Goodnight, Dallas
A perfect weekend for the Philadelphia Eagles got even better with a Sunday that truly provided a cherry on top. Ice cream pun, check. After the birds’ 38-7 evisceration of the New York Giants on Saturday night, Philly got to kick their collective feet up and watch the action in the other half of the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday night. The matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers was expected to be a tight contest, and it lived up to the billing. It was a beat down, grind out game between two quality football teams, but at the end of the day, the Eagles got what every fan should have been rooting for: the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated. Oh, how sweet it is.
I understand that some fans were looking to face Dallas in the NFC Championship game, and I think those fans are nuts. Dallas losing is always the goal. That is woven in the fabric of being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. The Eagles winning is paramount, but the secondary celebration of every season is the day that the Dallas Cowboys are eliminated from Super Bowl contention. Sad Jerry Jones, apologizing to his jorts wearing, Lakers and Yankees and Alabama Crimson Tide rooting, senseless America’s Team claiming fan base, just warms my heart every single year. If you are a true Eagles fan, do not lie to me and say you didn’t enjoy watching the Dallas Cowboys’ season end last night.
How it happened made it even better. Let’s start with Captain Choke. Dak Prescott looked lost on Sunday night against San Fran’s vaunted defense. He finished with 206 yards through the air, 2 interceptions, and 1 measly touchdown. When his team needed him most, Prescott was the QB he has been all year when healthy: the NFL’s leader in throwing interceptions. Dallas fed Zeke! They fed him 10 times, to the tune of 26 yards and 0 TDs. Mr. System and Team Micah Parsons? 1 tackle and 0 sacks for the guy who felt the need to focus on the Eagles’ QB more than his own team’s problems. Everything that we spent all year criticizing the Cowboys on came to fruition on the playoff stage, and now, they can go ahead and book those tee times.
Well, maybe they won’t have to book tee times after all. If you’re a member of the Dallas Cowboys, you could have a standing tee time set for NFC Championship weekend since 1996 and you won’t have missed a single one. That was the last time the Cowboys advanced past the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Since then, the Philadelphia Eagles have gone to the NFC Championship game (or further, more on that in a second) 7 times counting this season. The Cowboys’ most recent Super Bowl is still on VCR. The Eagles’ is not yet 5 years old, and they have a real chance at adding another one this year. So, for the last time in the 2022-23 season, goodnight, Dallas. Sleep tight knowing that you have been a loser organization for a generation, and it doesn’t seem that that’s ending any time soon.
