Cowboys vs. Eagles: Tony Romo and Michael Vick Both Key to NFC East Showdown

One of the best NFL games of Week 8 is the NFC East showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, and the key to the game for both teams will be the play of their quarterbacks.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo must play well in the fourth quarter and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick must not turn the ball over for their respective teams to have a good shot at earning a crucial win.

Dallas is currently 3-3 and tied for second in the division with the Washington Redskins, and a win over the Eagles who are currently 2-4 would really damage Philly's hopes of making the playoffs in January.

If Vick wants to keep the Eagles' playoff hopes alive, then he must not throw drive-killing interceptions. 

After throwing six interceptions last season, Vick has thrown eight of them already in 2011, including four picks against the Buffalo Bills in a loss earlier this season. Vick must not turn the ball over and give the Cowboys' offense good field position.

With wide receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant healthy, Romo and the Cowboys are going to score a good amount of points.

If they can control the clock with the rushing of running back DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys will be in good shape. Murray had 253 yards rushing last week, and his ability to run the ball against the Eagles will help Romo close out a win in the fourth quarter.

Romo has not played well in nearly every fourth quarter this season and was unable to lead the Cowboys past the New England Patriots in Week 6.

If Romo can play well in the fourth quarter against the Eagles in Week 8 and lead the Cowboys to a huge win, he won't just give himself a lot of confidence going forward—he'll give his teammates more confidence in him.

For Vick, he has to win to keep the Eagles' playoff dreams alive, and it will be interesting to see how he handles that kind of enormous pressure.

The quarterback who plays better will win the game.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news and updates.