The 2019 Week 16 matchup between the Cowboys and Eagles will tell a new chapter in the longstanding rivalry in the battle for the NFC East.
Week 16’s grudge match between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will do much more than decide the 2019 season’s most bizarre division race. The showdown also turns back the clock, as Dallas once again prepares to take on a division rival with direct playoff implications on the line.
These crucial, late-season division games once defined the early part of Jason Garrett’s coaching tenure, a seeming near-annual tradition that typically left the Cowboys outside of the playoffs entirely. Dallas has seen more relative late-season success in the Dak Prescott era, but a glimpse through recent history suggests there certainly won’t be any guarantees come kickoff on Sunday.
Week 17 2008
Philadelphia Eagles: L – 44-6
The 2019 Cowboys are far from the only disappointing team to fall short of expectations. Coming off a 13-3 season which saw them earn the conference’s No. 1 seed, Dallas dropped three of their last four games in 2008 to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.
Facing a win-and-in scenario for the final wild card spot, the Cowboys got their doors blown in by Philadelphia 44-6. It was the final game Terrell Owens would play as a Cowboy, who was released in the ensuing offseason.
Week 17 2009
Philadelphia Eagles: W – 24-0
Dallas got their revenge a year later, again meeting the Eagles in Week 17, this time with the division title on the line. The Dallas defense pitched a shutout, sacking Donovan McNabb four times in a 24-0 rout. The win catapulted the Cowboys to first place in the NFC East, and set up a decisive third matchup against Philadelphia as No. 3 vs No. 6 seeds in a Wild Card playoff game.
The Cowboys would cement their dominance over Philadelphia that season, taking all three games and ending the Eagles’ season by handing them two straight losses. The playoff exit also signaled a changing of the guards in Philadelphia, who traded McNabb to the Redskins just four months later.
Week 17 2011
New York Giants: L – 31-14
After a bottoming out, one-year hiatus from the playoff picture in 2010, a returning Tony Romo and newly installed head coach Jason Garrett would vie for the NFC East crown for the next three years, only to fall each time in Week 17 to a different division opponent.
The Giants were the team to do it first, as Eli Manning raced them out to a 21-0 first half lead. Victor Cruz would finish the game with 178 receiving yards and one touchdown on six catches, while Romo was sacked six times, threw one interception and lost one fumble. The game stung, but little did Dallas know it was just the first in a trilogy of Week 17 disappointments.
Week 17 2012
Washington: L – 28-18
The Cowboys found themselves in almost the same spot as the last season, at 8-7 heading into the final regular season game, where they needed a win claim the division and punch their playoff ticket. Unfortunately, Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris stood in their way.
Dallas simply had no answer for Washington’s rushing attack, as RG3 ate them alive with the read option. The pair combined for 263 rushing yards and scored all four of their touchdowns. It was a nightmare game for Romo, who threw more interceptions (three) than TDs (two).
Week 17 2013
Philadelphia Eagles: L – 24-22
The Cowboys signed veteran QB Kyle Orton to a three-year, $10.5 million contract in 2012. He would start one game for Dallas in his career, the 2013 regular season finale against the Eagles. He was tasked with doing what Romo couldn’t, leading them to a victory in the regular season finale that would earn a playoff berth. Orton too, would ultimately fall short.
Down eight points with just six minutes remaining, Orton led a comeback that nearly changed his legacy in Dallas. He connected with Dez Bryant for a 32-yard touchdown pass to get the Cowboys within two, and they still had life after missing the two-point conversion and forcing a quick Philadelphia three-and-out. Just needing to reach Dan Bailey’s field goal range, Orton’s first pass attempt was intercepted by Brandon Boykin with 1:49 left in the game, resulting in the same fate as their previous two seasons.
Orton held out during the next offseason, and was eventually released.
Week 15 2014
Philadelphia Eagles: W – 38-27
The Cowboys finally got the monkey off their back in 2014, but again had to go through Philadelphia to win the division. Both teams were 9-4 entering the late December game, and the Eagles had just beaten Dallas on Thanksgiving two weeks prior.
It would be a statement game by both Jason Garrett and Dez Bryant, who each had signature moments on the way to what was a magical and infamous Cowboys season. Garrett opted for a surprise onside kick to begin the game, and Bryant would haul in three touchdown receptions in front of a raucous Philadelphia crowd on the way to victory. The Cowboys would go on to win their first division title in five seasons.
The NFC East usually sets the stage for big moments, and this year is no different. The first matchup between Dallas and the Eagles this season is still fresh in the minds of both teams, but who knows what this one will hold, especially with such high stakes.
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