Photograph: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
As the regular season draws to a close, we’ll take a look each Friday at a game likely to affect the playoff race, along with the teams whose fortunes are rising and falling. And, so we don’t neglect the also-rans, we’ll see which teams are in the hunt for next year’s No 1 pick.
Game of the week
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) v Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
Story of the season: Sometimes the obvious choice is the right choice. The 10-2 Eagles meeting with the 9-3 Cowboys in Dallas will help decide the No 1 seed in the NFC while a melange of scenarios could result in both teams securing a playoff place. If the Eagles bounce back from last week’s humbling then their soft schedule the rest of the way puts them in the driving seat for the bye, but lose and the race is opened up considerably. The juiciest subplot is how linebacker Shaquille Leonard choosing to sign for the Eagles over the Cowboys will pique this bitter rivalry. As Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, put it, this is a “unique time”. Dallas are annoyed, Philadelphia are annoyed, sparks are going to fly.
What the Eagles need to do to win: “Please ensure that all members of your game-day staff understand that their role does not extend to being involved with game-day altercations,” read a memo to teams on Wednesday regarding Philadelphia’s head of security being ejected from the 49ers defeat. This is what can happen if a coach shows his team a rival team trash-talking about them, says to take it personally and then can’t help but run his mouth at the opposition before kickoff. Even poor Dom DiSandro tries to pick a fight with an opposing linebacker. Nick Sirianni needs to accept that while he operates successfully on such a highly-strung emotional level, thinking his team is a set of 53 Michael Jordans and will instantly respond well to such an intense atmosphere is naïve against the best. Sirianni appears to have an inferiority complex which needs to be dialed back,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-playoff-race-eagles-cowboys-115122184.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2023-12-08 11:51:22
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