The Philadelphia Eagles will look to close in on a third straight playoff berth when they host the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
If the Eagles win their third in a row, they’ll move to 8-7 and into the NFC East lead. With one more win in the regular-season finale on the road against the New York Giants, the Eagles would head to the postseason.
Both the Eagles and Cowboys enter this matchup with identical 7-7 records.
The Eagles fell to 5-7 but have since rallied with an overtime win against the Giants and a hard-fought, 10-point road win against the Washington Redskins last weekend.
Quarterback Carson Wentz engineered game-winning drives in each of the last two wins with touchdowns to tight end Zach Ertz against the Giants and wide receiver Greg Ward against the Redskins.
The challenge of winning a third straight game will be much more daunting against the Cowboys.
“These kinds of games, guys know what is on the line,” Philadelphia offensive coordinator Mike Groh told reporters. “Not only that, it’s Dallas. Dallas is an important game here. It’s a divisional game. We understand everything that it entails.”
The banged-up Eagles are unlikely to have wide receiver Nelson Agholor (knee) and running back Jordan Howard (shoulder) in the lineup. In addition, right tackle Lane Johnson remains questionable with a high ankle sprain.
Philadelphia already has to deal with the fact that key players on offense such as wide receivers DeSean Jackson (abdomen) and Alshon Jeffery (foot) are already out for the season. It has to move on with who’s healthy and continue to compete.
“It’s a credit to the guys,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “They stay in the moment. Nothing’s too big for them. They overcome a lot of adversity. A lot of it’s self-inflicted obviously and they overcome it and have given themselves a chance to win.”
If the Eagles beat the Cowboys and lose to the Giants, they can still get in the playoffs if Dallas loses to the Redskins in the regular-season finale.
The Cowboys can clinch the NFC East with a victory at Philadelphia as a result of their win over the Eagles earlier this season.
For the Cowboys, the task is simple — win and you’re in.
Dallas had been reeling with three consecutive losses to the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears before rallying for a convincing 44-21 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.
During the three-game skid, the Cowboys got away from their ground game. But the Cowboys compiled a season-high 263 rushing yards against the Rams.
“We just played complementary football,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “We were good to each other.”
Prescott is dealing with a right shoulder injury, which will limit him in practice leading up to the game, according to head coach Jason Garrett.
“He’s as tough as they come,” Garrett said of his quarterback. “His physical toughness and mental toughness are on par with anybody I’ve been around, and that’s just what he’s all about. He handles success. He handles adversity. He handles issues as well as anybody.”
The Cowboys have been most effective this season when running back Ezekiel Elliott is piling up chunks of yardage behind their offensive line, long considered a strong point of this team. Dallas put together a 15-play drive and a 14-play drive in the 23-point win against Los Angeles.
The win over the Rams will be meaningless, however, if the Cowboys aren’t able to build on it with a win at Philadelphia.
“You’re as good as your last game,” veteran tight end Jason Witten said. “You gotta go do it again. Philadelphia will be ready. They’ll present big challenges.”
