Once again the race for the NFC East title goes down to the last game of the season as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles at AT & T Stadium.
The Cowboys face the prospect of an 8-8 season for the third campaign in a row and also the possibility of missing out on the playoffs in the final game of the season for same timespan, an incredible fact.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia meanwhile are looking to secure their first post-season berth since the 2010 season, which will be quite an achievement under first-year coach Chip Kelly.
The odds are stacked against Dallas after quarterback Tony Romo was ruled out for the season with a back injury leaving backup Kyle Orton with the task of guiding Jason Garrett's side to the playoffs.
For all the criticism that has been put Romo's way over the years, the reason why his team are still in contention this season is down to his fantastic performance against the Washington Redskins last week, driving his side down the field to score a game-winning touchdown.
Without the 33-year-old they are vulnerable, as Orton does not possess the playmaking ability of Romo and that is where the game will lie for the Cowboys, not on the shoulders of the quarterback but on receivers Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten along with running back DeMarco Murray.
© Getty Images
Bryant has hit the headlines this season for his behaviour on the sidelines showing his frustration at his side's failure in certain games, most notably against the Green Bay Packers when he stormed down the tunnel following a late interception by Romo.
However, this week he needs to show the good side to his character and ability as one of the best wideouts in the game to guide his side to victory.
The 25-year-old will be going up against one of the worst secondary's in the NFL and will need to have a big game to make up for his side's deficiencies at the quarterback position, and that will probably include making some astonishing catches, to add to his impressive repertoire.
Big plays will be crucial against an explosive Eagles team if the game turns into a shootout, but Orton will also need Witten to be at his reliable best in his short routes in the middle of the field, giving him those easier completions if he needs them.
However, most of all if Murray can have a good game on the ground, like he has in recent weeks after racking up over 350 yards in his last three games, it will ease the pressure on Orton and those receivers to make those plays less important than they may need to be.
The Eagles defense job is to make Orton throw the ball and force him to make mistakes by shutting down Murray as they did Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte last week. They are ranked 12th in the NFL against the run and will need to showcase that ability to hand their side the NFC East title.
© Getty Images
Kelly's side's offense will need to fire as well. Last week they were electric and as predicted LeSean McCoy had a big day against a porous Bears rush defense, luckily for McCoy he has another poor line to run at this week as well as the Cowboys are ranked 25th against the run.
The 25-year-old has 133 yards on the ground and two touchdown scores. A similar performance against Dallas will hand his side a post-season berth as he can destroy defenses single handed and allows quarterback Nick Foles good matchups to find his receivers wide open off play-action.
Dallas have to find a way to stop the duo to have any chance of winning the game, again that will probably have to be through turnovers as it's very unlikely they will be able to stop them drive after drive. It's playoff time a week early for these sides, who will have the guts to prevail? We'll find out come Sunday.
