The players don't return from the bye week until Tuesday, but that doesn't stop us from taking a look at the team's stretch run and more in this edition of 5 Things To Know Today ...
1. THE PLAYOFF PICTURE IN THE NFC EAST
Both Dallas and the Eagles control their respective playoff scenarios with records of 6-5. If one of the team wins out – and that would include winning in Dallas on December 29 – that team wins the NFC East.
There are a multitude of scenarios regarding Wild Card possibilities, and those will be settled in time. At the moment, Dallas has the edge on the Eagles by virtue of the win in Philadelphia earlier this season, and by the fact that Dallas has a 4-0 record in the NFC East. But there are five games to go and the Cowboys and Eagles face difficult schedules leading into the season finale in Texas. Dallas hosts Oakland on Thursday and then enters December, which has not been a kind month for the Cowboys. Dallas is 11-13 in the last five Decembers.
2. McCOY STILL THE ONE ... IN RUSHING
Minnesota's Adrian Peterson rushed for 146 yards on Sunday in the Vikings' 26-26 tie in Green Bay to draw closer to LeSean McCoy at the top of the NFL's rushing list. McCoy has 1,009 rushing yards, 12 more than Peterson.
The last time an Eagle led the NFL in rushing yards? How about 1947, when Steve Van Buren ran for 1,146 yards in 1949? McCoy also has a chance to establish a franchise record for most rushing yards in a season. Wilbert Montgomery gained 1,512 yards in 1979. McCoy, then, needs 504 yards in the final five games to climb to the top of the charts for single-season rushing yards.
Coming Soon! go follow @drhoston pic.twitter.com/VU33tllb4z and checc http://t.co/uU8hBBbxmh join the fight vs bullies #GameChangers — Desean Jackson (@DeseanJackson10) November 24, 2013
3. JACKSON CONTINUES ANTI-BULLYING CRUSADE
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson captured the hearts of people all across the nation when he made an appearance on ABC's "The View" to support a then-13-year-old boy named Nadin Khoury, who was beaten by six older students and the attack was captured with a cell phone camera and turned viral.
Jackson continues the fight against bullies with a new children's book called, "No Bullies in the Huddle," which he wrote with Dr. William Hoston. The 32-page book is now available for pre-order at nobulliesinthehuddle.com and makes a perfect holiday gift.
4. THE FINAL FIVE: A TOUGH SCHEDULE AHEAD
Here is how the final five games shape up for the Eagles ...
| The Stretch Run | ||
|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Record | The Skinny |
| Arizona | 7-4 | Four straight wins; big-play offense |
| Detroit | 6-5 | 5 turnovers deadly vs. Tampa Bay |
| at Minnesota | 2-8-1 | Adrian Peterson has to win games by himself |
| Chicago | 6-5 | Offense missing QB Cutler; 'D' banged up |
| at Dallas | 6-5 | Big win at Giants on Sunday |
5. ELEVEN GAMES: THE TOP 11 INSTAGRAM PHOTOS
Before the Eagles begin to get ready for the final five games of the season, here is a look at the most-liked photos from the team's Instagram account ...
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