Cowboys Win the NFC East in Convincing Fashion

In what was supposed to be a classic battle for the NFC East division title between two teams that have one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL, it actually turned out to be a complete one way affair with Dallas running away with a 24-0 win.

The Cowboys opened the game by running right down the Eagles' throats with Marion Barber gaining yards in chunks and Tony Romo sitting back in the pocket hitting his targets at will. It culminated with a 10 yard pass to Jason Whitten to put them up 7-0 less than five minutes into the game. That was all they really needed as the Eagles' offense never got off the ground as none of the playmakers could make any plays against a defense that has only given up 17 points in its last three games.

From my preview of the Cowboys last week as posted on BleedingGreenNation.com just to show how much I underestimated Tony Romo and overestimated the Eagles' defense I offer the following quotes:

"You cannot deny that Dallas has been playing better the last two weeks. "

This change in fortune since losing two straight games to start the month can be largely attributed to the play of QB Tony Romo. In these two wins he has averaged 300 yards passing and has 2 TD's and one interception.

"Trust me, in this game the Eagles will not allow him (Tony Romo) that luxury(sitting untouched in the pocket) as they know the key to beating the Cowboys is to shut down RB Marion Barber and their running game and force Romo to beat them in the air."

So much for that expert analysis. Not only did Dallas run at will against the Birds gaining 179 yards on the ground, but Romo had all day to throw, completing 24 of 34 attempts for 311 yards and two TD's.

Offensively, whenever the Eagles did move the ball they found a way to end every drive without coming away with any points. Whether it was a fumble, dropped pass, penalty, or missed field goal they were unable to overcome the crucial mistakes that kept this game from ever being close.

What the Eagles did accomplish is the opportunity to play the Cowboys again next week in Dallas instead of having a week off with a first round bye. They have the opportunity to watch the game tapes to try and figure out a way to keep this next game from ending the same way. Finally they have the opportunity to erase the memory of this game with an inspired win or replace it with the memory of yet another season ending loss and watching another team win a championship.