A new rivalry is born: Carson Wentz versus Dak Prescott
Who would have thought that Eagles fans could grow to despise the Cowboys even more than they already did?
The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys didn’t really need anything to happen to make their rivalry more intense than it already was, but it happened anyway. The Eagles traded up, not once but twice, to secure the second pick in last April’s draft. That pick became quarterback Carson Wentz.
The theory was both Wentz and Jared Goff would be the first two names to come off of draft boards. The rumor was Wentz was the guy Philadelphia actually wanted. The hope was he could show signs that he was capable of leading a franchise for ten-plus years. Seeing him make play after play for a team that didn’t have much else to brag about offensively has taught us that may be a very real possibility.
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Then, there’s “America’s Team”. The Cowboys threw all of their cards in and struck gold in the first round of the NFL Draft with the former Ohio State Buckeyes star Ezekiel Elliott, but they, too, found a signal caller. In the fourth round, they selected Dak Prescott of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Anyone who watched more than five minutes of Prescott at the collegiate level knew he had the potential to be great. Nobody could have guessed he’d be a potential candidate for league MVP at the close of the 2016 season.
Eagles fans endured a rough season for two reasons. One, the Eagles weren’t very good. Secondly, it was a phenomenal season for their rivals. The Cowboys had a chance to make a ton of noise once the playoffs began. Truthfully, a season-ending victory over Dallas did little to dull the pain of a season that was full of near-misses, mental mistakes and heartbreaking losses. The Eagles walked into AT&T Stadium earlier in the year and, basically, handed the Cowboys a victory. Philadelphia never forgot that, and you better believe their fans haven’t either.
Next season, the Eagles will lock horns with the Cowboys twice. It’s been the same story forever, but now, that story has a new wrinkle. Both teams have found their quarterback of the future. Wentz has never lost so much in his life. Prescott has never achieved this level of fanfare. The winner in all of this is the fans. Buckle up everybody. We all may be about to witness some good football between these two proud franchises for a long time to come.