The Dallas Cowboys versus Philadelphia Eagles rivalry hasn’t always been the fiercest in the division.
Hierarchy in the NFC East ebbs and flows with essentially each coming year.
That’s apparent by the overstated fact that no team has repeated as NFC East champions since the Eagles won four straight from 2001-2004.
Fitting for America’s Team, their biggest division rival changes as well.
It’s usually based on whichever team leads the division in any particular year.
By those standards, the Cowboys’ current biggest rival is the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles have appeared in two Super Bowls in the past seven seasons, winning one in 2017.
Those accomplishments are enough ammo for Philly fans to think they are the best franchise in the world.
Despite the fact that Dak Prescott has an 8-3 advantage in head to head matchups, and two of those three losses came in his rookie and sophomore seasons.
On top of that, one of those losses was a meaningless Week 17 matchup where Prescott played just two series before hitting the bench.
For more in depth analysis on this topic, you can read an article I wrote a few weeks ago detailing just how much Dak owns Philadelphia.
As I continue my favorite Cowboys wins versus division rivals series, I couldn’t pick just three for Philadelphia.
The Eagles segment of my series will feature four games instead of three.
It kicks off with a game that I hold close to my heart based on my favorite quarterback to wear the star on his helmet.
Tony Romo Wins First Playoff Game
When: January 9, 2010
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Final Score: DAL 34, PHI, 14
Back Story
Dallas finished the regular season with an 11-5 record, and NFC East champions.
After securing the number one seed in the 2007 season, 2008 was derailed by a Tony Romo injury.
The 2009 season saw the Cowboys get right back on track, and hopes for a deep playoff run were high.
Week 17 was also a win versus the same Philadelphia Eagles team, blanking them by the score of 24-0.
Although they finished with identical 11-5 records, the Cowboys owned the tie breaker by winning both regular season matchups.
The win catapulted Dallas to the third seed in the NFC, while the Eagles loss dropped them to the sixth seed.
That setup an immediate rematch in the Wildcard round.
Dallas now had the unenviable task of beating the same team three times in one season.
Game Summary
The Cowboys received the opening kickoff, and drove right down the field.
However, the drive fell apart.
Facing a 1st & 10 at the Eagles 14 yard line, a series of unfortunate events led to a 4th & 32 from the 36.
Two penalties by Jason Witten followed by a nine yard loss on a sack by DE Chris Clemons pushed Dallas out of field goal range, and led to a punt.
The 1st quarter was uneventful, featuring a pair of punts by each team.
Dallas’ third possession bled into the 2nd quarter, and looked to befall the same fate.
A deep pass over the middle on 3rd down intended for WR Miles Austin resulted in a defensive pass interference penalty.
Setup with a 1st and Goal from the one yard line, Romo hit TE John Phillips for the touchdown, and a 7-0 lead.
Philadelphia answered right back, and it only took two plays.
Backup QB Michael Vick was brought in for a special package, and immediately hit speedy WR Jeremy Maclin for a 76 yard touchdown.
Knotted up 7-7, Romo and the Dallas offense went back to work.
This time driving down the field in nine plays, ending in a one yard touchdown run by RB Tashard Choice.
On the ensuing drive, Philadelphia punted after just four plays.
A nine play drive by Dallas ended in a Shaun Suisham field goal to put the Cowboys up 17-7.
Now down by 10 and feeling desperate, Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid again sent Vick in at quarterback hoping for a big play.
The big play was in Dallas’ favor.
Vick fumbled the football, and it was recovered by LB Bobby Carpenter at the Eagles 18 yard line.
Three plays later, Romo hit Austin for a six yard touchdown to put Dallas up 24-7.
Philadelphia turned the ball over again on their next drive.
Another fumble, this time recovered by LB Bradie James.
With 51 seconds left in the half, and the ball sitting on the Cowboys 41 yard line, Romo went to work again.
Aided by two Eagles penalties, Suisham knocked in a 48 yard kick as time expired in the 1st half.
Now leading 27-7 at halftime, the Cowboys were thirty minutes away from advancing to the Divisional round.
The 2nd half was relatively uneventful, and Dallas doled out enough damage in the 1st half for a comfortable lead.
After exchanging punts on three straight drives to open the half, Dallas broke the game wide open with a 73 yard touchdown run by RB Felix Jones.
The defense did the rest versus a now one dimensional Eagles offense down 34-7.
Philadelphia had one more scoring drive left in them, cutting the lead to 34-14 on a four yard touchdown pass from McNabb to DeSean Jackson.
The rest of their drives resulted in two failed 4th down attempts, and another lost fumble by McNabb on a sack by DeMarcus Ware.
Season Results
The win marked the first playoff win for the Cowboys since the 1996 season, and Tony Romo’s first playoff win as the Cowboys quarterback.
A playoff win over the rival Philadelphia Eagles tasted so much sweeter.
Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings defense would pummel the Cowboys the following week by the score of 34-3.
Romo and the Cowboys wouldn’t return to the Divisional round of the playoffs again until the 2014 season.
The Eagles went home with their tail feathers between their legs.
That loss would also mark the last game that QB Donovan McNabb would play in an Eagles uniform.