NFC Championship: Cowboys or Eagles
Written by JB Floyd.

After four months of football the NFC East is still not decided. Just like last year, the battle for the division comes down to one final game. This time the Dallas Cowboys will host the Philadelphia Eagles for a chance to take home the division crown.

Being home has to be considered a better fortune for the Cowboys than traveling to Philly, where their season ended in humiliating fashion last year. But Tony Romo has only beaten the Eagles once in Dallas. In his six meetings as a stater against the division rivals, he is 3-3, with the wins and losses having very distinct differences.

The Eagels blitz as much as any team in the league, and in the losses to them, Romo has looked pedestrian, throwing for less than 200 yards a game while racking up six times as many interceptions as touchdowns. In the wins, he has been amazing, completing 70 percent of his passes while throwing for more than 300 yards in each game.

As Romo goes Sunday, so will go the Cowboys chances to win the division and host a game at Jerry World in the first round.

While other top teams around the league will be resting starters and trying to get healthy, the Eagles and Cowboys will be battling it out like this is the first round of the playoffs.

"Playing for the division title is what's going to make this a great game," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Both teams have something at stake. That's why we do this thing, as coaches and players, for opportunities like this. Everybody will be fired up for it."

Should the Eagles win, they will be able to take next week off and get some much needed rest heading into the playoffs. They may be the hottest team in the NFC over the past six weeks, but they have been battling injuries, and the extra week would give them a jolt of rejuvenation before the playoffs. The Cowboys have a trickier path to getting a bye week, but a win would assure them of a home playoff game in the Wild Card, a thought that seem far fetched when they almost lost two the Kansas City Chiefs in the second month of the season.

For the first time in years, the Cowboys have actually looked like a playoff caliber team in December, a stark contrast to seasons past, especially last year, when they limped into the massacre at Lincoln Field having lost two of three. The Cowboys have beaten the at-the-time undefeated New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins, proving they may not be the team they have been in winters past.

In fact, with the Cowboys and Eagles both riding hot right now, and the Saints beginning to look like a mess after a loss to Tampa Bay and Minnesota in the midst of soap opera starring Brad Childress and Brett Favre, the winner of the Eagles-Cowboys game Sunday could very well be considered the favorite to win the confusing NFC, though the Packers and Cardinals both lurk as very real threats.

With the distraction of Terrell Owens gone and Romo finding a true number one receiver in Miles Austin, the Cowboys offense looks to be clicking as well as it has in years. Romo has thrown only one interception in the teams last five games and will break his own team record for passing yards in a season on Sunday.

"You've seen in recent weeks, the team has really played well and Tony's played well as well," Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "That's part of the difference you see on that whole ball team."

Look for Romo to go Peyton Manning on the Eagles and as long as he keeps his composure and limit his turnovers to one or none, he may finally be ready to break through and be considered a winner and not just a QB who can throw up great numbers. He may not have won a playoff game yet, but if he can lead the Cowboys to a victory Sunday, it will certainly feel like a playoff win and could be a watershed moment in his career.


Prediction: Cowboys 27, Eagles 14



Last updated on January 05, 2010.

Copyright © ATS Network ™ 2007 All rights reserved.
For Entertainment Purposes Only.
start of google ads


College Basketball Piks
Expert College Basketball Info Instantly To Your Email - Free!
www.FreePicksBasketball.com

Updated Odds Free Picks
Latest Las Vegas Odds, NFL Lines, Free Picks On A Recorded Message.
www.freepicksheet.com

Sports Handicapping Monitor
Sports sharing platform and sports handicapping monitor for online sports handicappers.
www.documentedhandicappers.com

NCAA Basketball Odds
The Bodog Sportsbook has the cure to your sports betting needs. Sign up now and bet with Bodog for an easy, safe, and secure sportsbook.
www.bodoglife.com
end of google ads