FRISCO, Texas – How about my quick Cowboys-Eagles historical primer, having witnessed this NFC East matchup twice a year over the past 40-some seasons, reinforcing you just never know when these two teams come together.
How 'bout we start with the 1987 strike year when the Cowboys, in the second of three "replacement player" games with Cowboys head coach Tom Landry irritating Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan to no end by calling a surprising first-quarter trick play, a Kelvin Edwards wide receiver reverse that went for a 62-yard touchdown. Then Ryan getting his revenge two weeks later in the first game back after the players strike concluded with the Eagles leading the Cowboys 30-20 in the final minute and taking over after a Cowboys failed fourth-down attempt at the Dallas 36, the Cowboys out of timeouts.
Well, with the clock running, Ryan had quarterback Randall Cunningham take a knee twice, seemingly intent on running out the final seconds of the sure victory. But with 11 seconds left, Ryan instructed Cunningham from the 33-yard line to fake taking a knee and throw for the end zone with intentional payback on his mind. End-zone pass interference, of course, worth 32 yards to the 1, game basically over. But with two seconds left, ol' Buddy rubs it in, Keith Byers running for the touchdown in a "take-that Tom" moment.
Then 1989, the Bounty Bowl, the Cowboys and first-time NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson accusing Ryan of paying a bounty to the Eagles player who could take out Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman or knock out Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas on Thanksgiving. Their first meeting that season, the Eagles easily won, 27-0. So in the rematch two games later at The Vet, the Eagles beating the Cowboys again, 20-10, Philadelphia fans began showering the Cowboys players with snowballs – some yellow, and let your imagination wonder why – and other snowballs reportedly loaded with batteries. And then dumping a beer, we think, on Johnson's head as he was entering into the tunnel.
Move on to 1991, the Eagles matching a Cowboys franchise opponent record by sacking Troy Aikman 11 times in a Week 3, 24-0 shutout. But the Cowboys in Game 15, returning to the Vet with a chance to clinch a wild-card playoff berth with a win, beat the Eagles 25-13. The Cowboys took a 15-13 lead on Kelvin Martin's 85-yard, fourth-quarter punt return for a touchdown, earning the franchise's first playoff berth since the 1985 season, the victory getting the Jerry Jones-Jimmy Johnson era underway.
Then Dec. 10, 1995, the Cowboys and head coach Barry Switzer making a fourth-and-1 gamble from the Dallas 29-yard line late in a tie game. Well, Emmitt Smith getting stuffed for no gain is nullified by the 2-minute warning having already struck. Undaunted, the Cowboys ran the same play again, famously becoming known as the Load Left contest, again Smith getting stuffed, Eagles ball, the game-winning 42-yard field goal ensuing in the wanning minutes, the impetus for a "Dumber and Dumber" headline in the New York Post over pictures of Jones and Switzer.
Can't even make this stuff up.
There have been streaks in this series, the Cowboys winning 11 straight from 1967-72 and nine between 1974-78, uh, before I arrived, of course. Then the Cowboys reeling off nine of 10 victories between 1992-96 and the Eagles 10 of 12 wins from 1999-04. And, oh, by the way, the Eagles winning the NFC East from 2001-04 for the last time an NFC East team has won the division title in back-to-back years. That long ago.
And here we go again, the Eagles now 8-2, leading the NFC East over the second place Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1) with seven to play. Cowboys-Eagles, 3:25 p.m. Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Hey, just never know, right?
• Pay The Man: That thought occurred to me during the Cowboys' 33-16 spanking over the Raiders on Monday night when George Pickens, in the final year of his contract the Cowboys inherited from the Steelers in the trade, finished with nine catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. That moved his 10-game season total to 58 catches for 908 yards and seven touchdowns, tied with Jake Ferguson behind only team touchdown-leader Javonte Williams' eight. Why, Pickens is now on pace for a 1,543.6-yard season, which would be third highest in franchise history. Now, we're aware of the salary cap implications with CeeDee Lamb already averaging $34 million a year and counting $38 million on the 2026 cap. Another such contract might become an embarrassment of riches. But somehow the Cowboys need not break up what should be considered one of the top receiving combos in the NFL. Count head coach Brian Schottenheimer on my side when asked about the possibility of getting GP re-signed, saying, "Sign me up."
