In this Week 16 matchup, the 6-8 Philadelphia Eagles visit the 8-6 Dallas Cowboys in a very important NFC East matchup that could determine the playoff fates of both teams. Despite having only six wins with only two weeks left in the season, the Eagles have a chance at winning the division and heading the playoffs with an 8-8 record. In this big NFC East game with playoff implications, both the Eagles and Cowboys have important players injured that may factor into this game.

Dallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones
Wikimedia Commons

Out for Eagles: CB Asante Samuel

After missing practice all week with a hamstring injury, Samuel will miss the game against the Cowboys, making Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie the starter opposite Nnmadi Asomugha. A big hit to the Eagles secondary, Philadelphia may have a much tougher time covering the Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, and Laurent Robinson on Saturday. Joselio Hanson will be the Eagles nickelback.

Out for Cowboys: NT Josh Brent, WR Andre Holmes

Brent has five tackles this season and has been out with a knee injury for over a month. Holmes (hamstring) has yet to record any stats for the Cowboys this season.

Doubtful for Eagles: None

Doubtful for Cowboys: None

Questionable for Eagles: DT Trevor Laws

Fighting knee tendonitis, Laws, who also missed last week’s game against the New York Jets, is listed as questionable but did travel with the team. Laws, who has 19 tackles this season backing up Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson, should be available to play.

Questionable for Cowboys: CB Mike Jenkins, RB Felix Jones, S Danny McCray, WR Kevin Ogletree, NT Jay Ratliff, WR Laurent Robinson, LB DeMarcus Ware

The three main Cowboys listed as questionable this week are Jones (hamstring), Robinson (shoulder), and Ware (neck). All three of their injuries have been persistent but they should all be available for play this Saturday. Jones’s health is the most crucial this week, as the team would have to heavily play recently-signed RB Sammy Morris since DeMarco Murray is out for the year.

Probable for Eagles: RB Ronnie Brown, T Todd Herremans, DT Cullen Jenkins, WR Jeremy Maclin, DE Darryl Tapp, QB Michael Vick

The biggest names on this list are Maclin (hamstring) and Vick (ribs). All players listed as probable were full participants in the most recent practice and will play against the Cowboys.

Probable for Cowboys: G Kyle Kosier, LB Sean Lee, P Mat McBriar

Kosier (foot), Lee (wrist), and McBriar (left foot) have been dealing with these injuries all season and should all be available in Week 16 play.

Sources:

NFL Injuries, Yahoo! Sports

Asante Samuel News and Notes, Yahoo! Sports

Josh Brent Profile, Yahoo! Sports

Trevor Laws News and Notes, Yahoo! Sports

The NFL Injury Report, NFL

More from this contributor:

2011 NFL Week 16 Regional TV Schedule for December 24

New York Giants at New York Jets Week 16 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers Week 16 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Week 16 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts Week 16 Injury Report: Fan’s Preview

Austin Chang is a lifelong football fan, San Francisco 49ers supporter, and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @_austinchang.

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I was fine when the Dallas Cowboys lost to the New York Jets in Week 1 of the National Football League (NFL). Mistakes cost them the game but it was only the first week. Then in Week 4, the Cowboys gave up a 24-point lead at home against the Detroit Lions. That loss made me feel physically ill. Finally in Week 8, the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles. Of all the teams to get pummeled by, why did it have to be the Eagles? The Cowboys were 3-4 at that point and I was ready to fold. However, winning the last two games has given the Cowboys a great chance at redemption.

The Dallas Cowboys have a good chance to win their next three games.
commons.wikimedia.org/Mahanga

Resurgence

After a comfortable win against the Seattle Seahawks and a dominating performance against the Buffalo Bills, the Cowboys find themselves at 5-4. The game against the Bills was particularly impressive. The Cowboys played very well in all facets of that game. That was the game Cowboys fans have been waiting for.

Timing is Everything

The next three games for the Cowboys are the Washington Redskins (away), Miami Dolphins (home) and Arizona Cardinals (away). All three of these opponents have losing records. With a win against the struggling Redskins this week, the Cowboys will go two games over .500 for the first time this year.

Beasts of the East

The Cowboys are just one game behind the division-leading New York Giants. But that may change. The Giants have three difficult games ahead of them: Philadelphia Eagles (home), New Orleans Saints (away) and Green Bay Packers (home). The game against the Eagles will not be easy, the Saints are a playoff team and we know how good the Packers are. After these games, the Giants will visit the Cowboys for a much anticipated division showdown.

The Cowboys have a chance at redemption now. They can win their next three games. If they do, they will be 8-4 when the Giants come to town. They will have erased the hurt of the heartbreaking losses and given themselves a chance to compete for the division. But they cannot lose to the hapless Redskins this week. Not now. A loss would cripple us Cowboys fans. It would prolong the slow, painful death that has been the Cowboys’ 2011 season.

