IRVING, Texas - Whether you've already penciled in Miles Austin for a Pro Bowl spot and the Cowboys' next franchise receiver, or you have more of a "wait-and-see" approach before anointing him into the Ring of Honor, we should find out a little more about No. 19 this weekend.
Austin has been riding the wave that California surfers could only dream of here in the last three weeks. You wonder if it's going to end, or if this Cinderella story just keeps getting better and better.
But Sunday night in Philadelphia should be quite a test. Doesn't matter what side of the field Austin lines up on, he'll see a quality cornerback. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown have eight picks between them. They're physical, they're smart and they know how to take receivers out of their game.
As great as Austin has been here in the last month, he'll never have a better chance to prove himself even more than Sunday night in Philly.
For some of you, Miles Austin has already done enough. His 250-yard game in Kansas City, followed by a 171-yard effort against Atlanta, along with yet another touchdown last week, his fifth in three games as a starter, has people convinced that he's the real deal.
Others, and I think we all know that I've put myself in this group, are still a little more hesitant before calling him the next star. It's not that Austin hasn't been impressive - that's not even the right word. What Austin has done has been remarkable, and not just because of who he is, where he came from and what he's done - or hasn't done - so far in his career.
If Jerry Rice went for 250, 171 and 61 in three games with five touchdowns, and it all occurred in a preseason game no less, it would still be quite a feat.
Clearly, I was wrong when I said the Cowboys should hold off a little bit before putting Austin in the starting lineup. I figured you could still accomplish what you wanted to - get him the ball more - without making an official lineup change or announcement. As it turned out, Patrick Crayton seemed to benefit from the demotion. That chip on his shoulder that's been there for five years grew even bigger and he turned it into a positive, playing his best football, both on offense and special teams the last two weeks.
So starting Austin when they did, while it seemed like a knee-jerk reaction, it was the right one. Sometimes your knees know best.
What I don't back down from is the hesitance to crown him just yet. Maybe it's the fact that he's only done it now for a handful of games. Or maybe it's the fact that he hasn't really faced stout defenses yet. You can call it "hating" if you want, but let's be honest that Kansas City, Atlanta and Seattle have all been injury-riddled at cornerback. That's just a fact. Then again, they're playing other teams and other "Miles Austin-types" who aren't producing record-setting performances. So it goes both ways.
Or maybe there's yet another reason why I'm not convinced that Austin has "arrived" yet. And it has nothing to do with Austin. Forgive me, but I've seen Jeff Ogden, Jason Tucker, Patrick Jeffers, Reggie Swinton, Damon Hodge, Chris Brazzell, Antonio Bryant and even Sam Hurd. We've seen some guys dazzle us for a moment, only to fade away.
Now, let's be fair. No one has done it like Austin has in these three games. Not a Cowboys player, or any NFL receiver for that matter. No one has produced 482 yards in his first three starts in the history of the league.
Please, let's not take away what Austin has done. Let's just embrace it here and congratulate him, and not try to put any more pressure on the guy than necessary.
All that being said, Austin has a good chance to collect a few more on his bandwagon this week in Philly.
Rip through the Chiefs secondary for 250 yards and two touchdowns and you get on the map. Then you piggyback that game with another 171 against the Falcons in a huge test for the Cowboys, and Austin now becomes a shining star. Then he keeps it going against the Seahawks and the momentum is starting to build.
But just what happens if he lights up the Eagles Sunday night at the Linc? Say Austin gets another 100-yard game and does so on national TV, beating the Eagles cornerback duo of Samuel and Brown. If that happens, coupled with a Cowboys win, Miles Austin won't just be on top of the world. He'll own it.
Trust me when I say that I hope it happens. This is a great story. If you think about it, it's not that different than what Tony Romo did and continues to do. An undrafted guy who gets a chance, but has to sit and learn for a while. Finally, his time arrives and he explodes.
It's an exciting time for him and the Cowboys and certainly their fans. You can understand why they jump the gun with hope that a stud receiver has fallen directly in their lap. After the way Michael Irvin's career ended, Joey Galloway never panned out as expected, and guys like Terry Glenn, Keyshawn Johnson and even Terrell Owens all had their moments. But none of them carried this team on their back. And for now, it's starting to look like Roy Williams can be placed in that category.
So you can't blame the fans for desperately wanting Austin to be the next superstar. He's a great guy, plays the game hard, but with a ton of excitement. Who wouldn't want this guy to be their superstar?
Now the jury is no longer out whether Austin can play. He proved to everyone that he's not only worthy of starting, but can be a dangerous weapon for this Cowboys offense.
What remains uncertain and likely won't be settled for the rest of this season, is if Austin truly is the consistent playmaker that he's portrayed to be.
But there won't be a better game to find that out than Sunday night in Philadelphia.
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Nick Eatman - 
