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The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys play every other, it more than another match. Eagles vs. Cowboys is the stuff of legend.
Because it is a definition of a NFL rivalry ignore the records. OK, the’Boys lead the all-time show 68-52.
However, a few of these have a spot on the listing of top 10 Eagles games.
Fittingly, the first of 2 regular-season meetings is that this week’s Sunday Night Football game on NBC. Both teams head into the contest with identical 3-3 records.
And so, welcome to the official beginning of Eagles vs. Cowboys week. Let the hype and buildup .
On Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Cowboys within an ancient favourite. It is, after all, even a Cowboys home game.
Besides all the NJ sports betting chatter and trash-talking, the die hard Birds fans on the market, including myself, are looking forward to another second.
The Eagles have certainly delivered plenty of these over the years.
Here are my 10 hard to overlook Eagles-Cowboys moments (out of a Philly perspective, obviously ).
I like watching Eagles vs. Cowboys games in the comfort of home or, now, at one of the 10 NJ sportsbooks. It’s tough to forget the 1999 game at Veterans Stadium.
That is the one in which Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin was stretchered off the field using a spinal cord injury that is career-ending. Yes, the Eagles fans even cheered as it happened (I was not one of them).
Of course, the part I remember is choosing to leave early in the fourth quarter. The Birds trailed 10-0, and quite frankly I did not believe they had any chance of winning.
My team proved me wrong. Then-quarterback Doug Pederson (yes, that Doug Pederson) and crew chose to make a comeback after I made my exit.
Two Norm Johnson field goals along with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson together with 1:07 remaining secured the offer.
I listened to it all built over the car ride home.
I really have a tough time coming up with fond memories of the Chip Kelly age in Philadelphia.
The former University of Oregon head coach arrived with a lot of hype but did not live up to those expectations.
But he did direct the Birds .
The 24-22 victory over Dallas on Dec. 29, 2013, was a memorable one (the Warriors clinched a Wild Card).
But Kelly did not do it. LeSean McCoy rushed for 131 yards and captured a three-yard touchdown pass from some guy named Nick Foles (within his first go-around with the Birds).
This was a struggle. The Cowboys got remaining in the game. When the home team needed it most, Brandon Boykin came up with a enormous interception to clinch the win.
As much as I don’t like the Cowboys, I don’t have any trouble admitting that Emmitt Smith is among the most talented running backs that I’ve ever seen perform.
His three Super Bowl rings are all evidence.
At exactly the exact same time, I recall a few times when the Eagles defense made a huge stand.
The Dec. 10, 1995, sport tops the record.
The score was tied 17-17, and the Cowboys were facing a 4th and 1 in the fourth quarter. Smith captured the ball , but he was stopped by the shield.
Not so fast. It was a warning; no play.
So with a different opportunity, the exact identical play conducted. Same result!
The Birds got the ball back with an opportunity to win. Gary Anderson’s 42-yard field goal gave us fans yet another reason to celebrate.
He had to kick it.
I remember having my family over for Thanksgiving dinner at 2014. It was the year the Eagles and with the Cowboys were playing.
That the dining room table moved so we did not miss a moment of this match.
It turns out we ended up enjoying the sole unfolding on the TV display, the sole on the table along with two feasts. We are speaking a 33-10 Birds success.
McCoy was one of the stars in this , rushing for yards. Such as a touchdown. Tony Romo was sacked four occasions by the defense.
And everybody went home full and thankful for the win.
Not every Eagles-Cowboys match is a high-scoring affair. A perfect illustration of this took place on Dec. 17, 2007.
The last score: Eagles 10.
However, the one’s most memorable part is.
Running back Brian Westbrook could seen in the fourth quarter. He had a run but stopped just short of the finish zone. He also took a knee.
At the time, I was thinking,”Why not score the touchdown? You are correct there!”
In the background of Eagles vs. Cowboys games, it still was a genius movement. Dallas had no timeouts left. Quarterback Donovan McNabb took a few knees, and the rest is history.
