The Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys have combined for 13 NFC East titles since 2000 with the Eagles producing eight and Dallas collecting five.
Just as it will be Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, it isn't uncommon for the NFC East to go through Dallas or Philadelphia.
One of those times was Nov. 8, 2009. The Eagles were 5-2 and coming off of a 40-17 trouncing of the New York Giants. The Cowboys shook off a rusty 2-2 start to win three in a three in a row and had fourth-year receiver Mile Austin blossom along the way.
The Cowboys were headed back to the scene of a massacre. On Dec. 28, 2008, the Eagles embarrassed Dallas 44-6 to earn the final wild-card playoff spot in the NFC. Jokes were made the entire offseason.
Coach Wade Phillips should have been fired. Cowboys Radio Network color commentator Babe Laufenberg had a week-long series over the summer on another channel answering the Metroplex's question of whether Tony Romo was a franchise quarterback. Philadelphia rocked the Cowboys' word.
And, now, they were returning on Sunday Night Football. Michael Irvin said the week before the game that the Cowboys needed to go to Lincoln Financial Field and "get their man back." If they did, they would cast off a demon and also take first place in the NFC East after eight games.
Dallas picked up one first down on the game's opening drive and punted it away. The Eagles tried to use their big-play receivers in Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson to open up the offense, but the second such pass intended for Maclin was intercepted by Dallas free agent safety Gerald Sensabaugh.
With favorable field position at the Philadelphia 37-yard line, the Cowboys needed to make the drive count. On a third-and-9 from the Eagles' 23-yard line, Romo hit undrafted rookie receiver Kevin Ogletree for a 21-yard gain. On first-and-goal, from the wildcat, running back Tashard Choice ran up the middle for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead after the extra point.
Philadelphia and Dallas traded three-and-outs, and then their drives were locked into struggles that hardly moved the football. Some of it was due to penalties. For instance, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb had a 20-yard pass to receiver Jason Avant. However, it was short of the line to gain on third-and-23.
The Dallas defense was showing up to play. On a third-and-9 from the Dallas 17, nose tackle Jay Ratliff strafed the Eagles' offensive line and dropped McNabb for a 10-yard loss to force a 45-yard David Akers field goal with 11:42 until halftime. The Eagles would add another Akers field goal with 1:42 until the break and chip into the Cowboys' lead, 7-6.
Perhaps that would have been the halftime score, but Patrick Crayton provided a 64-yard reception on a second-and-10 from the Dallas 19 that flipped the field and put Dallas in the red zone with 40 seconds and both of their timeouts. Romo taking a sack on the ensuing play and forcing the use of one of those timeouts didn't help, but Ogletree was clutch again as he caught a 17-yard pass on a third-and-14 to give Dallas first-and-goal from the 4-yard line with 20 seconds in the half. The Eagles got off lucky as the Cowboys settled for a 22-yard Nick Folk field goal and a 10-6 halftime lead.
Coming out of the locker room, the Eagles wasted no time with the second half's opening possession. Rookie running back LeSean McCoy caught a 45-yard pass to set up McNabb's 11-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek to cap off a six-play, 73-yard drive. Philadelphia led 13-10 with 11:40 in the third quarter.
The Cowboys had good field position at their own 35-yard line, and their methodical drive, aided by an Asante Samuel taunting penalty, got them a first-and-10 at the Eagles' 33-yard line. However, Romo threw an interception to cornerback Sheldon Brown that obliterated the promising rejoinder to the Eagles' scoring drive.
Philadelphia and Dallas traded punts, and then the Eagles had the ball first-and-10 from their own 23 with 2:10 to go in the third quarter. McNabb was looking for Maclin, but second-year cornerback Mike Jenkins picked off McNabb. A face mask penalty pushed the ball up to the Eagles' 42-yard line, and Dallas had a promising drive to take the lead.
It seemed that they would as Romo connected with receiver Roy Williams for 22 yards. However, the Cowboys didn't pick up another first down, and Folk's 33-yard field goal evened the score 13-13 with 14:46 left in the game.
The Eagles offense seemed to have found a rhythm, too. On a third-and-12 from their own 21, McNabb found Maclin for a 15-yard gain. McNabb hit Jackson for nine yards the very next play.
However, Philadelphia had trouble picking up this one yard from the Dallas 45-yard line. They tried giving it to McCoy off left tackle and right end, but for no gain. Then, McNabb and his 6-4, 240-pound frame was unable to sneak over the pile. The chains proved the Eagles were short, and referee Walt Coleman signaled first down Dallas. However, Eagles coach Andy Reid sent him under the hood to take a look at the original spot. Coleman upheld the ruling on the field, and Philadelphia lost a timeout along with possession.
What was exciting about Austin in 2009 was his ability to turn virtually any reception into a chunk play or possibly a score. Defenders described tackling the 6-3, 216-pound wideout as tackling a running back. On a third-and-14 from the Eagles' 49, a relatively quiet Austin, who had three targets and zero production at that point in the game, caught a 49-yard pass that gave the Cowboys a 20-13 lead after the extra point with 7:37 to go in the game.
Philadelphia got the ball back at their own 36-yard line. They had plenty of time to respond to the Dallas score, and they were slowly chipping away at it. However, on a third-and-10 from the Dallas 33, rookie outside linebacker Victor Butler sacked McNabb for a loss of one. Instead of going for it on fourth-and-11, Reid sent out Akers for a 52-yard field goal. It wasn't that Akers couldn't make it; he did to cut into Dallas' lead 20-16. It's that the Eagles burned two of their timeouts midway through the third quarter.
As such, when Dallas got the ball back, they fed running back Marion Barber for 16, six, and one. On a third-and-3 with 2:02 in the game, they put the ball in Romo's hands, and he found Witten's hands for a 5-yard gain to close out the contest, give Dallas a 6-2 record, and first place in the division at the halfway point of a season that would see Dallas beat the Eagles three times, including in the wild card round as NFC East champs.
Sunday's game with the Eagles won't be for first place midway through the season, but first place with a game remaining. For Dallas, a win clinches the division, while a win for Philadelphia gives them a fast track to win the NFC East, but they have to pair it with a week 17 win against the New York Giants.
Lincoln Financial Field isn't a house of Cowboys horrors anymore. In fact, they have the best record of any division rival in the joint at 10-6. If Dallas adds No. 11, they will collect their 25th division title.
Will the Cowboys be able to pull off the season sweep in 2019 a decade after pulling off the feat in 2009? Share your thoughts and memories with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
