The final game of the regular-season is upon us — a game that was moved to tonight, rather than Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles will host NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys, at Lincoln financial Field at 8:15 PM.
Both teams have already advanced to the playoffs. The Eagles sit at the No. 7 seed with the possibility to move to No. 6; however, either way, they likely will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week. As for Dallas, the Cowboys are at the No. 4 seed. Though they have more to play for (to move up to No. 2 or No. 3), tonight’s game is essentially meaningless.
Either way, it should still be fun.
EAGLES VS. COWBOYS PREDICTIONS
Alicia’s Pick: Eagles, 24-21
I’m going bold here, but I think the Eagles will pull through with a win tonight.
Earlier this week, Philadelphia placed 12 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Though all 12 are healthy and ready to play tonight, Nick Sirianni will likely rest a number of starters. However, Dallas will likely do the same.
The Cowboys have already ruled out Micah Parsons, Tyron Smith, and Trevon Diggs. Quarterback Dak Prescott will likely be on the sidelines as well. Though Dallas wants to bounce back after a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, I think they play it safe.
It’s expected that Philadelphia’s rush game will be stagnant. Miles Sanders is out with a hand injury with no update on his status for next week, therefore, resting Scott and Howard will be essential. As for the Eagles’ leading rusher, Jalen Hurts, Sirianni has kept quiet about whether he will play at all. Whether the second-year quarterback plays for a half or a quarter, Gardner Minshew will certainly take the field tonight. Minshew did well against the New York Jets in Week 13, and I think he’ll find the hands of DeVonta Smith often. Smith is looking to break DeSean Jackson’s record and with 38 yards to go, fans should see him play at some point.
Kelce should also start as he will look to advance his consecutive start streak to 122 games tonight. I think Sirianni will pull him pretty quickly to keep him healthy.
Tonight is the night to see what backups have a shot of sticking around next season. No one anticipated Philadelphia would come this far, so why not finish the season off with a 10-7 record?
Drew’s Pick: Eagles 31-27
While this Week 18 matchup might seem meaningless at first, there’s a lot on the line here for the Eagles. Playing their starters, even for a quarter, could go a long way towards keeping them fresh and ready for the playoffs. They need to continue working out their first-half kinks, and this is the perfect opportunity for it.
Minshew should also see a good amount of playing time tonight. This could prove beneficial — should he put on a good show — for the Eagles, as Minshew could be on the table for QB-needy teams this offseason. You should not only be rooting for the team, but rooting for a fantastic stat line from Minshew Mania.
As Alicia mentioned, this game will also extend Kelce’s consecutive game streak – and could be his last home game at the Linc. If it is, a win would be a perfect end to what has been a Hall-of-Fame caliber career.
Now that we’ve gotten past the storylines, I think the Eagles and Cowboys’ backups put on a bit of a show. Who wouldn’t love to see a late season shootout? The Eagles get another division rival, putting them at 10-7 while continuing the momentum.
