There are a number of reasons the Dallas Cowboys were considered top Super Bowl contenders entering the season. Two of them were lopsided routs of the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the 2009 season.
Philadelphia will look to avenge those back-to-back defeats and stay atop the NFC East when it pays another visit to Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night.
The last two trips to Dallas were ugly for the Eagles (8-4). They were humbled by the Cowboys 24-0 in the regular-season finale, forcing a rematch in Dallas in the first round of the playoffs the following week.
The result was just as brutal for Philadelphia, which saw its season end abruptly with a 34-14 beating.
The fortunes of both teams have changed dramatically this season. With a rejuvenated Michael Vick at the controls, the Eagles are tied with the New York Giants for the division lead behind an offense that ranks second in the league in scoring.
The Cowboys (4-8), on the other hand, dug themselves a canyon at the bottom of the NFC East following a 1-7 start to the season that led to the dismissal of head coach Wade Phillips.
Dallas has turned things around under interim coach Jason Garrett, winning three of four games with its only loss a narrow three-point decision to reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans.
The offensive renaissance continued last week in a 38-35 overtime victory at Indianapolis. The Cowboys have scored over 30 points in three of the past four games and are averaging a shade over 33 points since Garrett took over the coaching reins.
Defense and the running game contributed mightily to the victory. Dallas returned two interceptions of Peyton Manning for touchdowns and Tashard Choice rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries. Felix Jones added 83 yards as the Cowboys piled up a season-high 217 yards on the ground.
The one major negative was a season-ending fractured ankle suffered by standout rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant, who had emerged as the favorite target of veteran quarterback Jon Kitna.
The Eagles come in well rested following a 10-day layoff since a 34-24 victory at Houston on Dec. 2. It was their fourth victory in five games during which they have averaged 34.4 points.
Vick turned in another superb performance, throwing for 302 yards with two scoring passes and one rushing touchdown. It was the third 300-yard game of the season for Vick – one more than he had in his first six seasons with Atlanta.
Vick had a league-high 105.7 passer rating and has thrown 15 touchdown passes against two interceptions. He also has run for six scores.
Wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin give Vick a pair of dangerous weapons along with LeSean McCoy, who has rushed for 823 yards and has 67 receptions – tops among league running backs.
The teams will have a rematch in the regular-season finale at Philadelphia on Jan. 2.