Philadelphia Eagles: Why Eagles vs. Cowboys Is Must-Win for Andy Reid

At 2-4, the Philadelphia Eagles certainly aren’t sitting in the driver’s seat as they expected, but the season isn’t over yet.

The NFC East is a weaker division than expected, and there is still a lot of football to be played. The bye week gave some of the injured players—notably Jason Peters and Trent Cole—time to get healthy. The Washington Redskins lost last week, bringing the four teams in the division even closer together in terms of record.

The Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys next in a Sunday Night Football matchup, a game that is a must-win for Andy Reid and the Eagles for the following reasons.

5. Revenge

For a long time in the Andy Reid era, the Philadelphia Eagles had the upper hand over the Dallas Cowboys. Besides the fact the Eagles won four straight division titles from 2001-04 and ten playoff games in the Reid era, there were the dominating wins over the Cowboys.

41-14 to start off the 2000 season. 44-13 in 2002. 49-21 in 2004. And who can forget the legendary 44-6 game to close out the 2008 season?

Since then however, the Cowboys have had the upper hand, winning a must-win game to close out the 2009 season and again in that year’s playoffs.

A big win in this game would mean a lot for an Eagles team that has struggled against its division rival as of late.

4. Bye Week

The Philadelphia Eagles have two weeks to prepare for this Dallas Cowboys team, and Andy Reid has never lost following a bye week, posting an incredible 13-0 mark in his career.

The most impressive of those wins may have come last year, when the Eagles knocked off Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts by a 26-24 score. Getting two weeks to prepare for the explosive Cowboys offense should be good for the Eagles.

3. Momentum

The Philadelphia Eagles lost four of their first five games this season, but a win last week over the Washington Redskins kept the Eagles’ slim playoff hopes alive.

A win this week over the Dallas Cowboys would mean a lot for the Eagles, showing they can beat two talented teams in succession.

2. Division Rival

Let’s not forget the Philadelphia Eagles are 2-4 and stuck in last place in the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys are 3-3 and a game up, but an Eagles win would put the Eagles ahead of the Cowboys in the division race.

A wild card team likely won’t come out of the NFC East, so the best bet is for the Eagles to win the division, and that means beating a division rival is a must.

1. Prove They’re a Threat

The rest of the NFL is counting the Philadelphia Eagles out. They’ve become a laughingstock and the “Dream Team” label is used as a taunt.

This is the opportunity for the Eagles to come back from a 1-4 start and still make the playoffs. It can happen. It has happened. The 2002 Tennessee Titans started 1-4 and finished 11-5, advancing as far as the AFC Championship Game.

This game is a primetime game in front of a national audience and it is as good of an opportunity as there is for the Eagles to prove they’re a threat.