The Eagles entered Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season with a chance to make a statement. Philadelphia already had the NFL's best record at 10-1 and the team was facing the 49ers, who many believed to be their top challenger in the NFC.
Win, and the Eagles would cement their status as the conference's top team while building a two-game lead in the race for the No. 1 seed. Lose, and that would allow other teams an opportunity to dream about landing a postseason bye.
Consider the door now ajar.
The 49ers earned an easy 42-19 victory over the Eagles. San Francisco saw Brock Purdy throw for four touchdowns in a game where Philadelphia's defense failed to contain the 49ers offense. The 49ers did all their scoring in the final three quarters and overcame a 6-0 deficit to earn the win.
The Eagles' defeat drops them to 10-2 on the season. While they still have the best record in the NFL and are the No. 1 seed in the NFC, their perch atop the conference is hardly safe. And even their grasp on the top spot in the NFC East is now tenuous at best.
Why is that? Well, the Cowboys are on a winning streak of their own, having won four consecutive games since a 28-23 loss to the Eagles in Week 9.
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Just how close is Dallas to overtaking Philadelphia in the NFC East? Here's what to know about the NFC East standings.
NFC East standings
The NFC East is going to be a two-horse race this season, but it will be a good one. The Eagles and Cowboys are among the four best teams in the conference, and both will be in the running for the conference's No. 1 seed.
The Commanders and Giants will be competing as well, but that will be more about which team gets the better draft pick.
Below is a look at the NFC East standings with all of the division's Week 13 results now in.
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1 | Eagles | 10-2 |
| 2 | Cowboys | 9-3 |
| 3 | Giants | 4-8 |
| 4 | Commanders | 4-9 |
Philadelphia is clinging to the top spot in the NFC East, but Dallas is poised to challenge the rival for it in Week 14. The two are set to square off in a game that will go a long way toward determining which team will control the tiebreakers in the division.
At present, the Eagles have a head-to-head win over the Cowboys, so that is the most important mark in the race as of now. But if the Cowboys beat the Eagles, they will eliminate that advantage while having a slightly better divisional record than the Eagles. That would temporarily give the Cowboys control of the division.
So, suffice it to say that the Week 14 meeting between Dallas and Philadelphia will be of the utmost importance for the NFC East. An Eagles win would all but wrap up the race in Philadelphia's favor.
But if the Cowboys can beat the Eagles and earn a measure of revenge, then the race will be among the NFL's most exciting ones to follow over the final four weeks of the season.
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Eagles remaining schedule
The Cowboys are easily the most difficult opponent remaining on the Eagles' schedule. After they play Dallas, they won't play another team with a winning record; they will just have to face the Seahawks, who are currently 6-6, in Week 15.
Below is a look at the final five weeks of the Eagles' 2023 season.
| Week | Opponent | Record |
| 14 | at Cowboys | 9-3 |
| 15 | at Seahawks | 6-6 |
| 16 | vs. Giants | 4-8 |
| 17 | vs. Cardinals | 3-10 |
| 18 | at Giants | 4-8 |
MORE: Why Roger Goodell and the NFL might ban the Eagles' 'Tush Push'
Cowboys remaining schedule
The Cowboys have a tougher remaining schedule than the Eagles. They have to face Philadelphia, who is the top team in the NFC, while also playing the Dolphins, who own the best record in the AFC after 12 weeks at 9-3. Also on the docket are the 9-3 Lions, who are poised to win the NFC North in 2023.
Below is a look at the final five weeks of the Cowboys' 2023 season.
| Week | Opponent | Record |
| 14 | vs. Eagles | 102 |
| 15 | at Bills | 6-6 |
| 16 | at Dolphins | 9-3 |
| 17 | vs. Lions | 9-3 |
| 18 | at Commanders | 4-9 |
That's all the more incentive for the Cowboys to put their best foot forward against the Eagles in what should be a close Week 14 rivalry game. They have less room for error on their schedule than do their divisional counterparts.