I’m among those Eagles fans out there hoping DeSean Jackson is healthy for Sunday night’s game.
There’s a reason why that is good. This speedy receiver is capable of creating a big play every time he catches the ball.
A complete illustration of this took place on Dec. 12, 2010, in Arlington, Texas.
With all the Eagles vs. Cowboys match tied 20-20, the people began their drive on the 9-yard line. What occurred next is among the very exciting and longest crime plays franchise history.
Michael Vick passed Jackson the ball on what ended up being a 91-yard grab and run play. The Birds jumped out before 27-20, with near 12 minutes to play.
David Akers included a field goal to make the score 30-20.
Dallas obtained within three points, however, Jackson’s performance is just one still worth talking about today. He ended 210 getting yards.
He gave lovers and members of the press plenty to talk about, After the Eagles were being coached by Buddy Ryan.
This Thanksgiving Day game from 1989, aka the Bounty Bowl, is one that individuals Eagles fans have a time forgetting.
Ryan and the Eagles were accused of putting a $200 bounty on Dallas kicker Luis Zendejas.
Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson which came along with the comments from Ryan were nearly as amusing.
Incidentally, Philadelphia happened to win the game 27-0.
The Eagles-Cowboys competition got warmed in’89, it’s tough to overlook that the sequel to the Bounty Bowl.
The hatred between both of these teams wore a WWE feud minus the body slams and seat shots.
Let us be crystal clear, Eagles fans have love for the Cowboys. When Dallas arrived to Philly on Dec. 10, 1989 (fourteen days after Bounty Bowl), it had been just like an enemy invasion.
Remember we are talking about a fan base which isn’t scared to throw snowballs.
The Eagles fans were outfitted with a full arsenal of snow and ice. The Bounty Bowl signs made it obvious that this one will get ugly.
Anyone standing on the Cowboys sideline has been an open target. Luckily, I was watching this one at home.
Trash talking is good. Throwing ice and snowballs took things too far. Even the CBS announcers sitting in the stall found themselves ducking as they called the match.
This Birds 20-10 triumph on the 1-12 Cowboys stays a significant footnote to the Bounty Bowl saga.
Lito Sheppard is not one of these players I’d include on my list of Eagles of all time.
But when speaking about the best plays within this rivalry, he realized something that I will never forget.
Whenever these two teams played in 2006, everyone thought Terrell Owens (the prior Eagle playing for the Cowboys) was going to hog the spotlight. After allthe match was taking place.
Owens finished with three catches for 45 yards.
Sheppard proven to be the actual playmaker in this one. He intercepted a Drew Bledsoe pass on the Eagles lineup and ran all of the way to 102 yards to the end zone.
Eagles won 38-24.
Nothing says classic better than the Eagles vs. Cowboys matchup for the NFC Championship game at the Vet. Talk about adding significance to your storied rivalry.
Being a young child at the moment, I don’t just remember what I was doing with this exceptionally cold afternoon (below freezing temps and powerful wind gusts) at January 1981.
The Philadelphia Phillies were fresh off his World Series triumph, and the City of Brotherly Love was hungry for much more.
With the national spotlight today on the Birds, among the best players ever to wear white and the green . Running Wilbert Montgomery hurried at 42 yards to pay an early 7-0 edge and dirt.
Two Tony Franklin field targets and an overdue 9-yard operate by Leroy Harris sealed the 20-7 success.
And FINALLY, my Eagles were going into the Super Bowl.
Obviously, it ended up taking almost another 40 years before that the Super Bowl party was experienced by me in front.
Bill Gelman is a veteran sports writer based outside Philadelphia and not much away from the Jersey Shore. Bill spends some time at Atlantic City writing concerning casino openings and expansions, unique occasions and world championship boxing in Boardwalk Hall. He is now adding NJ sports gambling and online gaming to the combination.