Sean Selby

The Eagles are a good football team. We know this. They sit at 13-1, which ties the franchise record for wins in a season and chances are they will break that and lock up the division and number one seed in the NFC. They need to win just one out of the remaining three games this year to do that. They would become the first back-to-back NFC East division champion since 2004…when they last did it.

The question this week, however, is if the Eagles will accomplish all of the above this week with Gardner Minshew at the helm with Jalen Hurts recovering from a sprained shoulder.

The Cowboys are coming off a shocking loss to the Jaguars which gave the Eagles some much needed breathing room. When news came out that Hurts was banged up, it definitely caused some concern, but not as much as if the Eagles really NEEDED this game. Of course it will be great to beat the hated Cowboys, but if they don’t, it’s extremely difficult to think it will hurt the Eagles all that much.

The Eagles defense is going to need to play a big part in this game by doing what they’ve done all year and get to the quarterback. Dak Prescott has made some untimely mistakes while under pressure, so some turnovers would be key. If the run defense can contain the attack of Elliot and Pollard they may hold the Cowboys to enough points to give the offense a shot.

Gardner Minshew is going to need to get rid of the ball quickly. The pass rush of Dallas is pretty good and something tells me Micah Parsons will increase his total of 13 sacks this game. Last time, Lane Johnson stuffed him all game, but I expect some wrinkles in the game plan to get him in the backfield this time around. Miles Sanders, fresh off his first career Pro Bowl nod, will need to touch the ball often to give Minshew some help. That falls more on coaches Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen to call more runs than last week.

I expect this to be a close one, and I’ve been fighting with myself all week on a prediction. There’s just a feeling that the Eagles fight hard but Dallas just wants it more this week. Cowboys 27, Eagles 24

Mike Sliwinski

I normally have a longer synopsis looking up and applying stats to support my prediction. This week is a little different.

Weeks ago I had this game earmarked as a tough game and potential loss. Dallas is a good team, it’s a divisional game, it’s in Dallas (and 3rd road game in a row for Philly), Philly won the first match-up and its hard to sweep a team, and Dallas always seemed to need the game a bit more. For some counterpoints, in some ways the way Dallas played almost losing to a bad Houston team then lost to Jacksonville, they are trending in the wrong direction.

As I sat here knowing the Eagles need to win one game with the last 2 at home against weaker teams, I felt they would come out flat and lose. Then I heard the news that Hurts would miss the game (which I could write a whole article about why that’s a good thing) and it just made my thoughts on the game that much clearer.
Dallas will take this one. It’ll mean everything to them and nothing to us with our back up in. We will hear them we dem Boyz chants, and it’ll be OK when 4 weeks later after beating Tampa they come to our house and we whoop dat ass. But for this week Eagles 13, Dallas 27.

Ryan Shead

Dallas Week! It’s completely fitting that everything is on the line in this game. Cowboys are coming off a very disappointing lose vs the Jaguars, the elite defense of the Cowboys has had 2 very bad performances past 2 weeks while the Eagles defense is peaking have 6+ sacks 3 weeks in a row.

 Mvp candidate Jalen Hurts is out with a shoulder injury,  although Eagles have a viable backup in Gardner Minshew. This game is going to be an edge of your seat battle, Eagles clearly have more playmakers on offense but hard to gauge how they will perform with back up QB. The Cowboys defense has struggled but it’s a good defense, The Eagles defense is 1 of best in the league.

In a hard fought game I hate to say I think the Cowboys win.  Cowboys 24, Eagles 20

Pat Mulranen

The Eagles could clinch the top seed in the NFC and win the NFC East title with a win over the Cowboys. That’s not even why this game is so exciting. The Eagles will clinch the top seed with just one more victory, which they will get against the Saints or Giants.

The Eagles will get the top seed one way or another. Saturday’s game means so much more than the bye week or division. This is Dallas!

Beating the Cowboys is everything in this city, and doing so with a backup quarterback would be even more enjoyable. Also, the Eagles haven’t swept the Cowboys in the regular season since 2011. Yes, this game means so much more. And what better way is there than beating a rival on Christmas Eve!

There’s another reason this game is so meaningful— the national media. Why are outlets like ESPN so high on the Cowboys? Is it their defense? The until has been great, but not the last few weeks. Is it their offense? Because the offense isn’t better than the Eagles. The disrespect for the Eagles is insane.

I really wish Jalen Hurts was playing. I want him to beat the Cowboys, but he also needs to be healthy. Gardner Minshew will do well. He’s not bad. Minshew has an arm and will do his thing. The Eagles defense will do what they need to do. It’s a division game, so the score may be close (even though a blowout would be fantastic). But the Eagles will win, and hopefully silence the doubters. Eagles 30, Cowboys 26