Two NFC East teams will square off in Week 18 as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Who will record the much-needed victory in this Cowboys vs Eagles clash? Here's a preview of this divisional matchup.
Dallas Cowboys installed as -7 favorites
The Dallas Cowboys had their four-game winning streak snapped in Week 17 with a gut-wrenching 25-22 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. It was a costly defeat for the Cowboys, who dropped to fourth in the NFC standings with an 11-5 record.
For Dallas to end its season on a winning note against Philadelphia, the Cowboys will need to start strong against the Eagles. They struggled to put some points on the board against the Cardinals, mustering just a single touchdown in the first three quarters. The Cowboys tried to rally in the fourth quarter with a 15-point explosion, but the deficit was just too big for them to overcome.
The Cowboys will have to face the Eagles without one of their main offensive weapons after star wide receiver Michael Gallup tore the ACL in his left knee in the loss to the Cards. He suffered the injury during the second quarter when his left knee buckled while attempting to catch a 21-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott.
Gallup will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, a major blow for the Cowboys, who have Super Bowl aspirations this year. Gallup has caught 35 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys' No. 3 receiver this season. Cedrick Wilson is expected to take Gallup's place. He made six catches for 35 yards and a score in the loss to Arizona.
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Philadelphia Eagles enter Week 18 as +7 underdogs
The Philadelphia Eagles are moving on to the 2021 NFL Playoffs. The Eagles clinched a wild card playoff spot in Nick Sirianni's first season as head coach following their 20-16 win over the Washington Football Team. The Eagles got some help to clinch the playoff berth with one week remaining in the regular season, with the San Francisco 49ers beating the Houston Texans and the Green Bay Packers taking down the Minnesota Vikings.
Sirianni made history as he became just the third coach in the history of the Eagles to lead the team to the playoffs in his first year as head coach, joining Ray Rhodes (1995) and Chip Kelly (2013).
The Eagles have reached the playoffs in four of the last five years. They failed to reach the playoffs last year after finishing the season with a 4-11-1 record. That led to the sacking of coach Doug Pederson.
Sirianni, who was Pederson's replacement, had a rocky start to his NFL career, losing five of his first seven games with the Eagles. However, Philadelphia made a late-season surge, winning seven of its last nine games to grab a wild card spot. The Eagles flourished when they made the running game the focal point of their attack. They lead the NFL in rushing, averaging 160.4 yards per game this season.
Writer's Prediction
Dallas wins and covers the spread.
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