I can understand why people hate Philadelphia Eagles fans, but there’s not reason to hate the Philadelphia Eagles themselves. And of course, you got to love Chip Kelly. Or at least I do, ever since I have that special press conference moment with him at the Rose Bowl press conference. When he quasi-endorsed The Sports Bank.
Now the Philadelphia Eagles can make things rough for the evil empire that is the Dallas Cowboys. And all of America wants to see that.
Technically, Rocky IV is a “Christmas movie.”
The NFC East champion will be crowned on NBC this Sunday night when Nick Foles and the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles (9-6) travel to Arlington, Texas, to take on the second-place Dallas Cowboys (8-7) in a win-or-go-home contest on Sunday Night Football. Coverage begins with Football Night In America at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.
A win against the Philadelphia Eagles will earn the Cowboys the division title and their first playoff appearance since 2009. The team has played “win-and-in” season finales the past two years against the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins, but lost both times. Sunday night’s game will be the eighth “win-or-go-home” game for the Cowboys in Week 17 or the playoffs, since Tony Romo became the team’s starting quarterback. The Cowboys have lost six of those seven games. Romo’s status for Sunday is uncertain due to a back injury.
So it remains to be seen whether Romo can build himself a nice lead, and then it choke it away.
If not, Kyle Orton, Captain Neckbeard himself, awaits with the chance to start the game of his life.
The Philadelphia Eagles can clinch their first NFC East crown since 2010 with a win against the Cowboys on Sunday night. The Eagles scored 54 points and racked up 514 net yards of offense in their win against the Bears this past weekend (225 pass/289 rush). The team has the NFL’s top rushing offense and rank second in the league in total offense. In addition, QB Nick Foles has the NFL’s best passer rating (118.7), and RB LeSean McCoy leads the league in rushing yards (1,476).
Calling Philadelphia Eagles v Cowboys is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his 28th season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; Cris Collinsworth and Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. Hottie McHottie Carolyn Manno will report from Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., on the Packers-Bears game.
“The Philadelphia Eagles played about as well as they possibly could have against the Bears. They got the tune-up that they were looking for going in to the showdown against the Cowboys, but we understand what the NFL is all about. You have a young man in Nick Foles who is going in to the lions den now. With close to 100,000 people probably watching this one, it is going to be very emotional. And now you begin to wonder, how is Tony Romo? How is the back? Is he going to be able to play at full speed? Here we go again.” – Cris Collinsworth
“The Cowboys have to take away the Philadelphia Eagles number one weapon, LeSean McCoy. You have to stop the run. He is so tremendous and versatile.” – Rodney Harrison
SPREAD: Philadelphia Eagles -7
Brutally honest record: 77-34
Brutally honest pick: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Cowboys 28
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS Catch him Tuesdays talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN 1620 The Zone, Fridays talking Chicago Bears for WAOR 95.7 The Fan