Dallas Cowboys Get X-Mas Scheduling Gift For Crucial Philadelphia Eagles Tilt

To some, the just-announced decision by the NFL (and, presumably, FOX network) to change the start time of the critical Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles contest from the original 1 PM ET kickoff to 4:15 PM ET will seem a relatively unimportant development. It is anything but that. There is at least one team, and possibly two depending on the result of tonight's Monday Night Football game, that will be playing at 1 PM ET next Sunday that could render the Eagles' performance against hated rival Dallas utterly moot. Those teams are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) and the Chicago Bears (8-6). If Tampa Bay wins their early game at home against woeful Oakland next week, then the Eagles will head into their contest knowing that they are officially out of the playoff picture. Similarly, if Chicago wins at home tonight against listless Green Bay, then the Bears also have the opportunity to knock Philly out of the playoff race with a victory this weekend at Houston. The NFL undoubtedly made this ... (link)