The Cowboys are one of the NFL's hottest teams right now, winning four of the last five games. The Eagles have also won four out of five, but it's more like 10 out of 11 considering they lost for the first time on Sunday to break a 10-game winning streak.
The big question mark for the Eagles is the health of QB Jalen Hurts. Will they have to turn to their backup Kenny Pickett? The Cowboys know that feeling, considering Cooper Rush will make his eighth start of the season. He's 9-4 overall as a starter but 0-2 against the Eagles.
The Cowboys are 7-8 and need two wins to close out the season to earn a winning record for Mike McCarthy, who is still coaching for a new contract. Has he already done enough?
Here's how the staff writers see Sunday's game going as they make their final predictions:
Patrik: Ah, Grinch SZN feels spectacular, doesn't it? With nothing to play for other than being the villain and spoiling playoff odds and seeding for their final few opponents, the Cowboys went out and did exactly what I hoped they would against the Bucs. Now come the Eagles, and they need this win to help their odds of taking the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and then likely resting their starters in the finale but, no sir, I am not here for that or a sweep. Much like last week, there's little that works in favor of the Cowboys heading into this matchup and some will likely predict a sweep on Sunday afternoon. I could see why.
But given how the defense has gone full Thanos over the past month or so and in how CeeDee Lamb's gutsiness is helping Cooper Rush and the offense to heat up, plus the offensive line protecting well, this feels like one the Cowboys really want to take from the Eagles. And given Micah Parsons' recent, ahem, colorful comments about the rival near his hometown of Harrisburg, count me in for yet another massive upset and a smile from me that'll rival John McClane's (Die Hard is a Christmas movie, by the way). Happy new year, you Philthy animals. 27-20, Cowboys
Tommy: The Cowboys losing CeeDee Lamb for this game is an absolute gut punch. He has 59 more receptions and 712 more yards than Dallas' next leading receiver this season, with a good chunk of that coming while playing with one good shoulder. Pair that with an Eagles defense that has playmakers everywhere and held the Cowboys to six points in their first meeting this season, and things are starting to look gloomy in this game. Dallas' path to victory is making this a defensive game, something Micah Parsons predicted earlier this week.
With Philadelphia trending towards playing without Jalen Hurts, getting pressure on Kenny Pickett and trying to force him into some mistakes would be the ideal situation for the Cowboys. That's all well and good, but the Eagles also have Saquon Barkley, who can nullify all of that as he chases Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record. I think the Eagles will be a bit too much to handle in this game. Eagles 24, Cowboys 10
Nick: My gut tells me this is going to be an odd game. I think the weather is going to be a big factor in this. I have a feeling at halftime, people in the press box will be complaining over the type of game we're watching because it might not be the most entertaining game of all time. Then again, that happened in Washington when the game was 3-3 at the break. It turned out to be one of the wildest rollercoaster rides of the season. So I'm guessing it'll be something like that - a slow start, especially if it's Pickett vs. Rush.
The Eagles will try to feed Barkley all day, which isn't a terrible strategy regardless who is the quarterback. I think the Cowboys defense will continue to play well. But because the Cowboys seem to be holding the white flag - maybe they're not waving it yet - but they're holding it, and the Eagles are fighting to win the division and a first-round bye, I see Philly holding on to a win. It'll be a weird game, but I'll pick the Eagles 19-14.
Kyle Youmans: The win against Tampa Bay last week proved many things, including that this Cowboys team will fight down to the final whistle in 2024. This team will fight for this game despite their playoff hopes being deleted, and they'll relish the chance to play spoiler.
However, in this NFC East rivalry, only one team truly has something tangible to play for. That's the Philadelphia Eagles, fighting for playoff seeding and momentum going into the NFC Playoffs. After the Cowboys lose another All-Pro (CeeDee Lamb) for the final two games, I think they lose the game as well. Especially against one of the best teams in football. It pains me to say it, Eagles 31-21
Mickey Spagnola: Until about 3 p.m. on Thursday, thought the Cowboys might have a good chance of taking down what was predictably going to be the Jalen Hurts-less Eagles. After all, they now are going to start their backup quarterback, too, one with far less starting experience than Cowboys backup Cooper Rush. But then came the sobering revelation CeeDee Lamb will be out for the final two games, allowing his painfully sprained A.C. joint to rest and start some serious rehab. Compounding his absence is no. 3 receiver Jalen Tolbert trying to play through the compound dislocation of the lefthand pinky finger, likely trying to play with that finger and his ring finger next door wrapped together. And if that were not enough, even though Philly will be starting backup QB Kenny Pickett, Cowboys starting backup cornerback Amani Oruwariye has been listed as "out" for Sunday's game, and with Trevon Diggs and Josh Butler already on IR, the Cowboys will be playing with only two of their considered top five corners. Not a good deal when facing Eagles receivers such as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Heaven help the Cowboys.
