Eagles prepare for Christmas showdown

Football Betting Lines

12/20/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Philadelphia and Dallas met on a holiday was almost 20 years ago, on Thanksgiving.

The Eagles were donning their popular Kelly green uniforms on November 23, 1989, and smacked the Cowboys around to the tune of a 27-0 beating at Texas Stadium.

Even the network's introduction displayed clips of the bitter history between the division rivals as Ugly Kid Joe's "Everything About You" played in the background. Eagles defensive tackle Mike Pitts was ejected for brawling in the end zone that day, setting the tone for his teammates.

Philadelphia's play certainly ticked off Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson, who vehemently vented his frustrations after he thought Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan put a bounty on quarterback Troy Aikman and kicker Luis Zendejas.

"I have absolutely no respect for the way they played the game," Johnson said. "I would have said something to (Eagles head coach) Buddy (Ryan), but he wouldn't stand on the field long enough. He put his big, fat rear end into the dressing room."

I can assure you words like that will not be coming from either head coach on Monday. But that doesn't mean the players will necessarily be professional in their between-plays interaction. These two teams hate each other, and the fact that the Eagles will again be squaring off against former teammate Terrell Owens only ratchets up the intensity.

In the first matchup between the rivals, on October 8 at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles spoiled Owens' return to Philadelphia with a 38-24 victory. Owens had just three catches for 45 yards that day, while Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard sealed the win with a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown with 16 seconds left.

Now it's Round II, and both teams are coming off big wins.

Philadelphia posted its third straight victory with quarterback Jeff Garcia at the helm this past Sunday, posting a 36-22 triumph over the division-rival New York Giants on the road. The victory gave the Eagles an 8-6 record and moved them a game behind Dallas in the NFC East standings. Philadelphia will play its third straight division game on the road on Monday at Dallas, which defeated Atlanta on Saturday and clinched a playoff berth.

The Eagles have been the hottest team in the NFC playoff hunt, and owe it all to Garcia, who has quieted the critics with a 3-1 record as a starter. Against the Giants, he spread the ball around to eight different receivers and finished with 237 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-28 passing. After his interception led to a 22-21 New York lead, the 36-year-old Garcia orchestrated an eight-play, 80-yard drive culminated by his 19-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown.

"It has been a lot of fun," Garcia said. "A year ago I really was not thinking that this could happen for me."

The Eagles are one win from a playoff berth and two wins shy of clinching their fifth NFC East title in six years. A win over Dallas would put the Eagles back in the driver's seat in the division.

Garcia, though, is not the only bright spot on Philly's offense right now. Running back Brian Westbrook takes a load off Garcia's shoulders with what he brings to the field on gameday. Westbrook ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns and caught five balls for 40 more yards at Giants Stadium, becoming the first running back in Eagles' history to rush for 1,000 yards and have 600 yards receiving in the same season.

Westbrook, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing for the first time in his career, scored from a yard out on fourth-down early in the game, and later busted through the Giants' defensive line for a 28-yard touchdown run. He has rushed for 479 yards and three touchdowns in the past five games, with an additional 226 receiving yards.

In the first meeting against Dallas, Westbrook ran for 33 yards and a touchdown and hauled in five passes from McNabb for an additional 53 yards. Head coach Andy Reid will certainly feed Westbrook the ball on Christmas Day, with backup Correll Buckhalter getting some carries as well. Buckhalter had 48 yards and a touchdown in last week's win.

B-DAWK COMES THROUGH AGAIN

Like fine wine, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins seemingly gets better with age. Dawkins put forth another solid effort on Sunday against New York and posted 12 total tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Dawkins is an emotional leader on Philly's defense, and it shows with his energy and fire on the field. During the Eagles' three-game winning streak, Dawkins has amassed 33 tackles, two interceptions and a sack in victories over Carolina, Washington and the Giants.

After straining a calf muscle in pre-game workouts at Giants Stadium, Dawkins headed back to the locker room before becoming the defense's vocal leader for 60 minutes.

"I look forward to this," Dawkins said. "I'm having a ball. Having to make plays or standing up in these times, I'm happy that I'm making those plays. I'm blessed to play this game, and I do what I do on that field because of that."

Before the season, many questions surfaced in regard to whether Dawkins has lost a step in the secondary. After 15 weeks of football, Dawkins is still making plays and continues to stamp a big NO on the loss of his speed.

UP NEXT: T.O. UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Eagles fans hope to have something other than chestnuts roasting on an open fire this Christmas day. But before anything like that can happen, the Eagles' defensive backfield must make sure Owens doesn't roast them.

Owens didn't have the type of return to Philadelphia he wanted in October, so now he gets another chance with the Dallas faithful in his corner. Owens is having a fine season, but so are Philadelphia corners Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown. Add in Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine, and the Eagles are in good shape defending the pass.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will get a first-hand glimpse of the Philadelphia/Dallas rivalry which dates back decades. Dallas head coach Bill Parcells will try to pound the run before he unleashes Romo and the aerial assault, even though the Eagles handled the run against the Giants last week. After shutting down Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs, the Eagles have another dynamic duo to stop in Julius Jones and Marion Barber this week.