NFL Friday: Eagles look to end long-standing run in Dallas
The Cowboys have owned Philadelphia at home
Two ghosts already exorcized this season, the Philadelphia Eagles will try for a third Sunday when they travel to Dallas to face their NFC East rival Cowboys in NFL action.
If they accomplish that feat, then a fourth ghost looms on the horizon for Nick Sirianni’s team.
OK, what’s all this talk about ghosts?
The Eagles have lost six straight games in Dallas. Their last win there came in 2017 when they also won their first, and only, Super Bowl. Sirianni is 0-3 in the Big D as head coach of the Eagles and has been outscored by Mike McCarthy’s teams, 113-68 in those three games.
If the Eagles are ever going to end that streak this would likely be the time. The team is playing well, with four straight wins to get to 6-2 after a 2-2 start. And the Cowboys (3-5) appear to be a mess and will be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott, who tore his hamstring in last Sunday’s loss in Atlanta.
And if the Eagles do win, as mentioned it wouldn’t be the first ghost exorcized this season.
Sirianni Speaks
“Yeah, you’re always eager to get out there and win the next football game,’’ Sirianni said when asked about never winning in Dallas. “I think the way I feel about the team – obviously, we haven’t won there since I’ve been here. I kind of look at this the same way as New Orleans. Same question was provided for us in New Orleans. ‘Hey, you guys haven’t won there since whenever.’ Merrill (Reese, the team’s long-time radio voice) made it very clear that we hadn’t won in Cincinnati ever with the awesome voice he has.
“And that doesn’t mean anything to us. Unless it was something like the weather or the dome, we’ve just got to go out there and play a good game against a good football team. And handle their crowd and their noise and things we do for any football game. We’re treating this week like every other week. We’re looking to get better this week to give ourselves the best chance to win against a really good opponent.’’
The Eagles came from behind to beat the Saints in New Orleans earlier this season. It was their first win in the Big Easy since 2007. And as Sirianni pointed out the Eagles had never won in Cincinnati (0-4-1) before beating the Bengals there two weeks ago.
Will the Eagles end their third streak this week?
They are 7 1/2-point favorites to do so. And if they do, they will face another history lesson.
A win over the Cowboys would give them a 7-2 record on the season. Here’s what happened the last four times the Eagles were 7-2:
2014 — finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs.
1996 — finished 10-6 and lost the wild-card game.
1994 — finished 7-9 in the worst collapse in NFL history.
1981 — finished 10-6 and lost in the wild-card game.
AROUND THE NFL
Rookie quarterbacks have a 17-16 record as NFL starters so far this season. …The Falcons are 4-0 in the division and 6-3 overall. It’s their best start since 2016 when they went to the Super Bowl. …The Giants are favored by 6 over the Panthers in Germany, Sunday. It’s the first time the Giants have been favored in 24 games. The last time was week two last season against the Cardinals. The Panthers? It’s their 30th straight game as an underdog.
