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ARLINGTON, Texas – If the Dallas Cowboys want to have any chance of repeating as NFC East champions then they must beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. The last time the division had a repeat winner was in 2003-04 when Andy Reid was coaching in Philadelphia. Like last year with the Cowboys, the Eagles, owners of the NFL’s best record, are poised to go from worst in the NFC East to first. The Cowboys already have lost more games in nine games than they did all of last season, but they want to show they are much better than the team that was pummeled by the Atlanta Falcons, 27-7, in Ezekiel Elliott’s first game out because of a suspension. “It’s a rival, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard to say anytime you’re playing the Eagles it’s just another game,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “We know the importance of this rivalry especially when they’re playing the way that they’re playing, people counting us out or whatever you want us to say, people claiming them to be the best team. It puts a little more into this rivalry, and we’re ready to go. We’re ready for it.” A loss and the Cowboys would drop to 5-5 with four of the losses in the conference, which could play a big part in tie-breaking scenarios later on in the season. A win would keep the Cowboys’ division hopes alive but more importantly give them hope they can succeed without Elliott.  Two-headed monster: With Sean Lee out because of a hamstring strain, the Cowboys have to figure out a way to slow down the run. They didn’t do it in the full games he missed earlier in the year against the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. They didn’t do it after he went out last week against Atlanta.
LeGarrette Blount leads the Eagles with 504 yards, but they recently traded for Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins. In his 17-snap performance in his first game he had 77 yards on eight carries and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos. “Just a really good player, very productive in college, very productive in his time in Miami, hasn’t played very much for Philadelphia but certainly has made his presence known in a short period of time,” coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s the back that you remember when he was wearing a different jersey. He can make people miss. He’s a big, strong, hard guy to bring down and he’s a playmaker. He moves the ball, moves the chains. He does a really good job for them, adds a really good complement to the players they have at that position.” Block them up: A week after the Cowboys allowed eight sacks of Prescott to the Atlanta Falcons, including six by Adrian Clayborn, they will see a better pass rush on Sunday night. Oh, and Tyron Smith is questionable to play at best. If Smith doesn’t play then Byron Bell will play left tackle with Chaz Green, who started vs. the Falcons, as the backup. The Eagles have 25 sacks on the season, led by Brandon Graham’s five. Fletcher Cox has 4.5, but the Eagles have a deep pass rush with the likes of Vinny Curry, Chris Long and Derek Barnett also having the ability to get to the quarterback. “I can’t say the best we’ll face,” center Travis Frederick said. “I would say it’s definitely one of the best. Every pass rush is a little bit different, but these guys are incredibly physical and they’re going to come off and really try to attack up the field. They’re going to use their power moves to set up as well and get you to lean and go to their speed moves.” The ref: Bill Vinovich and his crew have called 12 penalties on average per game. Since 2012, Vinovich has worked six Cowboys games and Dallas has a 4-2 record in those contests, including a Week 2 win last year at Washington. In the six games, the Cowboys have been flagged 30 times for 282 yards, while their opponents have been flagged 41 times for 318 yards. Last week Vinovich’s crew had just five penalties and called just one in the second half. Here is the breakdown of their work in the Minnesota Vikings’ win against the Washington Redskins.
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