After losing the Week 6 matchup, the Dallas Cowboys exacted some revenge on the Philadelphia Eagles with a thrilling 40-34 victory in Week 16.
The hype around the Christmas Eve rematch started after the Eagles took down the Cowboys back in October. For over two months, fans from both sides enjoyed a lot of wins but ultimately had their sights set on the next meeting between the NFC East rivals.
But in the week before the matchup, the anticipation for the game dwindled a bit.
It was expected that whoever came out victorious would have great odds to win the division. But after Dallas’ heartbreaking overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia will likely win the NFC East, even after losing at AT&T Stadium.
The other reason why the Cowboys-Eagles game lost some hype is due to the Jalen Hurts injury. The MVP candidate sprained his shoulder in Week 15 and was sidelined for the Cowboys rematch.
But once the game kicked off, the outside factors like winning the NFC East and Hurts’ injury were immediately forgotten about. The focus for fans on both sides flipped to the desire to beat a hated division rival, and the Cowboys faithful desperately needed bragging rights after the Week 6 loss.
Who’s your daddy?
As of late, Dak Prescott has owned the Eagles. The last time Philadelphia beat Dallas in a game Dak played in was 2019. Since then, Prescott is 3-0 vs. the Eagles and Dallas’ average margin of victory is 17 points.
Over the span of Dak’s seven-year career, he’s done very well against the Birds. Prescott is 8-3 vs. the Eagles while averaging 250 yards and less than one interception per game.
Round 3 of Cowboys vs. Eagles
When Philadelphia beat Dallas earlier this season, Cooper Rush was still under center while Prescott was hurt. Rush had his worst game of the year at Lincoln Financial Field. The Red Rifle completed 47% of his passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
When the Cowboys beat the Eagles Saturday, Gardner Minshew started in relief of Hurts. Minshew threw for 355 yards, two touchdowns and ran in for a score. But he also threw two interceptions, and fumbled a handoff that was recovered by the Cowboys.
So we have yet to see each team’s starting QBs faceoff this season, so it’s only right for the rubber match to take place in the postseason. If Prescott and Hurts can both start, we can finally see who the better team is with both offenses at full strength.
Plus, history shows a playoff matchup would bode well for the Cowboys. Dallas is 3-1 all-time against Philadelphia in the postseason, with the Eagles lone win coming in the 1981 NFC Championship.
