Guaranteed: Eagles-Cowboys winner will be 1st in NFC East

ARLINGTON, Texas — Doug Pederson had to downplay some trash talk from one of his linebackers the previous time Philadelphia visited Dallas for a crucial NFC East meeting.

Now the coach of the Eagles is having to explain how he ended up on the bulletin board while the Cowboys respond the way they always have under stoic coach Jason Garrett. That is, by not responding.

Pederson said on his radio show that his Eagles were going to win Sunday night with the division lead on the line in a matchup of 3-3 teams coming off losses. He had to clarify to reporters that he never used the word “guarantee.”

“For me it was about standing up, kind of taking ownership of where we are as a football team,” Pederson said Wednesday. “And just showing confidence in my guys and kind of instilling that into the players, that everything’s going to be OK.

“Just like the Cowboys. Just like what Jason Garrett’s going through right now. I’m assuming he’s doing the same thing.”

Perhaps, but certainly not for public consumption with Dallas on a three-game losing streak after a 3-0 start.

Eagles-Cowboys preview

“My response is we’re excited about the challenge,” Garrett said Monday. “Obviously they’re a great football team and we’re going to focus on ourselves and what we need to do to prepare to play our best football on Sunday night.”

The Eagles have scored 24 points in the first quarter, but they have been shut out four times. The Cowboys are even worse with 20 points, including just three during the three-game skid.

Pederson is considering taking the ball if the teams wins the coin toss instead of deferring to the second half and giving the ball first to their opponent. The Eagles have won the toss 32 times since Pederson took over in 2016 and taken the ball just once.

“Put our offense out there and try to generate points early in the game and not fall behind,” Pederson said. “I think that’s all part of trying to start fast.”

Eagles rookie Miles Sanders is off to a quick start. He ranks third among running backs in scrimmage yards per touch (5.97). The Woodland Hills and Penn State product has a 30-plus yard play from scrimmage in four straight games.

Meanwhile, quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott are probably going to measure themselves against each other for years after coming into the league together in 2016.

Wentz was the No. 2 overall pick by the Eagles. Prescott was the overlooked fourth-round choice.

So here are the latest numbers: Prescott has the head-to-head edge 3-2 and the only playoff victory for either player. Wentz has the second contract after signing a four-year extension worth $128 million during the summer. Prescott is still waiting for a megadeal that should come eventually.

“Something that’s always fun,” Prescott said of the comparison. “Something we’ll be able to always, every matchup, look back and say what’s our record against each other or this versus that. Something that will always be cool to track. Credit him for what he’s doing, what he’s done.”