NFL

Predicting the NFC East Winner

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By @Bigwoolf5

Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles

Matthew Emmons-USA Today Sports

The NFC East has been a two-horse race for quite some time. On Thanksgiving afternoon, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys in convincing fashion and seem to be in the driver’s seat to take home the division title.

The Eagles have about every advantage you could think of at this point. They are 3-0 in the division, have two home games left compared to Dallas’ one and they play the Cowboys at home in Week 15. Both teams have one remaining game against a current playoff team, other than their matchup against each other. The Eagles will take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14 and the Cowboys take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16.

The schedule is definitely in favor of the Eagles, but the fact that the next head-to-head matchup between the two teams is in Philadelphia is huge as well. The Eagles have yet to lose a home game this year and haven’t lost a home game overall since Week 8 of the 2013 season.

Even if the Eagles were to lose at home to the Cowboys they would still have the advantage of division record. The Cowboys have already lost two division games, while the Eagles have yet to lose one. The Eagles still have to play the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants on the road in the final two weeks of the season, but those are two of the worst teams in the league.

Based on talent and personnel you would think that the Cowboys would have the advantage just based on quarterbacks. Tony Romo is a much more accomplished quarterback than Mark Sanchez and is having a really good season. But Chip Kelly has made losing his starting quarterback Nick Foles to a broken collarbone a distant memory. Foles was having a bad year anyway, and Sanchez has filled in and done a really nice  job.

DeMarco Murray was in the early MVP discussion, and although his MVP candidacy has started to fade, he is still on pace for close to 2,000 rushing yards and the Cowboys might have the best offensive line in the NFL. The Eagles, on the other hand, have had trouble with their offensive line all year, but they are beginning to come around and open up holes for LeSean McCoy.

At this point both teams are very similar talent wise; it just comes down to remaining schedule and what has already happened. The Eagles’ win on Thanksgiving was huge, and while they still aren’t guaranteed of anything, the division is now theirs to lose. Even if the Eagles were to lose to the Cowboys in their second matchup but win their other three games, they would still win the division.

Both teams may very well end up making the playoffs, but at this point the Eagles are playing really well and have everything going for them to take their second straight NFC East crown.

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