Eagles-Cowboys shaping up to be charged affair

Doug Pederson is predicting a win. DeMarcus Lawrence is hearing none of it.

The Dallas Cowboys defensive end wasn’t having any of the Eagles’ coach and his talk. On Friday, Lawrence sounded off to ESPN reporter Todd Archer, talking about Pederson’s boast.

“Tell him to come on. We ready,” Lawrence said. “Can he play the game? So he might want to shut his ass up and stay on the sideline. He can’t play the game for them. The Eagles got to play them and he’s supposed to sit on the sideline and do whatever he wants to do. But he can’t play the game for them, so we’ll see.”

For both teams, the Sunday night game couldn’t be ore important at this stage in the season. Philadelphia and Dallas are tied atop the NFC East with each sporting 3-3 records. The Eagles have been wildly inconsistent, unable to get going at any juncture.

Dallas is the complete opposite. The Cowboys began the year with three wins over the Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. Many thought they could be the best team in the NFC. Then the last three weeks happened. The offense went into the proverbial tank, the defense hasn’t been quite as dominant, and the Cowboys have fallen to the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.

Both teams are also entering the game with injuries abound, although Philadelphia is certainly dealing with the brunt of it.

The Eagles will be without cornerbacks Avonte Maddox and Ronald Darby, along with left tackle Jason Peters and receiver DeSean Jackson among others. As for the Cowboys, wide receiver Amari Cooper and left tackle Tyron Smith are expected to see action, but neither is 100 percent. Cooper is especially worrisome considering he hurt his quad on Sunday and is trying to play through the pain. Guard Zack Martin is also listed as questionable.

Should Dallas lose this game, it’s time to hit every panic button in the Metro area. The Cowboys would be in complete meltdown mode, perhaps a place they entered by handing the Jets their first win of the season.

As for the Eagles, this is an opportunity to go on the road and steal the biggest divisional win of the season, knowing a rematch is coming in their place later on. Must-win is strong here, but it would be a phenomenal victory to set up success later on.