To all of them, this is just an NFC East game, a critical one as the Eagles prepare for two division games in a span of five days. Winners of four straight games, the Eagles are playing excellent football, so preparing for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday truly is a routine. Nothing different.

This has been an upbeat locker room all week, naturally, so let's catch the vibe as Philadelphia prepares to renew its rivalry against Dallas …

Nakobe Dean: One special play, and a new challenge ahead

Every player dreams of ending a game, no matter how it happens. A big run. A touchdown catch. The tackle to end it. In the case of linebacker Nakobe Dean, his end-of-game interception on Sunday against Jacksonville was a thing of beauty and very, very necessary.

"It was a play that needed to be made," Dean said of his leaping pick. "We had our backs against the wall. A touchdown there would have put them up. The defense knew what it had to do. We had to stop them. So somebody had to go out and make a play.

"Making a big-time play is what everybody dreams about. It doesn't matter how it happens."

It happened with Dean leaping and making the catch, an athletic move if …

"Well, the more and more I watch it, the less athletic it seems," he said, laughing.

The defense has been on point in this winning streak, with Dallas and quarterback Cooper Rush up next.

"I'm excited about how we've played, the progress we've made," he said. "We also know that we should have never let Jacksonville back in the game, so we have a lot of improvement to make. Dallas is a team we are treating it the same. In the words of (Defensive Coordinator) Vic Fangio, everything is the same no matter who is playing. They have a very capable backup in Cooper Rush, so I don't think things will be too much different."

Mekhi Becton: The power of belief

Not only has offensive lineman Mekhi Becton made the transition from the New York Jets to the Eagles, he's moved from tackle inside to guard without much of a hiccup. Pretty remarkable for a man who has spent much of his football career on the edge.

"Jeff Stoutland (run game coordinator/offensive line coach) has worked with me, gone through reps with me, and he believes in me and that goes a long way," Becton said. "I feel natural in there and that comes from a lot of work, a lot of reps, and making sure I'm on top of my technique."

The Eagles have seen plenty of positive results from their free-agency activity prior to the season – players like running back Saquon Barkley, linebacker Zack Baun, and Becton have been major contributors. The ability to project how a player will fit into a new system is tricky.

Becton is great case study of how to make it work.

"When a coach believes in you, it goes a long way," he said. "You wouldn't believe how important that is for a player, so I'm just trusting what I'm being taught and I'm feeling great out there."

Cooper DeJean: Youth served in the secondary

They are just rookies, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are, but they have been placed in positions of importance and trusted implicitly in the Eagles' defense. How has it worked so well, so fast?

DeJean credits trust.

"I think really the older guys in our room having trust in us to go out and do our jobs on the field and then teaching us and helping us prepare. They've been doing that since we got here," DeJean said. "They've treated us like we've been out there and we've been playing for a while. Everyone is on the same page. That's a big help, too."

Both Mitchell and DeJean have graded highly and been involved in huge moments halfway through their first NFL seasons. Coaching, preparation, talent, desire – all of that matters.

"Great coaching, for sure," DeJean said. "They've prepared us for this moment. We have a lot of young guys, guys who are eager to learn. We want to be big parts of the team and not play as 'rookies,' if you know what I mean. We're out there doing as we are taught."

Saquon Barkley: "I'm kinda over it"

You remember the leap, right? The Lincoln Leap, in reverse that totally ignited the world of football onlookers? The leap that everyone talked about all week?

Everyone, that is, except Barkley, who came off his 199-total yards, 2-touchdown game against Jacksonville and prepared for the next challenge.

"I'm kinda over it, to be honest with you," he said. "It was a great play and to be able to finally see and to see the reactions – that was probably my favorite part, seeing the reactions of my teammates and everyone else was pretty cool – but it's time to move on and get ready for next week.

"You have to stay in the right mindset and take it week by week because that's the kind of league this is. Three weeks ago – or however many weeks it was – there were memes and people laughing at me for dropping a pass (against Atlanta) when I was wide open. That's how it works – you have a 72-hour rule and then you move on."

Barkley is well aware of the rivalry between the Eagles and Cowboys – he paid attention when the team had its open Training Camp practice in August at Lincoln Financial Field and a fan wearing a Cowboys jersey in attendance was booed – but it's all about staying grounded and playing good football and keeping the momentum heading in the right direction.

"These division games mean more. They're more important and at the same time our process can't change and we have to finish strong and play a good game on Sunday," said Barkley, who did not play in a game with the Giants to beat Dallas. "The goal is always the same, no matter who we are playing."