The Eagles rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys has produced some unforgettable moments. Just about every Eagles fan will remember Wilbert Montgomery's touchdown run in the 1980 NFC Championship Game and it's tough to forget Donovan McNabb's 14-second scramble. But the offense isn't the only unit to produce some spectacular plays for the Eagles over the years. The defense has also come up with a number of game-changing plays throughout the course of the rivalry.
Ahead of Sunday Night's showdown, here's a look at some of the top plays in which the Eagles corralled the Cowboys …
1995 - "They Stop Him Again"
On a cold and windy day at Veterans Stadium, the Eagles and Cowboys were tied at 17 in the game's final quarter. Faced with a fourth-and-one from their own 29-yard line, the Cowboys opted to go for it rather than kick into the wind. Emmitt Smith was stuffed at the line, but the officials ruled that the two-minute warning had occurred just before the snap, meaning Dallas would get another try. Once again, the Cowboys handed the ball to Smith, and once again, the Eagles were up to the challenge. The Eagles took advantage of the stellar field position, kicking a 42-yard field goal to send the Cowboys home unhappy.
2013- The BoyKing Shuts The Door
Week 17 brought about the biggest test of Chip Kelly's first NFL season. The Eagles and Cowboys squared off in a winner-take-all, win-or-go home regular season finale with the NFC East on the line. The Eagles never trailed in the game, but with 1:49 left on the fourth-quarter clock, the Cowboys had the ball trailing by just two points. Just as doubt started to creep in for fans and the thought of missing out on the playoffs became more of a possibility, Brandon Boykin made the biggest play of his young career by stepping in front of Miles Austin to intercept Kyle Orton, clinching the NFC East.
2008 – 44-6
The 2008 season finale also pitted the two sides against one another with the NFC East title on the line. That seems to be a recurring thing lately. Unlike the 2013 game, 2008 was as one-sided a game as can be. The Eagles dominated the Cowboys to the tune of 44-6, with 14 of those points coming directly from the Eagles defense. Early in the third quarter after the Cowboys had driven to the Eagles 19-yard line, Brian Dawkins forced a Tony Romo fumble that was recovered and ran back 73 yards for a touchdown by Chris Clemons. On the ensuing Cowboys drive, Dallas once again voyaged deep into Eagles territory, but Weapon X was there to shut the door again. This time, he stripped Marion Barber at the 2-yard line. Joselio Hanson picked up the ball and ran it back 96 yards for another touchdown.
2006 - The Lito Shuffle
Week 5 of the 2006 season added an extra element of fuel to the Eagles fans' burning dislike for the Cowboys. Terrell Owens, the former Eagles star whose stint in Philadelphia lasted just over one season, returned to Lincoln Financial Field for the first time wearing the Dallas star.
The game went back and forth with the Eagles taking the 31-24 lead in the fourth quarter, but with under five minutes to play, the Cowboys began building an impressive drive. As time continued to tick off the clock, the Cowboys were able to systematically drive down the field. With 35 seconds left, the Cowboys had driven down to the Eagles six-yard line and were poised to tie the game, but a second down pass was intercepted by Lito Sheppard two yards deep in the end zone and the Eagles cornerback took it the distance for the clinching touchdown of the Eagles' 38-24 win.
1996 - Willis To Vincent For Six
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It's sometimes eerie how history can repeat itself, and the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry is no exception. Ten years before Sheppard intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back in the final minute to secure a victory, James Willis did the same thing. Well, almost.
With the Eagles leading 24-21, Willis intercepted Troy Aikman in the end zone and ran it back to the 10-yard line before lateralling the ball to Troy Vincent to take care of the rest. Vincent sprinted 90 yards to pay dirt, allowing the Eagles to lock in the victory.
