Cowboys’ vulnerability will allow the Philadelphia Eagles to NFC East’s seven-game losing streak.
If the Cowboys fail to recover, the Eagles will end their 15-year winning streak in the NFC East.
If you’ve been watching any nationally televised game involving any of the five NFC East teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, over the past ten years, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a graphic about the NFC East’s lack of a repeat champion since the beginning of the decade.
However, despite the Cowboys having an NFL-best +162 point differential, they are two games back of the Eagles — who have a still impressive, but more modest +64 mark — in the NFC East. Philadelphia’s resume may not include as many blowout wins as Dallas, but after consecutive comeback victories against the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are 10-1 for the second year in a row. The Cowboys are 8-3, and already have a 28-23 loss to the Eagles in Week 9 on their resume.
So barring a comeback from the Cowboys over the final six weeks of the season, the Eagles will become the first NFC East team to win consecutive division titles since … the Eagles did so from 2001-2004, led by coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Since the start of the 2005 season, each NFC East team has won the division at least three times, with the Cowboys and Eagles both taking home six division titles.
The Eagles have won six NFC East titles in a row (2006-10), the Cowboys have won seven in a row (2007-14), the Giants have won four in a row (2005-08), the Commanders franchise has won three in a row (2012-2020), and the Cowboys have won back-to-back NFC East titles for the first time since 1992-1996.
The Eagles will host the 49ers on Sunday in Week 13 in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game, which they are unlikely to win. Then, they will travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys again in Week 14. Assuming the Cowboys do not lose to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, which they should not be expected to do.
You could argue that the Cowboys would benefit more from having home field advantage throughout the playoffs than the Eagles would. The Cowboys have gone 5-0 in their home games this season. Former coach Jason Garrett pointed out earlier this year that the Cowboys are more effective on the “fast track” when they are at home on the “artificial turf” than they are when they are on the road on the “natural grass.”
“I think Dallas is just a little bit slower on the defense when they’re on the fast track,” Garrett said, “because when they’re home on the fast track, they’re like they have 14 guys on the defense.”
Notably, both the Eagles and 49ers play on grass, so if Dallas doesn’t win the NFC East and ultimately find a way to move up in the NFC playoff picture, there’s a good chance they would have to play both teams on the road in the postseason.
And if the Cowboys don’t catch the Eagles in the NFC East, the most overused graphic in broadcasting history will be retired.
