The Dallas Cowboys return to the scene where last year they played the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field with a playoff berth on the line. Instead of moving onto the postseason, the Cowboys absorbed their most lopsided loss, 44-6, since a 38-0 setback to the St. Louis Cardinals on a Monday night in 1970.

The problems Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo has confronted in December and the playoffs is reaching legendary status. The same player that looks nimble and bright in the first three months of his campaigns with the Cowboys, appears confused and overmatched in late season games.

Few things are more agonizing for Dallas fans than watching their quarterback melt when mettle is required.

On the other side of the ball tonight is the team that advanced to the playoffs last year with that resounding win over Dallas, the Donovan McNabb led Eagles. After a blowout win on opening day this year, against the Panthers in Carolina, Philadelphia was forced to play their second game without McNabb, who was injured in first week action. The visiting New Orleans Saints sliced, diced and mutilated the Eagles without their field general and pinned Philadelphia with a 20-point home loss, 34-14.

That defeat put the Eagles on trial, which in football teams means they have something to prove and are challenged to get it done. Again, without McNabb in third week action, the Eagles reversed their second week setback with a 34-14 win over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs.

On trial, acquitted by a 20-point win, and the Eagles then got their bye week and McNabb back before their Week Six meeting in Philadelphia against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just to prove their 20-point win before their open date was no fluke, they returned McNabb to the lineup with another convincing triumph, beating Tampa Bay, 33-14.

Trial over, Eagles found innocent of poor play.

But, in the NFL there is no double-jeopardy rule. A team can be acquitted one week and back on trail the next, and that is where the Eagles were the week after they fell in a huge upset to the Oakland Raiders in sixth week action. This time, Philadelphia bounced off that loss in Oakland with an unspectacular win over NFC East Division rival Washington in a Monday Night Football meeting. The win, the Eagles won by 10-points, did not serve to convince the football wagering world that they were back to being special, and the bettors made Philadelphia’s opponent last Sunday, the New York Giants, the most bet-on team of the week and a road favorite at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles were back on trial.

Again, for the third time this year, they responded to being on trail with another convincing win; this time by a 40-17 margin over Tom Coughlin’s squad. The result pinned the Giants with their third straight loss and took the Eagles off the hot seat.

The Eagles are favored today … and off trial.

Ok, let’s put it all together.

The Eagles hammered the Cowboys out of the postseason last December with a resounding victory in a month Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo is traditionally weak. They blew out the New York Giants last week as a home underdog, and now are favored over the Cowboys in a month Romo has a lifetime NFL record of 11-1 straight-up.

The Eagles succeed when on trial, but failed when they were in jeopardy in second week action off their big win against Carolina, and in sixth week play following their blowout win over Tampa Bay. Tonight, against the Cowboys, the Eagles are off-trial … something they won’t confront next week after suffering this loss.

Qoxhi Picks: Dallas Cowboys (+3) over Philadelphia Eagles