Cowboys shooting for sweep of Eagles

Cowboys shooting for sweep of Eagles

Tight end Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys
is tackled by Trent Cole #58 of the Philadelphia
Eagles at Cowboys Stadium on January 3, 2010
in Arlington, Texas.

Dallas gets home rematch with Philadelphia and chance to end 13-year postseason slump in Saturday night NFC wildcard game.

Now, the Dallas Cowboys have to figure out how to do it again.

A week after shutting out the Philadelphia Eagles to clinch the NFC East title and shaking some of their reputation for late-season lapses, the Cowboys (11-5) stay home for a rematch tonight against their division rival.

It will be the first playoff game in team owner Jerry Jones's new $1.2-billion (U.S.) showplace stadium and a chance to end the 13-year postseason winless drought that is the longest in club history.

“This is when it all needs to come into place and unfold for us,” tight end Jason Witten said. “All that other stuff is great. … But I really believe that we know what's at stake and this when we need to play big.”

Two out of three won't be good enough for Dallas, which after beating Philadelphia (11-5) for the second time this season last Sunday got caps and T-shirts commemorating its division title.

“We've gotten a couple of those shirts and hats before,” Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said. “If you don't win this game, I don't think too many people are going to remember who won the NFC East.”

The 24-0 loss last weekend kept Philadelphia, which had won six in a row, from clinching the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. The Eagles instead are the No. 6 seed with no chance of a home playoff game.

Of course, Philadelphia made it to the NFC championship game as the No. 6 seed last year. And the Eagles have won their first game in seven consecutive postseason appearances since Andy Reid became coach and McNabb their quarterback in 1999.

They have 10 playoff victories in that span, Dallas none. But the Cowboys are rolling, not stumbling, into the playoffs this time.

For the first time since the 1996 season – the last time they won a playoff game and a year after their last Super Bowl – the Cowboys have a winning record in games played after Dec. 1.