Eagles Vs. Cowboys: 5 Things To Know Before Sunday's Huge Game

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- As the Eagles try to keep their playoff hopes alive, they head down to Dallas Sunday for a huge matchup with their arch rival Cowboys.

Here are five things to know ahead of the big game.

The whole season is on the line

This has been the case for three weeks running now, ever since the Eagles fell to 4-6. Since then, they've squeaked by the Giants and soundly defeated the Redskins, giving themselves at least a fighting chance at defending their Super Bowl championship.

The Eagles won't be mathematically eliminated if they lose, but they'd need to rely on other teams losing in order to advance. With the number of teams holding similar records in the Wild Card hunt, their best chance at making the playoffs is winning the division outright.

Stopping the Cowboys' running game

The Eagles defense has been a make-or-break factor in the 2018 season. They've been handicapped by numerous injuries, particularly in the secondary. Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones, Jalen Mills, and Avonte Maddox have all missed time. Josh Adams, Jordan Hicks, and Michael Bennett, crucial pieces of that defense, all missed practice this week.

The Eagles do have a weakened secondary, but the Cowboys do not have a strong passing game, ranking only 24th in passing yards and 27th in total yards.

Comparatively, led by star Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys have one of the NFL's best running games. They're 6th in rushing yards, putting up 131.5 per game. Rush defense is the Eagles strength. It will be interesting to watch two relative weaknesses and strengths battle. The fact that the Cowboys do not put huge points up on the board should be comforting to Eagles fans.

Both teams have momentum

The Eagles have won two in a row and the Cowboys have won four in a row. The Cowboys are coming off a bye week after the beat one of the few midseason Super Bowl favorites, the New Orleans Saints. They managed to completely shut down Drew Brees, holding him to 127 yards passing en route to a 13-10 upset.

An Eagles win would put both squads tied at 7-6 for first place in the NFC East, with just three games left to play.

The unstoppable Zach Ertz

During Monday night's showdown with the Redskins, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz broke the Eagles franchise single season reception record for a tight end, putting him at 93 on the season. There's still four weeks to play.

He needs just 18 more catches on the year to break Jason Witten's all time record for a tight end in a single season.

If Carson Wentz starts picking apart the Cowboys secondary, look for Ertz to be at the heart of it.

Cowboys lead the all time rivalry and this season

The Cowboys beat the Eagles back on Nov. 11 in their first matchup of the year, meaning that if the Eagles lose but manage to tie the Cowboys for the division lead, the Cowboys would have the advantage. The Cowboys lead the all time rivalry 67-52.

Game Details

Time: 4:25 p.m.

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

TV: Fox

Odds: Cowboys by 3.5, per OddsShark

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images