More from Edwin Torres:

Edwin Torres has been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since the days of Tony Dorsett and Roger Staubach. He enjoyed watching the Dallas teams of the 90s dominate opponents on both sides of the ball. Edwin also follows local teams such as the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. As a longtime fan of the National Football League, Edwin follows many interesting games and stories each week.

Sources:

SI.com – NFL

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The Dallas Cowboys beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 but did not look super in doing so. They also lost Miles Austin(notes) for the next few weeks and played without leading tackler Sean Lee(notes). In Week 10, the surprising Buffalo Bills (5-3) come to town and Dallas has to win this game if they want to have any kind of chance to wrestle the NFC East title out of the New York Giants’ grasp.

The biggest problem for Dallas comes in the form of Bills’ running back Fred Jackson(notes). When the season began, the Bills were reluctant to name Jackson the starting running back but finally relented when he complained about his status and tabbed him their No. 1 runner. He has responded with 803 rushing yards through the Bills first eight games, good enough for best in the AFC and third best in the NFL.

Dallas, on the other hand, entered the Philadelphia Eagles game two weeks ago as the best rushing defense in the nation. LeSean McCoy(notes), the top runner in the NFL after Week 9, responded with 185 rushing and and two touchdowns. The next week, Marshawn Lynch(notes) came into the game with Dallas with 263 total yards on the season and ran for 135 yards and a touchdown against Dallas. Jackson has five 100-yard rushing games on the year and Dallas will be hard pressed to stop him Sunday.

Of course, the same could be said for Buffalo stopping Dallas rookie DeMarco Murray(notes).

Handling the passing duties for the Bills is Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes). The young signal caller has almost identical numbers to the Cowboys’ Tony Romo(notes). While Romo throws for more yards, the two have an almost identical touchdown to interception ratio and similar completion percentage rates. Fitzpatrick’s QB rating is 0.1 higher than Romo’s. Fitzpatrick was just rewarded with a new contract extension for his work in Buffalo while Dallas fans want Romo out, which tells where each franchise sits in the NFL echelon.

Buffalo is a team on the way up. While they have lost three games over the past five weeks, they are still considered one of the surprise success stories of the NFL season. While Dallas has lost three games over the last five contests, they are one of the biggest disappointments. This game should be interesting as the two teams meet.

Dallas gets Sean Lee back in the lineup on defense, and while he will wear a cast, Dallas has to hope their defense steps up. They need all the help they can get to stop Jackson, Fitzpatrick and the suddenly dangerous Buffalo Bills.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys website

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By Jonathan Tjarks

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 8, 2011 – In the latest NFL Power Rankings from SBNation, the Dallas Cowboys made up the ground they lost after the Philadelphia debacle two weeks ago, moving up five slots to No. 16:

16. Dallas Cowboys (4-4, LW: 21): The Cowboys say this is the time to start separating from the pack. Games against the Bills, Redskins, Dolphins and Cardinals will help.

A solid if not spectacular 23-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday has Dallas back at .500, two games behind the New York Giants in the NFC East.

Now, after one of the most event-filled 4-4 starts in NFL history, the Cowboys schedule is set up for them to get back into the NFC playoff picture.

Only one of their next four opponents — the Buffalo Bills — are ranked above them in the Power Rankings. Two — the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins — are ranked among the league’s bottom five.

But while Dallas has the talent to go on a winning streak, their ability to stay consistent and avoid making silly mistakes and turnovers is still very much in question.

For more on America’s Team, check out Blogging The Boys.

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By Jonathan Tjarks

– Newsdesk contributor

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Dallas on Facebook.

Nov 8, 2011 – In the latest NFL Power Rankings from SBNation, the Dallas Cowboys made up the ground they lost after the Philadelphia debacle two weeks ago, moving up five slots to No. 16:

16. Dallas Cowboys (4-4, LW: 21): The Cowboys say this is the time to start separating from the pack. Games against the Bills, Redskins, Dolphins and Cardinals will help.

A solid if not spectacular 23-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday has Dallas back at .500, two games behind the New York Giants in the NFC East.

Now, after one of the most event-filled 4-4 starts in NFL history, the Cowboys schedule is set up for them to get back into the NFC playoff picture.

Only one of their next four opponents — the Buffalo Bills — are ranked above them in the Power Rankings. Two — the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins — are ranked among the league’s bottom five.

But while Dallas has the talent to go on a winning streak, their ability to stay consistent and avoid making silly mistakes and turnovers is still very much in question.

For more on America’s Team, check out Blogging The Boys.

Read More: Dallas Cowboys

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Dallas on Facebook.

Do you like this story?