Eagles Week 17 Preview

Who: Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: 4:15 PM EST
What Channel: Fox
Weather Forecast: 60 degrees with a 40% of showers
Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman (For the first time since the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, Joe Buck is back on Broad Street!)
Announcers' Talking Point of the Game: DA COWBOYS CAN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! DA COWBOYS CAN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! OFMG DALLAS CAN DO THIS! THEY CAN DO THIS!

King Leonidas (and the poor guy who got knocked into the pit of death) said it best. "THIS IS MADNESS!" "NO, THIS IS THE NFL!" Wait, what? Damn, close enough, I guess.

For the 4058th time, in order to make the playoffs, the Eagles need 3 things to happen.
1. Eagles beat Dallas. AND
2. Tampa lose to Oakland. AND
3. Either Minnesota to lose to the New York Football Giants OR Chicago to lose to the Houston

When the schedule came out at the beginning of the year, you saw Week 17 Dallas @ Eagles and you knew that it would be an all-out slobberknocker, to quote good ol' JR. And to quote Keith Jackson, whoa nelly, do we have one.

The Eagles will know before the game starts whether or not they have a chance to make the playoffs. Tampa, Minnesota, and Chicago all play at 1 and barring an exceedingly long game, the Eagles will know what they're playoff fate is. Whether or not they evan have a chance at the post-season.

But, this regardless this still could be the Eagles' game of the year. Misery loves company and the Eagles can make Jerry Jones absolutely miserable by beating Dallas. Because regardless of what happens earlier, this game will mean something for Dallas. If they win, they're in. If they can't beat the Eagles, then they are out of the playoffs.

Everyone remembers the thriller Week 2 on Monday Night Football, although I'm sure most people remember it for DeSean Jackson dropping the ball before getting in the endzone and/or Dr. Tony Kornheiser's awkward on-air apology for his bad joke comment insulting everyone of Spanish ancestry during Spanish Heritage month. But alas, there was a game played that day and that game was a thriller in Texas Stadium. Back and forth they went before Dallas picked up a win after the Eagles thought they were Boise State and attempted an epic fail hook-n' ladder.

This game won't be nearly as high-scoring though. I just don't see it happen. The Eagles defense has been downright awesome the past few weeks (that has absolutely been forgotten thanks to the futility and inconsistency of the offense) and the Cowboys offense does not have the juice they seemed to have at the beginning of the year, even with Tony Romo back in the line-up. The million dollar question in this game is this: Will the Eagles offense show-up in a sense more than the physical? If there are a bunch of brain-dead bodies on offense as was apparent last week at Washington, the Cowboys are in the playoffs, regardless of how the Eagles' D plays. However, if the offense does show up, I think that regardless of what the Eagles' situation is, we will have a thriller on our hands with the Eagles beating Dallas 28-24.

All that can be said has been said. This is it. Everybody reading this, close your eyes right now and picture a successful finish, the Eagles are in the post-season. We're going up north to play the NFC North champion Chicago Bears/Minnesota Vikings. Picture it. See it. See the success. See the Vikings choking again. See the Bears finally getting a result that indicates how well they actually played the past few weeks. Jon Gruden shaking hands with Tom Cable, a little more humble having just went to the place he used to Coach and lost. See the Eagles game with 10 seconds left and Donovan McNabb throwing a 30-yard pass touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson to clinch the playoff spot for the Eagles. Close your eyes. See these outcomes. Believe. Believe! BELIEVE! For it is only if we the fans believe, can we truly witness The second miracle in South Philly this year.......