Win or Lose, Dallas Cowboys Will Make a Statement This Sunday Against Eagles

On Sunday night the Cowboys will face the Philadelphia Eagles for first place in the NFC East.

Things are looking good right now; the Cowboys are riding high on a three-game winning streak, Wade Phillips has job security, Miles Austin is catching everything, Tony Romo looks like the quarterback everyone thought he was, and the Cowboys have no significant injuries. 

Basically things are great in Dallas, but on Sunday night they'll make their biggest statement of the season—whether they win or lose.

The Cowboys have beaten up on some bad teams this season. With the exception of the Falcons, the combined record of the other four teams the Cowboys have beaten is 6-22. Yes, they lost to the Giants by three and Broncos by seven, and they're both good teams. So what? No one ever went to the playoffs losing to good teams.

If the Cowboys win, it'll be their biggest of the season and will prove they're past last year's 44-6 embarrassment at Lincoln Financial Field. It'll also show that the Cowboys are finally growing up as a team and playing to their abilities instead of just listening to the hype. 

A win would also benefit Wade Phillips. One of the reasons he's on the hot seat is because of his nice guy personality; the Cowboys haven't responded to it very well, and some analysts think that a more hard-nosed coach would benefit the team. If the Cowboys can keep winning, it'll show owner Jerry Jones that Phillips has control of this team without even with his laid back persona.

A win would also give them some leverage over the Eagles, which could benefit them down the road. The Redskins are out of the division race, and winning a game is their only concern for the rest of the season.

The Giants are falling apart with all the injuries in their secondary, and Eli Manning's foot is bothering him more than he's letting on. It'll take a lot for the Giants to get back in it even if Manning finds his game.  Their defense can't generate a pass rush and their safeties are a running joke.

That leaves the Cowboys and Eagles to take the division crown.

If the Cowboys lose, everything changes. 

A loss will make the Cowboys another average team that's able to beat inferior talent but can't win statement games against the top-tier teams in the league. With the talent the Cowboys have, that's not acceptable.

The Cowboys have a premeir quarterbck in Tony Romo, a receiver in Austin who's playing at a Pro Bowl level, three running backs who would be starters on any team in the NFL, and one of the most talented and aggressive defenses in the league. Losing games like this isn't an option.

Also, this is the weak part of the Cowboys' schedule, so they need to take advantage. After Sunday night's game, the Cowboys play the Packers on the road and then the Redskins and Raiders at home before December hits. Any Cowboy fan knows how hard December has been in recent years, and this season is no different.

The Cowboys start December at the Giants, followed by the Chargers at home, and then the Saints on the road before a layup against the Redskins.

If they win out before December, they'll be 9-2 going into the game against the Giants. That kind of record will give them a margin for error unlike last season, where they dropped what could've been wins against the Steelers and Ravens and were fighting for their playoff lives in week sixteen.

If the Cowboys can't take advantage, it'll only reaffirm that they're not playing to their potential, and you can't blame the players. The coach has to be held accountable.

The Cowboys know this game is important from a revenge standpoint, and simply to get another win and keep riding high. However, they've already dropped two games against quality teams that they were in until the last minute—now it's time to win one.