• On Guard: Know for the past couple of games Cowboys Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith has been listed as "limited" in practice with a knee issue, something that had been bothering him but pushing to play through whatever was going on. Well, following the bye and last week's practices, Tyler was listed as "full" by Sunday, and was watching him warm up pregame on Monday in Las Vegas with defensive line coach Arron Whitecotton. His sets were strong. He was punching the blocking pad with strength. Moving his feet well. Was thinking, OK, that's the Pro Bowl guard back to norm. Well, he sure was against the Raiders, and so was this offensive line, center Cooper Beebe now in his third game back since spending six weeks on injured reserve with a sprained knee looking like his old self, along with rookie guard Tyler Booker, in his fourth game back since missing three straight. Smith agrees with my assessment, admitting he began feeling much better and stronger thanks to the bye, sensing this O-Line was back in sync, especially with second-year offensive tackle Tyler Guyton next to him playing one of the best games of his young career.
• "Seatbelt" Fastened: Ever since last year's fifth-round draft choice Caelen Carson earned quarterback Dak Prescott's seal of approval during training camp, seemed the rookie had lost some momentum during the season, dealing with a shoulder injury in need of postseason surgery to repair a rotator cuff, along with some cleanup repairs. Carson missed most of the offseason workouts this year rehabbing, and then in training camp suffered a sprained knee, starting the season on injured reserve for six weeks before being activated for special teams play for the next two weeks. Well, Carson started Monday night against the Raiders at cornerback, somewhat of a surprise to him, though saying he took first-team reps for the first time this past week in practice. Not only started but played every single one of those 60 defensive snaps, admitting "I didn't realize that" until postgame, the most in his NFL career since a 94.7 percentgame last year in the fourth of his five starts. Best part, "Seatbelt" played well, Schottenheimer saying of Carson he is one of those players he tells, "If you've earned the right for an opportunity, you've got to maximize the opportunity." Consider that done, betting Carson starts again Sunday against the Eagles.
• After Thoughts: With the Cowboys activating Perrion Winfrey off injured reserve/return, that move represents their sixth of the allotted eight permitted, meaning they only have two left with potential candidates now being Trevon Diggs, Phil Marfa and Jack Sanborn, mostly depending on need … This stat caught me by surprise, Dak Prescott owning a 21-2 record when facing NFC East opponents at AT&T Stadium. And remember, even though the Eagles have a three-game winning streak against the Cowboys, Dak did not play in either of the two meetings last season after tearing his hamstring tendon away from the bone … In fact, Dak has beaten the Eagles six of seven times in his career, including the past five times straight at AT&T Stadium, his only loss during the 2017 season … And his only other home loss against a division opponent occurred during his 2016 NFL debut, losing to the Giants in the season opener of that 13-3 season, with two of those losses coming to the Giants and the other at Philly in the meaningless final game of the season.
And for this week's final word, going to turn to Cowboys newcomer Quinnen Williams. When asked if he's ever faced Eagles quarterback and former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts' now famous "tush-push" short-yardage play, he had a somewhat surprising answer of no, since he spent the first six-and-a-half seasons of his career in the AFC with the Jets.
"It's a cool play the Eagles do on second-and-short or third-and short or fourth-and-short, but I've never been against it," Williams said. "Never been against it, so I hope we have a great game plan. I know we got a good game plan to be able to stop it."
How about any team that's tried to snap the ball to the quarterback under center getting shoved by several players from behind with the offensive line burrowing forward?
"Nah," said Williams. "Well, Buffalo usually does a quarterback sneak, but they got Josh Allen, so they don't need all the extra help. So I never had or got coached up or anything to stop it, so I'll be excited to see the game plan, excited to go against it, excited to be able to try and stop it."
And we'll be excited to see the bulk in the middle the Cowboys can pose with the 6-3, 303-pound Williams at defensive tackle, neighbors to the 6-3, 314 Kenny Clark, possibly the 6-2, 340 rookie Jay Toia and maybe the addition of the 6-4, 290 Winfrey, along with possibly the leaping ability over the top of athletic linebackers DeMarvion Overshown, possibly Shemar James and Kennth Murray.
As Drew Pearson is wont to say, "Hut-hut."
