With only four remaining games on the 2013 slate, and two teams tied atop the NFC East standings, things are about to get interesting for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The two squads will meet in Week 17 at Dallas Stadium, in a game that will very likely decide the fate of the NFC East’s powerhouses. With Dallas holding a one game division win advantage, the Cowboys are in the drivers’ seat heading down the stretch. Oh, and the Redskins and Giants are still playing football too.

Detroit Lions(7-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles(7-5)

Two NFC powerhouses vying for their respective playoff spots will face off in Philadelphia on Sunday. The Detroit Lions control their own destiny in the NFC North, but are currently just one game ahead of the Chicago Bears. This contest will be a must-win for both teams, and as both Philadelphia and Detroit are coming off crucial wins against Arizona and Green Bay respectively, this battle at Lincoln Financial Field will be one for the ages.

Matthew Stafford and the league’s third-ranked passing offense will take the field Sunday averaging 309.3 yards per game. Match that to the 115.2 yards per game the team averages on the ground, and you have a picture of one of the league’s most prolific offenses. However, Detroit is vulnerable to the vertical attack as the Lions surrender 262.3 passing yards per game, just 26th in the league. Enter Philadelphia’s savior, Nick Foles who has 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions on the year. Philadelphia’s 9th ranked passing attack will have to outscore Detroit’s if the Eagles hope to win at home on Sunday. With the 32nd ranked passing defense and 19th ranked rushing defense in the NFL, Philadelphia will need a strong defensive showing, and force Stafford into making mistakes, or it will be a long afternoon for Chip Kelly’s squad.

Prediction: Eagles 31 Lions 30

While LeSean McCoy and the Eagles’ third-ranked rushing offense are up against a unit allowing just 82.7 yards per game on the ground, the advent of Foles into the Eagles’ offense ensures a balanced attack that Detroit’s defense will not have an answer for. The Lions’ five losses on the season have come in Arizona, in Green Bay, in Pittsburgh, and at home against Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. A win here is more crucial to the Eagles’ playoff chances than the Lions, so expect Chip Kelly’s squad to give the Lions a game on Sunday. The key to beating Detroit, and most teams with above-average quarterbacks, is getting pressure on the quarterback without utilizing additional pass-rushers. If Philadelphia can do this effectively, they will come away with a win on Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys(7-5) @ Chicago Bears(6-6)

With Jay Cutler expected to be ready for Monday night’s showdown in the windy city, and the Bears now trailing Detroit by a game in the NFC North, this has turned into a must-win scenario for Mark Trestman’s Bears. Opposite Chicago’s finest will be the Dallas Cowboys who find themselves in similarly dire straits. Tied atop the NFC East, a win here would certainly be beneficial to the Cowboys’ playoff chances, but a loss would not do much to derail the team’s playoff hopes. Chicago will be the hungrier team on Monday night, but appetite will not determine the outcome of the game.

The Cowboys’ passing defense is abysmal. Monte Kiffin’s Tampa-2 scheme is meant for college, and Dallas simply does not have the personnel to run this ineffective look properly. Kiffin’s scheme depends on a sizeable pass rush from the down-linemen, speedy safeties that can cover larger areas of the field, linebackers who are good in coverage as well, and a middle linebacker who can take away the center of the field. Of these requirements for a successful zone defense, Dallas has none. Going up against the team that ran the cover-2 zone effectively for a decade, expect massive scoring outbreaks from perennial all-star Brandon Marshall and breakout-stud Alshon Jeffery on Monday night in Chicago.

Prediction: Bears 24 Cowboys 17

As good as Dallas’ offense can be at times, Chicago simply just needs a win more. DeMarco Murray should make Swiss-cheese out of Chicago’s rushing defense that is ranked dead last in yards allowed per game. However, turnover-prone Tony Romo will have his work cut out against a Chicago secondary that has 15 interceptions on the season. Match that with the 23 total turnovers the Bears have forced in 2013, and you have a recipe for disaster for Dallas. The Bears will stay alive in the race for the NFC North, and Dallas will have to keep an eye on its’ impending date with Philadelphia.

Kansas City Chiefs(9-3) @ Washington Redskins(3-9)

Two virtual-doppelgangers face off in a game that looked much more interesting on paper. Though the Chiefs have struggled down the stretch, these teams are polar opposites centering on one factor: Kansas City is good, Washington is not. RG3-9 and the rest of the loveable losers making up Washington’s football team will yet again taste defeat at the hands of one of the league’s top defensive units. While the Chiefs rank just 21st in terms of yardage given up overall, the NFL’s sack-leaders should give Robert Griffin III nightmares after this match up. Don’t expect a close one here kids, as the St. Louis Rams draft stock will be the only beneficiary of this games’ outcome outside of Kansas City.

Prediction: Chiefs 33 Redskins 13

Jamaal Charles leads the league’s 11th ranked rushing attack into a meeting with a Redskins defense that allows 108.8 yards per game on the ground, and 265.3 yards through the air per contest. In addition to their poor defense, Washington’s offensive line has allowed 33 sacks on the year and will go up against the league’s sack-leaders on Sunday. Look away Redskins’ fans; this one will not be pretty.

New York Giants(5-7) @ San Diego Chargers(5-7)

Unlike the Giants, San Diego is still fighting for a wild card berth in the AFC. Despite a poor showing against Cincinnati at home in Week 13, the Chargers are more than a match for the hapless Giants. Expect a rabid fan-base in San Diego as Eli Manning will take the field in the city he scorned on draft day 10 years ago. Philip Rivers and a resilient Chargers team will be doubly motivated to ensure a victory on Sunday, as the team’s playoff chances and city-pride are on the line.

Prediction: Chargers 20 Giants 13

While the younger Manning will try and prove his worth to the city he was “better than” 10 seasons ago, Rivers and the Chargers have much more to play for. With Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates healthy, Rivers will have all his toys to choose from to best a Giants secondary that is allowing 230.8 yards per game in the air. Though Jon Beason  and Antrel Rolle are two of the best at their positions, there is not enough depth on the New York defense to stop the Chargers’ potent offense.