NFL Week 16 Picks: Complete Breakdown and Prediction on Eagles vs. Cowboys

When these two teams meet, throw out the records. They are big-time division rivals, and there's a lot on the line. 

In recent history, these teams have met three times in playoff-type situations.

The first time was in the 2008 season, when they met in Week 17 at Philadelphia. The winner advanced to the playoffs. The Eagles ran over the Cowboys in a non-competitive game. 

The following year, they met in a battle for the division in Week 17, this time at Dallas. The Cowboys destroyed the Eagles and defeated them again by a large margin the following week in the NFC Wild Card game. 

Will this week's match be another blowout?

Philadelphia Will Win If...

Philadelphia will come away with a victory if they can make the big play early and often.

If Michael Vick can deliver a few bombs to his elite wide receiver threats or if LeSean McCoy can break out a big run, it'll be a lot easier for the Eagles to win the game. They need to take advantage of Dallas' weak corners, much like they did in the first meeting when they blew the Cowboys out of the water.

Speaking of McCoy, he will be the biggest factor in an Eagles victory if he does what he did in the last meeting in the City of Brotherly Love. McCoy rushed for 185 yards and scored two touchdowns. 

It all comes down to LeSean. When he rushes for over 100 yards, the Eagles are 5-1 this season. 

Secondly, the Eagles need to put an immense amount of pressure on Tony Romo. Jason Babin will need to put a few licks on Romo and force him under pressure. If he can do that, it'll make him rush his passes and perhaps throw an interception. 

Finally, the Eagles need to play with the same vigor and emotion they've been playing with the last two weeks. They know that they can still get into the playoffs and it's a very realistic possibility. Thus, they have to treat this like a playoff game, because it essentially is. 

Dallas Will Win If...

Dallas will win this game if they can stop LeSean McCoy and lay a few big-time hits on the dinged-up Mike Vick. 

McCoy can dictate the pace of the game with his speed and agility. The more success he has, the more time goes off the clock. Thus, Tony Romo doesn't get the ball as much.

Demarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff will be major factors. If they can make Vick uncomfortable and make him a non-factor, it'll be a lot easier to stop the run, because it'll become more predictable. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Felix Jones needs to be effective back. The better he runs, the more it'll open the playaction fake for Tony Romo. Once that happens, Romo becomes a dangerous threat.

Romo also needs to continue playing solid football. He definitely will bring his A-game. The question is if his running backs can match his performance and if his defense can slow down McCoy.

Oh, and if the game is close and Dan Bailey needs to kick a game-winning or tying field goal, hopefully he has a stronger backbone and isn't fazed by a timeout.

Playoff Implications

The Cowboys understand the high stakes of this game. They suffered a blowout loss last time they played this team, and they know that this will be a great way to avenge that loss. By winning this game, the Eagles' playoff hopes will be dashed. 

The Cowboys also know that if they win this game and the Giants lose to the Jets in the Meadowlands, they can win the NFC East title for the third time in five years and perhaps have a defacto bye week in Week 17, when they play a meaningless game against the Giants. 

Even if the Giants do win, the Cowboys will gain ground on the wild card if they win this game. The Atlanta Falcons are playing a tough game against the New Orleans Saints this week, while the Detroit Lions still have to play the Green Bay Packers.

So there remains a distinct possibility that the Cowboys win the wild card even if the Giants win the division in Week 17.

For the Eagles, the playoffs started two weeks ago. They need to win this game, hope the Jets beat the Giants, win next week and hope the Giants beat the Cowboys so that there is a three-way tie at 8-8. The Eagles will win the tiebreaker and advance to the playoffs.

This scenario is eerily possible, and the Eagles know that they need to continue their solid play.  

What Will Happen

Michael Vick's playing style has never been sustainable. It's easy for him to get hurt with that reckless style. The Eagles are off a short week, and Vick has been banged up all season long. 

The Cowboys pass rush, being as strong as it is, will get to Vick a few times, and that may be enough to make him ineffective.

LeSean McCoy will be up for a tough test, too. Even though he ran for a season-high 185 yards against the Cowboys last time, it'll be difficult to replicate that performance at Dallas. The Cowboys defense has watched film, and they've improved in that department. They are now seventh in the league in rushing defense.

The biggest factor will be the Dallas offense, though.

First off, Felix Jones has been on fire as of late. Philadelphia's rushing defense is mediocre at best and could probably be worse if they didn't give great field position to opposing teams because of turnovers. This limits the amount of yards a team can get against them because they're getting a shorter field to work with.

Once Jones gets it going, it makes Tony Romo's job a lot easier. Forget Tony Romo's December record. He's playing his best football right now. Since his last game against the Eagles, he's thrown 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

His wide receivers, Dez Bryant, Laurent Robinson and Miles Austin, are healthy, and he will be looking to exploit the Eagles defense.

Since the game is at home and Dallas is a 5-2 home team, expect them to be more comfortable and bounce back with a victory against the Eagles. 

Prediction

The Eagles go up early, but Dallas regroups and wins the game 28-10.