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Tonight’s match-up is easily the best early season game of the year. Both Dallas and Philadelphia have been popular choices to make deep playoff runs and both teams are coming off of impressive week 1 wins.  Philadelphia has been the most successful team in the league in terms of winning in Dallas over the past handful of years and in last season’s week 15 game Dallas could only manage two field goals in a 10-6 home field loss.  In week 9 of 2007 Dallas easily handled Philly, winning 38-17 behind Tony Romo’s 324 passing yards with 174 of those yards going to Terrell Owens.

The New York Giants have started the season 2-0 and both of these teams need the win in order to keep pace, but I have to believe the game is more important for Dallas.  First of all, you have to win your home games.  There are no guarantees on the road in the NFL, but good teams win home games, no exceptions.  Furthermore, Dallas and Philly meet again in week 17, a game that could potentially decide the division and home field advantage in the NFC.  If Philly is able to get a win tonight then they will have the early advantage in both the division and home field and the week 17 game could become a must-win game for Dallas.  Most teams prefer to rest their starters over the last week or two of the season and if Dallas is facing must-win games then they won’t likely be able to allow Romo and company any time to rest.  Another reason that this is such an important game is the Tony Romo situation.  With Tom Brady out for the year and Peyton Manning struggling to find his timing, Romo is leading the group of next “best QB’s in the league” and will be shouldering more pressure than ever.  For a guy that is already feeling the heat for two sub par playoff showings the bright lights of a Monday Night Game against a division rival will be a lot to handle.  At the very least we will all see what Tony Romo is really made of tonight and over the course of this season.  If he is able to perform under great expectations and play well in the post-season then Dallas will be a strong contender for a title this season and beyond.  If Romo isn’t able to come through then Dallas will continue to field strong regular season teams that will only win a championship if they can do it in spite of their quarterback play, which rarely occurs.

So tonight is the beginning of the end for the Dallas Cowboys.  It’s just a matter of whether that end will result in rings or extended off-seasons.

Josh Rounsville

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