Philadelphia Eagles Smacked with Reality Check in NFL Week 14

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Nobody is perfect, but the Eagles looked damn close until they were run over by the 49ers. Philly remains the team to beat, but NFL Week 14 places them in the crosshairs once again.

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

It seems as though, every week, the biggest game of the week involves the Philadelphia Eagles. It started nearly two months ago. Miami came to town. Two weeks later, it was Dallas. Then, after their bye, the Eagles saw Kansas City, Buffalo, and San Francisco back-to-back-to-back weeks. 

Having taken their first real thump of the season against San Francisco, the question remains whether this is actually the Super Bowl favorite. Philly has not cruised through its wins. But, again, this team traversed a very difficult stretch and came out the other side 10-2 overall entering NFL Week 14.

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Another major test is coming this week when the Eagles play their rematch against the Dallas Cowboys. A win all but locks up the NFC East division title. They would be two games ahead and own the tiebreaker with just four games remaining. However, a loss by Philly puts them into a tie with Dallas atop the division.

The Cowboys have played a weaker schedule by far, but they also currently hold the best point differential in the sport. While Philadelphia feels uneasy, yet holds a 10-2 record, Dallas has to be feeling good about itself at 9-3. It is a strange comparison. If you told any Eagles fan that the team would make it out of the hardest two months of its schedule 5-2, they would have been pretty happy. And yet, that would mean a loss in NFL Week 14 and dropping into that aforementioned tie. Time for a reality check.

 

NFL Week 14: Eagles Reality Check

 

Todd Salem: Dallas Gunning For Philly

Between the two teams, I think of Dallas as having the superior defense to Philadelphia. But that unit just got shredded by Geno Smith. I think of Dallas as having a more consistent offense and having the quarterback that is currently in the MVP discussion. But through an easy schedule, Dak Prescott and company have come up small against the stiffest competition. Are the Cowboys on Philly’s level or are they more of the NFC’s version of Miami? Dallas’ best win is over one of the Los Angeles squads. It isn’t something to hang a hat on. That’s for sure.

The running game for the Cowboys hasn’t been able to get going all year. The offensive line is far from its previous heights too. The defense is so potent, it can actually win games by itself certain weeks, but that isn’t enough. The team needs to be on-point in all facets against a tough foe, beginning right here. If they want any hope of winning the East, NFL Week 14 has to end in victory.

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That is because, besides a loss dropping them farther back, Dallas is the one with the much harder remaining schedule. The Cowboys have four games still to come after this one. Three come on the road; three are against playoff-caliber opponents. This is a situation where ending 2-2 could be a positive outcome. 

Thanks to the sorry state of the conference as a whole, neither Dallas nor Philly is at risk of missing the playoffs with a late-season slide. A division title and possibly a bye are on the line though. Do you think Dallas is up to the test? Is Philadelphia a flimsier juggernaut than the win-loss record would indicate? As of the start of the week, the Cowboys are favored by 3.5, and I would want to grab the points by backing the Eagles. Of course, I would have said the same thing last week when Philly was a surprising underdog at home against San Francisco. Vegas always knows ahead of the rest of us.

 

 

Dan Salem: Eagles Are Best In NFL

While I’m surprised the Eagles got humiliated by San Francisco, there is no doubt that Philadelphia is the best team in the NFC. They have defeated numerous playoff teams and if we set aside recency bias, there is nothing to even debate with their record. One bad loss and one unlucky loss is all that tarnishes the Eagles. Considering they also have the experience that comes with losing the Super Bowl, this is the best team in the league, not just the NFC. NFL Week 14 will not change this truth.

Dallas is also very good and probably defeats Philadelphia this week. They need this win more and have more to prove. But I would be shocked if the Cowboys somehow manage to sneak ahead of the Eagles atop the NFC East. Pegging them as the counterpart to Miami is not really the insult you think it is. Which team in the AFC is better than the Dolphins? Kansas City just lost to the Packers and Jacksonville just lost its starting quarterback in defeat to the Bengals. I could field the argument that Baltimore is better, but it’s not a slam dunk. The Dolphins and Cowboys are both excellent. Philly is just a bit better than both.

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I made the mistake of taking the points with the Eagles last week and will be avoiding them now in NFL Week 14.  But that doesn’t make them a less potent team. We are debating semantics, because the top three teams in each conference are basically locked in and have been for weeks. The Eagles are a must-watch every week and having juicy matchups makes them even more fun to view. The only question worth considering is if anything that transpires over the final month of the season actually matters for the playoffs.

I say no; none of it matters. Getting a first round bye is great and all, but so is playing a home playoff game against a flimsy opponent who should only help you build confidence and momentum. The odds of being humiliated with a loss are low, because the wildcard teams are so weak. Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco and Detroit. Kansas City, Miami, Baltimore and Jacksonville. Could the two conferences be any more of a mirror image? If defense still wins championships, then we know Dallas or San Francisco will be representing the NFC, while Baltimore will take the AFC. But if high flying offense is the defining factor of this season, then watch out for Philadelphia versus Miami.

 

Meet our Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s a published author, as well as an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X and Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a fantasy football and fantasy baseball Staff Writer for RotoBaller. Follow him on X or comment below for his unfiltered opinions.

NFL Week 14 Photo Credits: bloggingtheboys.com and nj.com via Getty Images

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