Dallas Cowboys Have 'Firepower' to Beat Eagles to Super Bowl, Insists Analyst
Stacking the best teams in the NFC has been pretty straightforward this season. The Philadelphia Eagles are a class above their competitors, and although the San Francisco 49ers haven’t put an end to their three-game losing streak, most feel that they’re the second-best team in the conference.
The Detroit Lions are America’s sweethearts, the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks seem destined for a Wild-Card berth, and everybody else is a different shade of mediocre, if not worse.
Most would make sure to rank San Francisco ahead of Dallas, especially after Week 5’s 42-10 trouncing. But if any team is going to beat Philadelphia, it’ll be a matter of matchups, not résumés.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb makes a catch against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Are the Cowboys still the biggest threat to the Eagles in the NFC? One ESPN analyst thinks so.
Wednesday morning, Louis Riddick appeared on “Get Up” and discussed the state of affairs in the NFC.
“They have the firepower to be able to match this football team on any given Sunday,” Riddick said. “And go ahead and be the representative for the NFC in the Super Bowl.”
Of course, Dallas lost in Philadelphia just days ago, 28-23. Marred by Terence Steele’s bad outing, some questionable calls, and more unproductive days from secondary pass-catchers, the Cowboys were unable to find a road win and incite chaos across the conference.
Moral victories don’t count for much in the standings, but they did play the Eagles close, and quarterback Dak Prescott is still a top-two quarterback in the conference. That’s certainly a factor come January, should these teams meet in the playoffs.
Riddick pointed to Dallas’ offensive line as a reason for optimism and suggested that few teams are closer to putting it all together.
“If this offensive line can stay intact,” Riddick said. “Guys like Jalen Tolbert … can continue to earn Dak’s trust so he has someone else to go to other than CeeDee [Lamb].”
Having one of the league’s most dynamic defenses doesn’t hurt, either.
“Micah and the defense are gonna be there,” he said. “They’re playing championship-caliber defense. Dallas is fine right now, they just need to keep developing on what they have started to build over the past three weeks.”
The jury is out on how the Cowboys will rebound after the loss (a Week 10 date with the laughable New York Giants should help), but the offense seems to be on the right track. Fans will learn more about the fate of their franchise when the Eagles come to visit, but as things stand, Dallas could very well prefer to play their rivals in the playoffs.
San Francisco has its number and all the pressure that comes with it. Another close contest with Philadelphia in Week 14 will only add context, but the football world would be best served with a third contest between these two teams—even if the Cowboys aren’t the second-best team in the conference.
