2009 Philadelphia Eagles Season in Review: Week 17

The Eagles found themselves in a familiar situation in Week 17. They would be playing the Cowboys in the final game of the regular season with plenty at steak. Unlike the year before, both teams had already clinched playoff berths. At this point now, the two teams were fighting for the division title and the right to host a playoff game in the first round.

A big difference in this year’s matchup was the location. The memorable 2008 matchup, which had the Eagles winning 44-6, was played in Philadelphia. This game would take place in Dallas and would be the first time the Eagles visited the new stadium.

Although the Eagles had been playing pretty well over the past couple of weeks, you wouldn’t have known it by their effort against the Cowboys. Dallas was on the board within the first five minutes of the game when Tony Romo hit Jason Witten for a touchdown, and they wouldn’t look back from here.

The Eagles were dominated in every aspect of the game allowing Romo to throw for over 300 yards and allowing two Cowboys running backs to rush for 91 yards a piece. Miles Austin, who was shut down for all but one play in the first meeting, was able to do whatever he wanted on the field along with Witten and Patrick Crayton.

When the Eagles had the ball they failed to do much of anything. The team rushed for a total of 37 yards and allowed Donovan McNabb to be sacked four times on the day.

It was one of the Eagles least impressive outings of the season and extra disappointing because it was against the Cowboys. On the bright side, the Eagles would quickly have a shot at redemption. They would have to travel back to Dallas the following week for a Wildcard rematch. This time around, the loser’s season would be over.

Week Seventeen Headlines:
Cowboys vs. Eagles Key Match-ups
Cowboys live and die by play of Tony Romo
This Time Around, Birds Control Their Own Destiny
Final Thoughts: Eagles vs. ‘Boys