PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Even though the Eagles need some help on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes intact, their rookie quarterback is keeping is focus on the Dallas Cowboys.
The Eagles will be looking for a season sweep of the Cowboys on Sunday, having beaten them at Lincoln Financial Field earlier this year. Philadelphia also needs Washington to lose against Carolina to keep their division title hopes alive.
Fans and media will be keeping a close eye on Washington-Carolina, but Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said he and his teammates are going to focus on what they can control.
"We'll play the cards we're dealt. The chips will fall as they may," he said.
"Regardless of whatever goes down, it's about us. Not looking at the scoreboard, not worrying about anything else, anything external. Going out there and playing our best game, because you have an opportunity to do that."
Asked about that "external stuff," Hurts said he has been paying no attention to recent social media noise about the Birds' quarterback situation.
"Yeah, I try and stay away from the rat poison," he said.
Hurts is a Houston native, and this is his first start against the dreaded Cowboys. He said he has learned about the rivalry pretty quickly and that he appreciates that a big thing it is for Philadelphia.
"It's something that I've reminded the guys this week about," head coach Doug Pederson said. "Just not only the importance of this game, but also the history and tradition."
The rivalry is something Pederson is also very well aware of. He first participated in the rivalry as a player. In 1999, Pederson quarterbacked the Eagles to victory over Dallas, which resulted in Andy Reid's first win as a head coach.
He has spent the last five seasons coaching against the Cowboys and will be looking to lead the Eagles to a season sweep of their rivals on Sunday.
Pederson also agreed with Hurts in his dismissal of social media noise. He and says he delivers a similar message on a regular basis.
"It comes up all the time," Pederson said. "When I call the team up at the end of practice, I just remind them about the media obligations and social media and just try to remind them to be smart."
If the Eagles win and Washington and the Giants lose their games, it would setup a showdown for first place between the Eagles and Washington next week at the Linc.
