DALLAS: The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles meet today in a showdown of NFL divisional co-leaders with four other clubs fighting for play-off spots also on the US Thanksgiving holiday slate.
In addition to the Cowboys-Eagles matchup of 8-3 teams for the NFC East lead, reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle will visit San Francisco and Detroit will play host to Chicago in nationally televised games. The champion Seahawks and 49ers are both 7-4, two games behind NFC West leader Arizona, and trailing in the wildcard play-off fight by tie-breakers to Detroit, which at 7-4 is one game behind NFC North leader Green Bay.
“Guys really understand the sense of urgency that’s needed in this part of the season,” 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin said. “We just feel like we are in the playoffs. That’s our mindset. We feel like we have got to win at any cost.”
The Dallas-Philadelphia loser will suffer a setback but the teams meet again on December 14 at Philadelphia and the divisional fight could last into the final weekend of the year and season.
The Cowboys have a home-field edge but are coming off a victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night, giving them a short rest for the mid-week matchup.
“The excitement that comes with this can override how tired you are,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witen said. “It’s a great opportunity for us. You have to get through it and move forward. You’re going to be tired regardless. You have to find a way to get through it and move on to the next one. That’s the focus.
“You love to play in these games. You just have to make sure you get yourself ready to play.”
The Cowboys could still be on a roll from their triumph, Dallas defensive end Jerome Mincey said.
“Sometimes it’s good to play games closer together,” he said. “Your wind is up because you just played a game. We look forward to the challenge. We know what we’re up against.”
That would be an emotional Eagles team coming off a 43-24 rout of Tennessee.
“Eagles-Cowboys games always seem to have something special going on and the fact that this year we’re both 8-3, yeah, we know it’s big,” Eagles safety Chris Maragos said. “We know what’s at stake,” Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin said. “I know the fans are going crazy.”
The Cowboys feature the NFL’s leading rusher in DeMarco Murray, with 1,354 yards in 11 games, and a consistent pass threat in Tony Romo and receiver Dez Bryant.
“We’ve got to stop Murray, because they’re going to try and run the ball,” said Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham. “We’re just trying to hold him down so we can win. That’s the biggest thing.”
The 49ers, who face a home rematch with the Seahawks in two weeks, need a fourth consecutive victory to gain an edge on Seattle in the wildcard fight and as they try to catch Arizona, a team the Seahawks beat 19-3 last Sunday. AFP
