The Philadelphia Eagles had a golden opportunity to get a bye during the playoffs as well as host a playoff game, but they blew it when they rolled over against the Dallas Cowboys, who blanked the Eagles, 24-0, and in the process clinched the N.F.C. East crown. Sunday's game was ugly to take and watch if you were a Philly fan, as the offense was silent and the defense got gashed again by Tony Romo and the Cowboys' ground game. You can give credit to Dallas for making the plays, but I was shocked to see the Eagles come out as flat as they did. Are the Cowboys better than people give them credit for, or are the Eagles not as good as people think they are? Maybe the truth lies in between. I think the Eagles are a good team, but they got exposed on Sunday in certain areas that I am not sure can be corrected this late in the season. First off, they need to clamped down on the pass coverage and it was a bad game all around for the secondary, as well as their un defense. Secondly and I think this goes without saying, Donovan McNabb has to play better. He did not play well, and missed several key throws, including one to Jeremy Maclin that was slightly behind him, but would have been a huge gainer if thrown at the right spot. The way I look at it is this, with the N.F.C East title on the line, the Eagles failed to stop the run and were not able to generate the big plays that have helped them all season long. The Cowboys were the better team on Sunday, but that does not mean they will be the better team again on Saturday night. However, the Eagles can't play they way they did on Sunday or it will be a quick playoff exit for Philly.

There is one week left in the N.F.L. regular season and I can tell you that much will be decided this coming Sunday. For instance, the winner of the Dallas/Philly game will win the N.F.C. East and will have a shot at gaining a two-seed in the playoffs. I will write down all the playoff scenarios for you soon enough, but we know one thing. All of a sudden, the N.F.C. looks like it is open. The Eagles, who blew a 17-point lead against Denver and then hung on to win, have won six straight. The Saints and the Vikings look mere mortal. A couple of weeks ago, everyone had the Saints and the Vikings meeting for the N.F.C. Title game, now it is up for grabs. The Packers and the Cardinals are both rolling along as well. The Eagles have enough offense to score with anyone, but I see them go into hiding once in awhile, and it has happened several times this year. They will be dominate, but than they will get dominated. But, they are 11-4 and in very good shape -- thanks to the Bears win over the Vikings on MNF -- to get the No. 2 seed in the N.F.C. That is huge, it not only gives them a bye but it gives them home-field advantage a divisional playoff game, and if other things break, maybe home-field for the N.F.C Title game. Yes, much is on the line this Sunday, and the Vikings might want to show up and play the Giants. Minnesota has dropped three of four and they lost a heartbreaker to the lowly Bears last night. The Vikings have looked like a fraud of a team the last couple of weeks, and they had need to show some toughness come playoff time. They are talented as well, but one wonders if the fife between QB and coach will soon break this team apart. And finally, we have the Saints, who raced out to a 13-0 record, before losing to the Cowboys and then the Bucs of all teams. They have the offense and they had the defense early in the year, but they need to get that edge back. They have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but they were not as dominate as they were the first three months of the season. Right now, it is anyone guess as to who will be coming out of the N.F.C.