'Sunday Night Football' Week 9: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Eagles vs. Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys took down the Philadelphia Eagles when the NFC East assumed the spotlight in Week 2, but a Week 9 Sunday Night Football rematch promises quite a different atmosphere and approach.

Since the loss, head coach Chip Kelly's Eagles have won three of five games and rediscovered a rushing attack thought dead in the water. Dallas, on the other hand, has dropped five straight without Tony Romo, as even Dez Bryant's return last week didn't swing the tide of an eventual outcome. 

The hosts will still be without Romo on Sunday night, but it's one to watch regardless, as two heated rivals take the field with aspirations of staying alive in a middling division for a shot at making the playoffs. 

Game Details

When: Sunday, November 8, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Television: NBC

Live Stream: NFL Game Pass

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Over/Under: 43.5

Spread: Philadelphia (-3)

Team Injury Reports

Player	Position	Status
DeMeco Ryans	LB	Questionable
Kiko Alonso	LB	Probable
Nelson Agholor	WR	Questionable
Ryan Mathews	RB	Questionable

Player	Position	Status
Barry Church	S	Questionable
Matt Cassel	QB	Probable
Brice Butler	WR	Probable
Dez Bryant	WR	Probable
Tony Romo	QB	Out

Grounding it Out

The Week 2 meeting between these teams, above all else, featured a heavyweight storyline, as DeMarco Murray faced off against the team he shunned (depending on who gets asked) in free agency to join a divisional rival.

Murray, last year's rushing champion, gained two yards on 13 carries.

Part of the struggles came from the coaching staff. The team mustered an average of 35 rushing yards per game while starting 0-2, but it has since posted 146.2 over its last five outings.

Injury might have played a role as well, as offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

It also helps that the team has worked in backup Ryan Mathews, giving the Eagles a notable one-two punch behind quarterback Sam Bradford:

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Ryan Mathews	56	342	6.1	3
DeMarco Murray	88	307	3.5	3
Darren Sproles	31	120	3.9	1

Maybe not what the Eagles had in mind when throwing around top dollar to reel in one of the league's biggest names, but the running back position continues to be a roll of the dice.

Regardless, the goal Sunday night has to be getting these backs going to make life easier on Bradford, who has been as erratic as it gets this year with nine touchdowns to 10 picks, though he isn't helped by woeful drop issues. The backs will have to carry the offense in this one. 

Staying Alive 

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Taking everything into account, the Dallas defense has played well.

The unit lets up just 234 passing yards and 103 rushing yards per game despite missing Romo's game-controlling ways for five games. Case in point last week in a one-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks, where the Dallas defense held Marshawn Lynch to 71 yards on 21 carries.

Dallas has just 13 sacks on the year, but the return of Greg Hardy and his three in as many games have provided the unit with a boost. According to the team's official website, the Eagles will be without starting tackle Jason Peters, too, a means of potential exploitation for Dallas.

Translation: Philadelphia's line that helped the team rush for 0.4 yards per carry against Dallas in Week 2 is weaker this time around, while Dallas' line, which helped force two interceptions, is stronger.

It's the little things for a team like the Cowboys, who need every bit of an advantage they can get with their backs against the wall and without their starting quarterback. With the offense sputtering, it's up to the defense to change the complexion of this eventual outcome.

Prediction

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

This looks like a tale of two teams going in different directions.

It's an unfortunate situation for Dallas, a team unable to compensate for something it simply cannot control. But kudos have to go to the Eagles for examining where things went wrong over the course of the season's first two weeks and making the right adjustments to keep their heads above water.

That is what the theme of this one is all about. Philadelphia can do so with a continued commitment to the ground game and consistent pressure on Matt Cassel, who couldn't even crack 100 passing yards at home last week with Bryant back in the fold.

Look for Murray to post a big game as the Eagles grind this one out with a clutch score late. Dallas' defense has been good, but extended stays on the field, thanks to a sputtering offense, will eventually take their toll.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20

Statistics and injury information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.