As a wise man once said, 50 per cent of this game is physical, and the other 90 per cent is mental.  When in doubt, go to Yogi Berra to apply the Kiss theory, and Keep it Simple, Stupid.

It’s not just the Dallas fans that are largely delusional.  Man, soon to observe my 16th anniversary of living amongst them in Ft. Worthless, Texas, I’ve had many an opportunity to listen to a lot of rhetoric from them.  Fans and media alike.  Former players like Michael Irvin, whom I consider one of the stupidest people to ever walk the earth. Not so much the decent, knowledgable portion of their fan base, scant as it is, but the fools perspective on this game is off the wall.

They really think they are playing chopped liver today.  Two early scores, and holding on for dear life against a previusly unbeaten Who Dat Squad, and a shutout of the totally disinterested Redskin unit, and they think their December woes are history.  Little do they realize that a lot more often than not, good clubs win, bad clubs don’t.  So delusional are they that the standard of excellence in Texas now is winning a playoff game.  That hasn’t happened since Jesus and Joseph Christ played catch in the back yard, and the immense passage of time has these yahoos forgeting that there’s a lot more football left beyond winning 1 critical game.  Hell, if they win today, lets get the trophy on the pedestal and forget even wild card weekend.
 
Additionally, there’s the absurd perspective of a win toay over the Iggles completely erases the debacle of 44-6.  Forty freaking four, mind you.  That greatness was as large as the Red Sox miracle comeback of 0-3 when they defied history, and slapped the New York Yankees on their backs.  Ain’t a thing in this or any other world gonna ever erase those achievements, just like no Phillie fan will ever forget 1964.  Ease the pain with a win today?  Oh, to be sure.  But you don’t forget a literally season ending shellacking like that against a rival left for dead three hours before,  saved by multiple upsets to position them with life  until after the universe ends.  These idiots don’t seem to realize that the only time the Eagles and Dallas matched up in an NFC title game was during a stretch when Dallas lost 3 straight NFC title games.  That’s God’s team?  Not to mention 20-7, Eagles, if yous are scoring a home.

Course its appropriate to relate the relavance of all this by asking what this has to do with the price of rice in Japan?   Not much.  It matters more what the players and coaches mental approach is on the field.  But don’t kid yourself for a minute.  Someone in the Eagle organization is sure to read the bellowing of Jean Jacques Taylor this morning in the Dallas Morning News, and remind themselves how right it is to hate the Dallas Cowboys and the overrated publicity machine that they are.  For example…
<<IRVING – No way your Cowboys lose today.
Not at home. Not with the NFC East title at stake. Not when they have a chance at redemption after turning in the most gutless performance in franchise history against these same Eagles in last year’s season finale.
It won’t happen. >>

<<Win this game and the players on this roster will believe they’re capable of doing far more than just ending this franchise’s embarrassing streak of 12 seasons without a playoff victory.
No way they waste this opportunity.>>

Dallas fans will look at the schedule today if they do win, and think they repeated next weekend by mistake.  If they win.  They’re not winners even if they do.  Frauds and fools, in one collective bunch.

I’m only thinking Super Bowl. This team has done the playoff thing many-a-time, and while I don’t take it for granted, everyone knows McNabb and Reid won’t be fully vindicated in many fans eyes if they don’t win the big one.

I didn’t think the Eagles could win 3 road games last year, and I don’t think they can this year. But THIS YEAR, they have a chance at a Bye, and in my opinion, a chance at the Super Bowl.

So, while I do think this game is bigger than last year’s I do not think we are here right now without last year’s success.  It’s because of that 44-6 thumping that they are in this game.

I agree Adam, especially after the Eagles had given up control of their destiny, and the miracle of Oakland beating Tampa Bay minutes before pumped more life into the respirator.  The one way I woul define this as bigger is its 1 less chance for this core to get it done.  Time grows shorter by the year.  That’s a stretch since that measurement could be applied to a lot o circumstances.