November 14, 2017
Things are going to get uncomfortable for fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Philadelphia sports fans in general.
Like it or not, the Eagles are in the process of taking over the title of America’s Team and they are going to take the fanbase along for the ride. It couldn’t come at a better time as the Eagles head to Dallas for a Sunday night game against the Cowboys.
Already in control of the NFC East, the Eagles can further bury any long-shot dream the Cowboys have of getting back in the race. The Cowboys are coming off a week in which they were taken apart in Atlanta, and what’s left of their behind is likely going to be whipped by the Eagles.
The Eagles will go into Dallas with most football fans across the nation hoping to see an old-fashioned beatdown, with the Cowboys left in a trace of silver dust across the field.
The Cowboys will be playing their second consecutive game without running back Ezekiel Elliott, who has left the country to work out during the final five games of his on again/off again six-game suspension. The league's rushing leader as a rookie last year, Elliott is the driving force in the Dallas offense.
Making matters worse, the Cowboys have been without All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith. His absence led to a horror show in Atlanta, and his replacement Chaz Green was played for the chump as edge rusher Adrian Clayborn terrorized Dak Prescott for six sacks.
Nobody feels bad for the Cowboys, and for those whining about injuries they might consider that the Eagles are missing a left tackle who just happens to be a legend, Jason Peters, who is every bit as big a part of their line as Smith. Among others, the Eagles have also had to replace Darren Sproles and Jordan Hicks.
The Eagles’ front office has managed to make up for injuries, and the team has survived with a next-man-up philosophy. Then again, that would include just about any man except quarterback Carson Wentz who just gets better and better.
Wentz, along with Prescott and Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams, is also starting to turn heads around the league as the leader of a Generation Next among quarterbacks.
It appears these three are headed toward careers that will match the head-to-head competition between quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.
Wentz has it all, and on top of that he appears to be a kid who will be worthy of people wearing his jersey. In fairness, Prescott also appears to be the same quality individual, but he is surrounded by a mess in Dallas.
Yep, if you take a look at what is going on in Dallas, you will see why the Eagles will be the fan favorite when they take on the Cowboys. In addition to regularly adding some questionable characters to their roster, the Cowboys are also in the crosshairs of the NFL as owner Jerry Jones is involved in a feud with commissioner Roger Goodell.
For most fans outside of Dallas, this is a tough call in terms of rooting interest. The commissioner is still unpopular dating back to the days of Spygate, then chasing Brady round-and-round the room in Deflategate, then the Ray Rice mess, the national anthem controversy, all the way to the Elliott decision.
Jones has decided to try and take down the king, and since the coup has been made public Goodell has been the subject of stories involving compensation for a new contract that demands $50 million per season, the use of a private jet for life and all sorts of other perks. It seems like disgusting excess, and then you realize Jones is the king of disgusting excess and he has gotten rich on the television money bartered between Goodell and the networks.
Then again, Goodell doesn’t have a team on the field, and you don’t get the joy of seeing him in the owner’s box when his team is losing.
That will be the joy on Sunday if the Eagles dispose of the Cowboys on their own field. It won’t just be the end of the losing game for the Cowboys – it will be the unofficial end of their season.
And here is the kicker – it won’t just be Philadelphia and Eagles fans that will be howling with delight. Nope – except for that odd band of Cowboy fans outside of Dallas, there will be a far greater cheer that Dallas has gone down – and the Eagles have continued on their way toward a huge payoff in the playoffs.
Forget about all that stuff about Santa Claus, and the jail in the lowest levels of the old Veterans Stadium.
It’s a new day for the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans as they and their quarterback have turned into one of the most popular shows in the NFL.
