The Dallas Cowboys have been told they are "meaningless" to the Philadelphia Eagles after bungling a 17-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, blowing hopes of a blockbuster NFL clash at AT&T Stadium on Christmas Eve.
Dallas were beaten 40-34 by the Jaguars in overtime, dropping Mike McCarthy's team to 10-4, giving the 13-1 Eagles a commanding lead atop the NFC East in the process with the number one seed almost secured with plenty of time to spare.
As a result, what promised to be a high-stakes clash between the old rivals on Saturday is of little importance to the Eagles' season. And after spraining his shoulder in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, star quarterback Jalen Hurts is listed as "questionable" to play.
With very little on the line for the Birds, it is expected Hurts will be rested and his backup Gardner Minshew will stand in, diminishing the anticipated spectacle even further.
After the Cowboys' defeat to the Jags, ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith says they are no longer relevant to the Eagles, who have earned the right to coast into the post-season and ensure their QB is 100 per cent fit.
"If you're the Philadelphia Eagles, you don't have to concern yourself with that," he said on First Take. "This game is drastically minimized in its importance because the Dallas Cowboys didn't go to Jacksonville, Florida and handle their business.
"They let Trevor Lawrence pick them apart, they let Zay Jones pick them apart, they let (Travis) Etienne pick them apart. This is what they did, they gave up a 27-10 lead, they got outscored 30-7 from that point forward. This is the Dallas Cowboys' fault, so this big-time game that we've all been looking forward to is no longer that important because the Philadelphia Eagles are sitting comfortably atop not just the NFC East but the NFC.
"The Dallas Cowboys are the ones that have to continue to play and exert 100 per cent effort to prove and provide their relevance. They've got to get their run defence together, they have got to get their pass defence together, obviously, because you've got these things to be worried about.
"The Philadelphia Eagles have no such thing, so as a result of that I love them going into Big D and sending a message. I hope Jalen Hurts is there, travelling with the team, sitting up there with his clipboard. Let it be of importance to the Dallas Cowboys faithful because they are the ones that need this game.
"The Philadelphia Eagles do not, so the Dallas Cowboys will not be playing against Jalen Hurts, they will be playing against Gardner Minshew. As a result, they should win the game but the Eagles are going to keep it interesting and they are going to scare the Cowboys fans out there."
Smith is picking the Cowboys to get the job done if MVP frontrunner Hurts is inactive on Saturday, but he believes the result of this game is now irrelevant with the NFC playoff picture starting to become clear.
He said: "They are probably going to lose the game, but it's no big deal, a mere bag of shells because they handled their business and the Dallas Cowboys didn't. The Dallas Cowboys haven't earned the right to go up against Jalen Hurts while he's less than 100 per cent.
"That is the position he has earned. He does not need to expend his energy playing against the Dallas Cowboys, who are meaningless right now to the Philadelphia Eagles. They have no problem with them whatsoever right now. The Dallas Cowboys will win this game, but so what?"
