Sunday Night Football Week 15: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Cowboys vs. Eagles

A suspense-filled matchup is on tap for Week 15's edition of Sunday Night Football. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, both 9-4, will square off from Lincoln Financial Field with their playoff hopes on the line.

The team that wins will essentially punch its ticket to the playoffs as the NFC East division winner. There's a chance for the loser to come back by winning in Weeks 16 and 17, but the winner would also have to lose both of those games. That puts the pressure on both of these squads to play mistake-free football on Sunday.

Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo will be in the spotlight throughout the entirety of the game. Can Sanchez stave off Nick Foles, given how close the team's Week 1 quarterback appears to be from a return? Can Romo fight the nagging back and rib injuries that have plagued him for most of the season?

Be sure to tune into NBC on Friday night to watch this bout of NFC powerhouses in a dogfight for the edge in the division. 

Viewing Information

When: Sunday, December 14

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Major Storylines

Can Sanchez Rebound?

Michael Perez/Associated Press

As mentioned above, the loser of this contest can easily find itself out of the playoff picture. It's shocking to see a team with the potential to go 11-5 out of the hunt, but that speaks to the depth of the NFC in 2014.

NFL Network's Kimberly Jones recognizes the significance of this game:

The Eagles and Cowboys are strikingly similar teams, making it hard to predict the outcome. As you can see from the accompanying stats, both teams possess subpar defenses. Naturally, the potential for a shootout is high.

These teams last met on November 27, a game in which the Eagles dominated, 33-10. LeSean McCoy rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown, and the Philly defense penetrated the spectacular Dallas offensive line to notch four sacks. Romo couldn't get comfortable as a result, totaling just 199 yards and tossing two interceptions.

Sanchez (who was 20-of-29 for 217 yards and a touchdown in the game) didn't play well at all the following week against the Seattle Seahawks. He was just 10-of-20 for 96 yards, leading Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett to question his ability to run an NFL offense:

He sure looked like a capable starter against the Eagles in Week 13. But will his performance from last week carry over?

In order for him to succeed, McCoy must produce at the same level he did in late-November. Dallas' defense isn't strong against the run, allowing 113.1 yards per game. McCoy and Darren Sproles need to consistently find holes and get into the second level of the defense.

They are also essential to Sanchez's success as pass-catchers. Both are dynamic with the ball in their hands, making it imperative for head coach Chip Kelly to find ways to give them the rock. In a game with nearly everything on the line, only your best players should touch the ball.

This is a playoff game, for all intents and purposes. Look for Sanchez to treat it like one by letting his teammates do the heavy lifting.

Cowboys' Road Dominance

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Even though Philly controlled the last game, Dallas is actually at an advantage on the road this weekend. Yet to lose a game on the road this season (6-0), the Cowboys are not at all afraid of going into enemy territory and taking care of business.

That record seems to have instilled some confidence in ESPN's Skip Bayless:

Just how much better is Romo on the road than he is at home? The stats below clearly indicate that he doesn't mind the travels of a long season:

	Notable Stats
AT&T Stadium	66.8%, 1,554 Yds, 10 TD, 7 INT, 259 Y/G, 94.6 Rate
Road	71.8%, 1,369 Yds, 15 TD, 1 INT, 228.2 Y/G, 125.0 Rate

It's interesting to note that he averages more yards per game at AT&T Stadium, but that is mostly a result of the fact that he has accumulated 24 more pass attempts at home than he has on the road in the same number of games.

Romo is poised to improve upon his previous showing against his division rival, especially if the Delaware County Daily Times' Bob Grotz' observations were true:

"

Romo wouldn’t say it, but his mobility appeared limited in the first game with the Eagles. The veteran is glad to have 10 days, rather than the four due to the Thanksgiving game, to get ready for the Eagles this time.

Romo couldn’t throw the ball up the field. When the Eagles collapsed the pocket, he fell to the ground untouched.

"

His offensive line must step up and not allow the Eagles to get into the backfield when Romo drops back. Even if he's healthy enough to use his legs and avoid danger, it only takes one hit to aggravate one of his many ailments.

NBC's Cris Collinsworth knows the matchup between the pass rush and O-line is going to steal the show:

It's hard to move past the drubbing Dallas suffered at the hands of Philly just a few weeks ago, but Romo's success on the road speaks for itself. As long as the O-line doesn't completely collapse, he'll be able to pick apart the No. 26 pass defense in football.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn