NFL
The Dallas Cowboys Just Became the World's Biggest Philadelphia Eagles Fans
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sports7 in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sports7 with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
Get to know Jack Dougherty betterUpdated28 Dec 2020
If you're a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, you'd never be caught dead rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. You're taught from an early age growing up in Dallas to hate midnight green and Philly cheesesteaks, so cheering for the Eagles would be a treasonous offense.
But Cowboys fans across the country will be breaking their sacred rule for a rare occasion this weekend. Somehow, Dallas still has a chance to make the playoffs at 6-10, but they'll need some help from their bitter rivals up north.
The Cowboys stayed in the playoff race by beating the Eagles
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After Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 against the New York Giants, Cowboys fans lost all hope of a successful 2020 season. Dallas went on to lose four straight games to fall to 2-7 on the season and seemingly fall out of the NFC playoff race.
But, luckily for the Cowboys, their division turned out to be one of the worst in the history of the NFL. The Washington Football Team currently holds a slim lead in the NFC East with a 6-9 record through 15 games. Yeah, it's that bad.
The Cowboys entered their Week 16 matchup against the Eagles still alive in the NFC East race. Dallas needed a win against their rival and a Washington loss to the Carolina Panthers to stay afloat, and that's exactly what they got.
The Panthers beat Washington 20-13, and the Cowboys handled their business with a dominant 37-17 home victory. Andy Dalton threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, and Ezekiel Elliott added 105 yards on the ground in an impressive offensive performance.
The Cowboys have now won three straight games to keep their 2020 playoff hopes alive. The NFC East all comes down to Week 17.
The NFC East is still up for grabs
The NFC East has been a mess of a division all year, but you can't say it hasn't been entertaining to watch. Washington and Dallas are tied atop the standings with 6-9 records with one game remaining, but the Football Team holds the tiebreaker.
Somehow Washington, the Cowboys, and the Giants are all still alive in the battle for the best of the worst. The scenarios are simple — if Washington wins in Week 17, it's in. If the Football Team loses, the winner of the Cowboys-Giants matchup wins the division and steals a playoff spot.
This should be fun.
The Cowboys just became the world's biggest Eagles fans
Remember what we said about Cowboys fans not being caught dead rooting for the Eagles? We'll have to give them a pass just this one time.
If Dallas wins its all-important season finale against the Giants, Cowboys fans will quickly throw down their blue star-clad gear and rummage through their closets for some midnight green. An Eagles win over Washington Sunday night would then send the Cowboys to the playoffs.
It might feel dirty for diehard Cowboys fans to root for their most bitter rival, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the teams we love. All the guilt for cheering for the Eagles will be washed away if Philadelphia gets Dallas in the postseason.
So, go birds?
