Eagles vs. Cowboys: The picks

I'm looking at two factors here to outweigh my misgivings about Asante Samuel suddenly looking more iffy for Sunday: I think the Eagles will score a lot of points on this Dallas defense, and Andy Reid with extra days to prepare is money in the bank.

Yeah, it bothers me that under Jason Garrett, the Cowboys are playing like the team they were supposed to be this season. And at some point, the things that caused Dallas to start out 1-7 will start to matter again, when the Garrett adrenaline wears off.

This is a big game for the Eagles, in a year when somebody seems likely to go 10-6 and miss the playoffs in the NFC. They've responded well this season when Reid circles the date.

Prediction: Eagles 31, Cowboys 29.

A few weeks ago, when the Cowboys were foundering, the games against Dallas looked like two to put in the win column for the Eagles. Now, not so much.

Since Wade Phillips' firing and Jason Garrett's promotion to interim head coach, the Cowboys have won thre of four.

It helps the Eagles that Tony Romo still is out with a broken clavicle and that Dez Bryant is out for the season with a fractured fibula. And it helps that the Cowboys defense gives up gobs and gobs of passing yards and touchdowns.

If the Cowboys run against the Eagles as effectively as they have the last four games and force a few turnovers, it could be a long trip home for Andy Reid's team. But I don't see Michael Vick and Co. becoming a turnover machine 13 games into the season. The Eagles are 51-2 under Reid when they score 30 or more points.

Make it 52-2.

Prediction: Eagles 38, Cowboys 28.