Supremacy in the NFC East is on the line Sunday night when the 5-2 Dallas Cowboys come to Philadelphia to take on the 5-2 Eagles. Both teams are looking to extend winning streaks as the Cowboys have rattled off three straight wins and the Eagles are looking to win their third consecutive game, all against NFC East opponents. The Eagles are coming off a 40-17 annihilation of the most recent team to sit atop the NFC East standings, the New York Giants. The Eagles were led by Donovan McNabb who threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions, and the team was able to get significant contributions from Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy in the absence of starting running back Brian Westbrook. Defensively, the Eagles were able to get pressure on Eli Manning from the front four, allowing the rest of the defense to focus on coverage and pick off Manning twice.

The Cowboys' streak has coincided with the emergence of wide receiver Miles Austin. Austin broke through with 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs and then followed that up with another two touchdowns and 171 yards receiving against the Atlanta Falcons. This past week, Austin had 61 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. Of course, Austin wouldn't have been so productive if quarterback Tony Romo wasn't also on a hot streak. The Cowboys' offense will certainly be a tough test for the Eagles' defense. The Cowboys will also likely be motivated by the embarrassment they suffered in their last trip to Lincoln Financial Field – a 44-6 loss that sent the Eagles to the playoffs in dominating fashion. All eyes will be on the battle for bragging rights in the NFC East when the two long-time rivals fight it out under the lights on national television.

Last Time They Met
December 28, 2008: Eagles 44, Cowboys 6
Forty-four to six. With a berth in the playoffs on the line, the Eagles beat their bitter rivals 44-6. One more time; 44 to six. And it might not even have been that close. Remember the scenario: the Eagles needed to beat the Cowboys and they needed the Oakland Raiders to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road and the Chicago Bears to lose at home to the Houston Texans. The Eagles got the outside help they needed, and all that stood in their way were the Cowboys, and they steamrolled right over them. After trading field goals to open the game, the Eagles would run off 41 unanswered points in the second and third quarters, led by a barrage of explosive turnovers and efficient offense. Donovan McNabb threw two short touchdown passes and ran for one, and the defense scored twice on long fumble recoveries – one by Chris Clemons and one by Joselio Hanson. A game that Eagles fans will never forget, the demonstrative win catapulted the Eagles all the way to the NFC Championship game.

Good Luck Stopping These Guys
Brent Celek		Jason Witten

When The Eagles Have The Ball
Donovan McNabb criticized his own play in the two games leading up to last week's victory over the Giants and he answered by playing his best game of the season. McNabb was both accurate and ambitious, throwing for touchdown passes of 17, 23 and 54 yards. If McNabb plays that well, the Eagles offense is almost unstoppable. The offense has provided the big play all season, led by DeSean Jackson, who has six touchdowns of over 50 yards this season. The offensive line is also rounding into a cohesive unit, now that left guard Todd Herremans is back. With Brian Westbrook expected to return to the lineup, the Eagles appear to be peaking offensively.

The Cowboys' 3-4 defense that led the league in sacks in 2008 is predicated on pressuring the quarterback. After a slow start to the season, the pressure has come in the past few weeks and last year's NFL sack leader DeMarcus Ware has five sacks in the last three games. Up front, Jamaal Jackson will have his hands full with nose tackle Jay Ratliff who has been a thorn in the Eagles' side in the past. The Cowboys have been better against the run than the pass this season and the Eagles may be able to exploit the secondary that can be leaky, especially on the opposite side of the field from Pro Bowl cornerback Terrence Newman. The Cowboys are ranked 22nd against the pass in the NFL.

When The Cowboys Have The Ball
The Cowboys come in with the league's sixth-ranked rushing offense behind the dangerous troika of Marion Barber III, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Barber is still the pounding, downhill runner who gets the majority of the carries and wears down defenses. Jones would lead the NFL in yards per carry with 7.8 if he had enough rushes to qualify, and he is a true home run threat out of the backfield. Choice is a well-rounded back who had some big games when both Barber and Jones were out with injury. While Roy Williams has been disappointing in his Cowboys tenure, he is still a big, physical receiver who is a tough matchup for the Eagles' secondary. The biggest threat may be tight end Jason Witten, especially considering the success of tight ends against the Eagles this season. In the trenches, the Cowboys have a big, experienced offensive line, led by longtime veterans Flozell Adams at left tackle and Leonard Davis at right guard. 

Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has shown that he is comfortable with firing blitzes from all angles as well as sitting back and letting his front four ""do the hunting."" Last week, the Giants max-protected often, and McDermott responded by letting his coverage do the work, and Eli Manning was picked off twice and unable to make any big plays downfield. McDermott has also shown that he is comfortable rotating all of his defensive linemen to keep them fresh, and that will be key against the Cowboys offensive line. Trent Cole is having a Pro-Bowl-type season with 6.5 sacks at defensive end, and he will try to harass Romo while going up against Adams. Romo has shown in his career that he can pick apart defenses when given enough time, so forcing him to get rid of the ball early will be paramount. In the secondary, cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown have shut out opposing wideouts for the most part, but they will have their hands full with Austin.

Key Matchups
TE Jason Witten vs. Eagles LBs
Will Witherspoon has exceeded expectation in his first two games at middle linebacker for the Eagles, and it's likely that he will be the player to key in on Witten the majority of the game. Covering tight ends has been the most consistent hole in the Eagles' defense this season, but Witherspoon in considered to be a very good coverage linebacker so his addition may help that problem. Witten is especially dangerous in the red zone, and if the Eagles can keep him from scoring it will be a good omen for the outcome.

WR Jeremy Maclin vs. Cowboys CBs
With the dangerous DeSean Jackson likely to receive double coverage and the scrutiny of the Cowboys' secondary, Jeremy Maclin may get an opportunity to beat single coverage. Maclin has progressed much quicker than expected and he has shown great hands and body control. He's earned the trust of McNabb and has nine receptions in the last two games. The Cowboys don't usually have their cornerbacks switch sides, so Maclin will go up against both Newman and Jenkins, and perhaps third cornerback Orlando Scandrick. If Maclin has a big day, the field will suddenly open up for the rest of the Eagles' offense.

Players To Watch
QB Tony Romo
Romo has drawn his fair share of criticism both in Dallas and nationally, but he is one of the best playmakers at the quarterback position in the league, and, for all his faults, he has the second best QB rating of any active quarterback. When he avoids turnovers the Cowboys are tough to beat, and Romo has thrown eight touchdowns against zero interceptions during the Cowboys' three-game win streak. If he is allowed to sit in the pocket and get comfortable against the Eagles it will be a big night for the Cowboys offense.

LB DeMarcus Ware
The fifth-year linebacker was rightfully rewarded with a contract extension recently after leading the NFL with 20 sacks in 2008. At 6-foot-4, 262 pounds, Ware is both physical and quick, creating a tough matchup for anyone. Despite getting off to a slow start in 2009, he has notched five sacks in the last three games. With the Eagles offense hitting on all cylinders, the only way to slow it down is to get consistent pressure on Donovan McNabb, and Ware is player on the Cowboys most likely to accomplish that. If they can contain Ware, the Eagles will be able to move the ball.

-- Preview by Bo Wulf; Charts compiled by Chris McPherson