What to watch in the Dallas Cowboys’ critical NFC East showdown vs. Philadelphia Eagles

What more can be added to Sunday’s showdown between the Dallas Cowboys (9-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)?

First place in on the line in the NFC East.

Both times are fighting for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

Revenge is on the mind of the Cowboys, who lost the first meeting at Philadelphia and needs this win to show themselves and the league that they are a worthy Super Bowl contender.

And the Eagles would like to squelch the rise of a Cowboys team that has won six of their last seven games, including four straight. After last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia can do that by by re-asserting their dominance while also ending a five-game losing streak at AT&T Stadium.

Well, how about the added motivation of the Cowboys to ‘Win one for Gipper,’ as in coach Mike McCarthy who underwent an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday and will tough it out by coaching on the sidelines four days later?

“He had to go through that,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “We’re just glad he’s out there at the end of the day, but this week has enough motivation, enough things. I can guarantee you Mike would say that first and foremost. Everybody understands what this this week means alone.

“But it’d be great and be a good gift to him,” Prescott added. “When we get this, when you know you got that taken care of. He’s our big dog.”

But McCarthy aside, Prescott readily acknowledged the importance of the Eagles game and the beginning of a tough five-week stretch to the end to the season. Their main goal is to play well the final month and in the playoffs and reach the Super Bowl.

“What’s in front of us is everything that we want to accomplish,” Prescott said. “We have that starting with this stretch here starting in December and leading into January, that we can take that momentum into the playoffs and go for what the real goal is.

These are the moments we’ve prepared for, to be honest with you. That’s the focus for this team. It’s about playing our best ball right now so we can use that momentum as we move forward. Yeah, this game is huge. Obviously, it puts us in place for the division. I just know we’ve got to get this game.”

What to watch in Sunday’s game:

Make home field count

One way for the Cowboys to succeed on Sunday against the Eagles is to continue to do what they have been doing: take care of business at home.

The Cowboys have won 14 straight home games, dating back to last season.

And they have won four of the last six meetings against the Eagles but they have won five straight in the series at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys are not only 6-0 at home in 2023 but they have scored at least 30 points in each game. With 30-or-more points on Sunday, Dallas would be the first team in NFL history to score at least 30 points in each of its first seven home games.

Dallas has also scored 40-plus points in four consecutive games, one-of-five teams in NFL history to reach that mark. With 40 points on Sunday, Dallas would be the first team in NFL history with at least 40 points in five straight home games.

And that is not even including the outstanding home play of Prescott, who has thrown for 18 touchdowns at home in 2023 and needs five more in the final two home games to tie his own single-season record of 23 home passing touchdowns in 2021.

And dating back to Dallas’ last home game in 2022, a victory against the Eagles, Prescott has recorded at least 250 passing yards and a passer rating of 100.0-or-higher in seven consecutive home games, joining Brett Favre as the only two players in NFL history to reach those marks in seven consecutive games.

With 250 passing yards and a 100.0 passer rating on Sunday, Prescott would become the first player in NFL history to record those stats in eight straight games.

What Cowboys defense learned from 49ers

Affrer beating the Eagles 42-19 last Sunday, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Joey Bosa said they established the blue print on how to slow down quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense.

He said hhe opes the Cowboys can copy it.

“You see it on tape. Obviously, we put the blueprint out there. Hopefully, the Dallas Cowboys watch the tape,” Bosa told reporters. “We made Jalen stay in the pocket and escape outside instead of those B-gaps. And it paid off.”

Of course, the Cowboys play a different style of defense but they watched the 49ers’ win and they believe there are things they can take into Sunday’s matchup.

Safety Jayron Kearse and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn acknowledged as much.

And edge rusher Micah Parsons agreed.

“I watched the whole [49ers vs. Eagles game],” Parsons said. “One thing they did was they kept the ball in front of them. They made the Eagles earn everything. They didn’t give up [any] big plays. That’s always the key when you’ve got an explosive team like the Eagles.

“They are very explosive. They did a great job containing Hurts, and things like that. It didn’t show up in the stats, but we got some real good rushers over here, too, that [can] get after them pretty well.”

Keep an eye on: Brown vs. Bland and Steele vs. Reddick

Cornerback DaRon Bland recorded his NFL-high eighth interception of the season against the Seahawks in his last outing.

But it came after the worst first half of his career and after he was switched off D.K. Metcalf in the second half.

Now Bland will face another big, physical and fast receiver in the Eagles’ A.J. Brown.

Brown, who has 81 catches for 1,164 and 7 touchdowns in 2022, caught just caught just two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown on four targets while being guarded by Bland in the first meeting between the two teams.

The Cowboys liked hand Bland responded against the Seahawks and have full confidence he will hold up against Brown. But they also know they have the Gilmore option if necessary.

Unlike the situation, the Cowboys don’t have a fall back plan for right tackle Terence Steele, who had his worst game of the season in the first match up against the Eagles.

He allowed 12 pressures and four sacks in the 28-23 loss, including one on the final drive that pushed crippled the Cowboys ‘ comeback hopes.

Steele has played better of late, allowing no sacks and just 12 pressures in the past four games.

But that was not against Hasson Reddrick and Brandon Graham of feasted on him in the last game.

Steele must be up to the task on Sunday.