Eagles-Cowboys: Start time, how to watch and stream NFC East face-off

It’s the game Birds fans have been waiting for. The Eagles will face off against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field with the NFC East on the line and the only remaining shot at the playoffs within reach. Needless to say, longtime Eagles announcer Merrill Reese is excited.

Both teams are 7-7 entering Sunday’s pivotal match-up. Not only is the division on the line, the outcome could have an oversized impact on the Eagles’ TV schedule next season.

If the Eagles win Sunday, fans can expect to see the Birds scheduled for five primetime games and three Sunday Night Football games next year, and a good amount of high-profile windows throughout the season.

But if the Cowboys win, the Eagles will be a non-playoff team with a .500 record at best. According to the NFL’s broadcasting department, that could cause a dramatic ripple effect on next year’s schedule, where networks don’t line up for Eagles games, and the team ends up in low-exposure windows with second-tier broadcast crews.

Calling the game will be longtime Fox Sports announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, with Erin Andrews handling sideline reporting duties. Recently, Aikman has suggested he’s interested in leaving the booth to becoming the general manager of an NFL team, which would force Buck to start from scratch and build a relationship with a new analyst.

“Is it something that worries me? No,” Buck told the Inquirer. “But is it something I’d prefer to not have to do? Absolutely.”

Here’s everything you need to know to watch and stream Sunday’s game:

When: Sunday, Dec. 22

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Time: 4:25 p.m. kickoff

TV: Fox29 (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews)

Streaming: Fox Sports app (requires cable authentication), fuboTV (free 7-day trial), YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Playstation Vue, DirecTV Now (all require a subscription)

Mobile: Eagles app, NFL Mobile app, Yahoo Sports app, Yahoo Fantasy Football app (free on smartphones and tablets within the Philadelphia market)

Radio: WIP-FM (94.1) (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Howard Eskin)

Spanish radio: La Mega, 105.7 FM (Rickie Ricardo, Gus Salazar)

Referee: Tony Corrente

Week 16 FOX 4:25 p.m. coverage map, via 506 Sports (Red is Eagles-Cowboys):

If you weren’t fired up about Eagles-Cowboys after a week of buildup, just watch this hype video narrated by former Phillies great Chase Utley:

As with every Eagles game, staff writers Jeff McLane, Les Bowen, Paul Domowitch, and EJ Smith will be covering all the action live on Twitter. Notes and observations about the game will be at Inquirer.com/eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Early Birds newsletter.

ESPN’s long-running pregame show Sunday NFL Countdown will broadcast live from XFINITY Live! beginning at 10 a.m. Host Sam Ponder will be joined by analysts Tedy Bruschi, Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Rex Ryan, and Louis Riddick — a Bucks County native and former Eagles scout who has steadily risen through the ranks to become one of ESPN’s most-respected voices.

Pregame coverage on Fox29 begins at 10 a.m. with Fox29 Gameday Live at 10 a.m., featuring Bill Anderson, Gary Cobb, Kristen Rodgers, and Howard Eskin. The network’s national pre-pregame show, Fox NFL Kickoff, will air at 11 a.m., hosted by Charissa Thompson with analysts Tony Gonzalez, Dave Wannstedt, Colin Cowherd, and Michael Vick. Fox NFL Sunday, hosted by Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee alongside analysts Howie Long, Michael Strahan, and Jimmy Johnson, follows at noon.

Over on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Eagles Pregame Live, hosted by Michael Barkann and featuring Seth Joyner, Ray Didinger, and Barrett Brooks, will begin live at noon. Ed Rendell will join the crew for Eagles Postgame Live. Birds Outsiders, hosted by Jason Ashworth, Roy Burton, and WPEN-FM’s Natalie Egenolf, airs immediately after the postgame show.

As far as other local network pregame shows go, CBS3 will air CBS3 Sunday Kickoff at 10:30 a.m. (featuring Don Bell, Lesley Van Arsdall, and Pat Gallen). NBC10 will air Eagles Gameday Kickoff at 9:30 a.m. (hosted by Danny Pommells), followed by Eagles GamePlan at 10 a.m. (featuring John Clark, Ike Reese, and Mike Quick).

Sunday, Sept. 8: Eagles 32, Redskins 27

Sunday, Sept. 15: Falcons 24, Eagles 20

Sunday, Sept. 22: Lions 27, Eagles 24

Thursday, Sept. 26: Eagles 34, Packers 27

Sunday, Oct. 6: Eagles 31, Jets 6

Sunday, Oct. 13: Vikings 38, Eagles 20

Sunday, Oct. 20: Cowboys 37, Eagles 10

Sunday, Oct. 27: Eagles 31, Bills 13

Sunday, Nov. 3: Eagles 22, Bears 14

Sunday, Nov. 10: Bye week

Sunday, Nov. 17: Patriots 17, Eagles 10

Sunday, Nov. 24: Seahawks 17, Eagles 9

Sunday, Dec. 1: Dolphins 37, Eagles 31

Monday, Dec. 9: Eagles 23, Giants 17

Sunday, Dec. 15: Eagles 37, Redskins 27

Sunday, Dec. 22: Cowboys at Eagles, 4:25 p.m., Fox29

Sunday, Dec. 29: Eagles at Giants, 1 p.m., Fox29