Eagles vs Cowboys Could be Fork In the Road Moment for Both Teams

The Philadelphia Eagles vs the Dallas Cowboys is a matchup that is always crucial for both teams. The two longtime division rivals will duke it out in Week 12, with major playoff implications. Even though the NFC East may not be up for grabs, there is a ton on the line for both teams, as this game could provide a pivotal moment for both teams in their 2025 season.

As previously mentioned, the NFC East is not currently up for grabs. The Eagles hold a 4.5-game lead over the Cowboys for first place in the division. With a victory Sunday, the Eagles’ magic number to clinch a division title becomes just two. Doing so would make them the first repeat winner in the division since 2004, when the Eagles won back-to-back division crowns. With a Cowboys win, anything is still possible with seven games remaining for both teams. But the two teams currently have other playoff implications they are chasing.

The Cowboys were very active at the NFL’s Trade Deadline. Their most notable move was a massive trade for defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. Those trades paid massive dividends for the Cowboys in their first game after the deadline with a resounding victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The defense looked like a completely different unit, while the offense continued to play at a very high level.

This recent victory has people feeling optimistic about their chances to make a playoff push. While they face an uphill climb, they certainly looked like a playoff team in Week 11. They sit three games behind the San Francisco 49ers for the final Wild Card spot. If the Cowboys were able to pull off an upset win over the Eagles, their playoff hopes would still be very much alive. A win over the 8-2 defending champions would give them reason to believe they can beat anyone. Especially when Dak Prescott is playing as well as he currently is.

Was Week 11 a sign of what’s to come for the Cowboys? Or was this just a blip on the radar, beating up on a bad team? Only time will tell. But Eagles vs Cowboys will say a lot about these Dallas Cowboys and their playoff chances.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are essentially a lock for the playoffs. Barring a historic collapse, the Eagles will be playing January football to try to repeat as champions. They have their sights set on something bigger, though. The Eagles are currently in the driver’s seat for the NFC’s number one seed.

Right now, the Eagles and Los Angeles Rams sit atop the NFC, tied at 8-2. While the Eagles hold the tiebreaker due to their head-to-head victory, they have a very small margin of error. To earn the first-round bye, they can’t afford to stumble, especially with how sharp the Rams look. This applies much more pressure to the Eagles, especially with how the offense has looked recently.

Although Dallas has looked better defensively as of late, the Eagles should still be able to have their way offensively. The Cowboys’ defense is bottom three in the NFL in yards and points allowed per game. With how much the Eagles’ offense has struggled recently, this needs to be a get-right game. Especially when their defense has bailed them out the last two weeks. Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and the rest of the offense need to take advantage of this matchup. Dropping a game against a clearly inferior team is unacceptable when trying to secure the one seed. Beyond that, though, they can take advantage of Dallas and get back to looking like the offense we all remember from previous seasons.

Every game is critical when you’re fighting for playoff positioning. Especially when it’s between two longtime, hated rivals. Eagles vs Cowboys will end with one team feeling great about the direction their season is heading. The other team will be kicking themselves for squandering a golden opportunity.

Main Photo: [Junfu Han] – Imagn Images