Is This a Must-Win Game for the Eagles?

No, it's not.

There are three kinds of "must-win" games.  The first is when a loss would immediately, mathematically or realistically end your season.  The killer late-season loss by the Phillies that dropped them two back of the Padres and Dodgers with three to play was just such a game.  They still had a mathematical chance, but realistically their season ended right there.  A loss this week drops the Eagles to 3-2 (0-2 in the division) and into no worse than a tie for second place with the Redskins.  It's not where they wanted to be at this point when the season started, but it's not that bad a position to be in.

The second kind of must-win game is when a loss would cause so much damage to the team's psyche that it could derail the season right then and there.  That's not going to happen with this team, for a couple of reasons.  This is a veteran bunch.  They've been through the highs and the lows together, they understand it's a long season, and they know it's all about how you finish -- not how you start.  Also, and I hate to say this, there are some pre-built excuses for a loss this weekend.  Most of them start with the injury report, which as of right now includes Westbrook, Brown, Stallworth, Sheppard and Hood.  The best guess right now is that Westbrook, Brown and Sheppard will be out there, but if the Eagles lose to the Cowboys with less than their best on the field, they're not likely to throw their hands up and say, "Well, we just can't beat these guys."

The final kind of must-win game is one that sets post-season positioning.  Don't get me wrong here, this game has playoff implications, but in some ways, losing this game wouldn't be as bad as losing the Packers game would have been.  That seems counterintuitive, since this is a division game and only the Single Most Important Sporting Event Ever in the History of the Universe, but let me explain.

In the NFL, good teams have the majority of their success against bad teams.  In 2005, only six teams in the entire league had a winning record against the teams on their schedule that finished with a winning record.  And two of those teams didn't even make the playoffs (Kansas City, Miami).  As a group, the 12 playoff teams only finished 47-45 against teams with winning records during the regular season.

What got them to the playoffs, then, was taking care of business against the bad teams.  Those same 12 teams finished 91-9 against teams that ended up with losing records.  That is why the Eagles CANNOT lose to the Green Bay Packers of the world, but can afford to stub their toe a bit against a good team like the Cowboys, especially when they get another shot at them later in the year.

So no, it's not a must-win for the Eagles this week, but of course the typically calm Eagles fan base doesn't see it the same way...