'Brotherly Love': Cowboys at Eagles and the One Area In Which Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman Agree

Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman Have Their Differences. But When It Comes To Their Thoughts On Week 16 and Cowboys at Eagles? It's All 'Brotherly Love'
'Brotherly Love': Cowboys at Eagles and the One Area In Which Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman Agree
'Brotherly Love': Cowboys at Eagles and the One Area In Which Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman Agree /

FRISCO - More than ever, the differing opinions - on lots of things - of Troy Aikman and Jerry Jones have been recently exposed. But when it comes to their thoughts on what might happen in Week 16's showdown featuring the Dallas Cowboys at the Philadelphia Eagles? Their views expose some "brotherly love.''

"The City of Brotherly Love will be certainly happy to see the Cowboys come to town,'' Cowboys owner Jones told us of his anticipation for the passionate fun that awaits. "And they won’t disappoint."

Jerry believes his embattled coach, Jason Garrett, will avoid disappointing, too. It so happens that likely lame-duck Garrett's record as a Dallas head coach at Philly is a stunning 7-2.

"Nothing I'd like more,'' Jerry said of a run into the NFL Playoffs, "than to ride (Garrett's) coattail into a fairy tale here."

Aikman, the former Cowboys QB and Hall-of-Famer who will telecast the game for FOX Sports, said he thinks Dallas - despite being on just a one-game winning streak - is fully capable of going on a run, now and into the postseason.

“When they’re playing their best football, they can be a tough out,'' Aikman said of the Cowboys, 2.5-point favorites this weekend. "I’m not sure anybody would really want to see this team when they’re playing their best.”

If the Cowboys can "play their best'' (an all-too-rare happening this season) and win on Sunday in Philly, they’ll wear the crown of NFC East champions for the fourth time in six years. And if they lose? The Eagles will capture the title and a playoff berth with an ensuing Week 17 win against the Giants. Dallas, which plays Washington in Week 17, would remain alive ... but barely, as they wouldn't "control their own destiny,'' as has been the case for the Cowboys for weeks.

Jerry, confident that the injured QB Dak Prescott will play and play well. can visualize his "fairy-tale ending.'' So can Troy. (All of this despite their varying views on how to actually run a football team. Our exclusive with Jerry on the subject is here.) And the 7-7 Dallas locker room?

“I just don’t think there’s a lot of teams who could just line up in front of us and just beat us,” said running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is 5-0 lifetime vs. the Eagles. “We have very good personnel, a very good offensive line. ... I think it’s tough for them to stop us.”


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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.