Eagles linebackers, Chaney has become a valuable commodity for fantasy owners.

* – Mark Paul is a regular fantasy football player and fan of the Philadelphia Eagles

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

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Read More: Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers

The Philadelphia Eagles announced today that they’ve promoted longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator. To replace Castillo on the offensive line, they’ve coaxed the legendary Howard Mudd out of retirement. In his time with the Colts, Mudd was generally regarded as one of the leagues’ best offensive line coaches. That said, the Mudd hire isn’t what’s going to be making headlines. The Eagles promotion of a guy that has coached offense for the past 21 years to run their defense is a bit of a head scratched.

Castillo has been coaching the Eagles offensive line for the past 14 years. He did play LB in college and in the USFL and has a few years coaching on the defensive at the college and high school level. Yes… high school. As Les Bowen pointed out, what makes this move really odd is that it wasn’t made out of desperation. They brought in qualified candidates for interviews this week, there’s a number of assistants in the Superbowl that have expressed interest in the job who would be more than qualified. This is a move they wanted to make. At 6:30 Andy Reid and Juan Castillo will hold a press conference and presumably Andy will explain why this is something he chose to do.

While everyone was scratching their heads, a few of Castillo’s former co-workers and current head coaches Leslie Frasier & Ron Rivera spoke out in support of his promotion.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier: “I can remember Jim Johnson & our defensive staff putting our game plans together. We’d always get together with Juan just to make sure they were sound in terms of pressures and blitzes. Sometimes, I felt like he was on our defensive staff.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera: “I’m really excited about this news and very proud of Juan being named defensive coordinator of the Eagles. First of all, Juan is one of the smartest and most dynamic coaches in the NFL,” Rivera said. “If anyone could cross over to the dark side (of defense), he’s the guy. Seriously, if anyone can do it, Juan Castillo is able to do it. I don’t know if I have seen anyone any more committed as a coach in this league than him. I was able to call on him so many times to understand how certain offenses worked and attacked.

That’s all for today.

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PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick’s MVP pick?

That would be Michael Vick.

Asked after practice Friday who he would select if he had a vote, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback said, “You put me on the spot.”

Then he added with a smile: “I would take … myself.”

Vick and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady are widely considered the top two candidates for the award, which has been won or shared by a quarterback 17 of the past 23 years.

Brady leads the NFL with a 109.9 passer rating. In his past nine games, he’s thrown 21 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Patriots (12-2) have won 11 of their past 12.

Vick’s 103.6 passer rating is third-highest in the NFL and leads the NFC. He also has 613 yards rushing and has run for eight TDs — more than all but nine NFL running backs.

Vick spent Christmas in 2007 and 2008 incarcerated at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas while serving an 18-month sentence on federal charges of running an illegal dogfighting ring.

“I’m just blessed to be here,” Vick said. “I spent two Christmases in Kansas, and that was by far the toughest thing I’ve had to do. Each and every year I reflect on that, and I think it will always make the holiday season more gratifying.

“[I'm] just thankful for a lot, thankful for the opportunity that I’ve been given, thankful for the blessings, and hopefully they’ll continue to come.”

The Eagles (10-4) would clinch the NFC East title Sunday either with a home win over the Vikings (5-8) or a Packers victory over the Giants in Green Bay.

“We all know what’s on the line,” Vick said. “We know what’s at stake. Like I say each and every week, every game is going to be a tough game. You have to go and play as hard as you can. You can’t let up and you can’t go into a game sure you’re going to win. You have to earn it. That’s our mentality and that’s our mindset, and this week is no different.”

The Eagles signed cornerback Gerard Lawson on Friday to replace kick returner Jorrick Calvin, out for the year with a back injury. Lawson averaged 14.4 yards on eight kick returns during his two-year stay with the Cleveland Browns. Lawson was released in late August, three weeks after he was arrested near Browns training camp when police saw him drive his vehicle into a parked car. Lawson pleaded no contest to driving under the influence and accepted a plea agreement that included a year of probation, 20 hours of community service and a $500 fine but no jail time. Coach Andy Reid said undrafted rookie Chad Hall would probably return kicks Sunday against the Vikings. Jeremy Maclin has also practiced returning kicks.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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PHILADELPHIA — In the NFL, there is questionable, and then there is Eagles questionable.

Philadelphia indeed listed Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel (knee) and Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson (toe) as questionable for Sunday’s NFC East showdown at the New York Giants, which officially means they have a 50-percent chance to play.

But after going through Friday’s indoor practice, both are expected to participate in the battle for first place.

Coach Andy Reid wouldn’t have it any other way.

“They both practiced and they both feel better,” Reid said. “They got more work today and that’s a plus. I just want to see how they feel tonight and tomorrow.”

Samuel was listed as questionable the past two weeks and did not play. But Reid sounded much more optimistic Friday. Samuel suffered the MCL sprain in the Eagles’ last game against the Giants, a 27-17 win on Nov. 21.

“I’m feeling good. I’m pretty excited,” said Samuel, who has missed four games this season. “Every day, I’m feeling better. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and the next day.”

That would be Sunday, when the Eagles and Giants vie for control of the NFC East at New Meadowlands Stadium.

“You have an MCL sprain, you know what comes from that,” Samuel said. “But nobody is 100 percent this time of the year. You just have to deal with it and overcome it. Not being out there and not being able to perform and play with the confidence that you normally would, that gets a little frustrating. But I’m making strides.”

Jackson, who rarely lacks confidence — please see his touchdown reception vs. Dallas on Sunday night — also plans to be on the field for what has turned into the biggest game of the season for both teams.

“I still got two days to get ready, so I should be fine,” said Jackson, who had 210 receiving yards last week. “At practice today, I did some things. It felt pretty good. I did a lot more today than I did yesterday. I don’t think it’s that serious to hold me out for a long time. So we should be good and smooth. I’m really not into sitting out games.”

Samuel had no choice but to sit out the past three. The Eagles were able to go 2-1 without him, but they allowed 82 points. The Eagles pass defense has also fallen from 13th to 17th since the Samuel injury.

Right tackle Winston Justice, also questionable, was limited in Friday’s practice. He appears like a game-time decision. If Justice cannot start, King Dunlap would go in his place.

Michael Vick was surprised to hear the news coming out of Washington regarding former Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb’s benching.

“It’s shocking to hear that,” Vick said. “I don’t know the circumstances, so I don’t want to say too much. I just wish him well.”

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That’s all the news for today.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

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