With very little having gone right for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys of late, both teams understand what's at stake Sunday in this crucial NFC East clash.

Philadelphia tries to avoid dropping five straight for the first time under coach Andy Reid when it hosts Dallas, which has lost four of five.

Since winning three of their first four games, the Eagles' season has taken a turn for the worse. Philadelphia (3-5) saw its woes continue Monday in a 28-13 road loss to New Orleans, which sacked Michael Vick seven times thanks to a dismal display from the Eagles' depleted offensive line.

"I've just got to believe in the guys in front of me and do whatever it takes to get the ball out whether I've got to slide or move, break contain," said Vick, who will continue to start under center. "Regardless, I just have to continue to maintain trust in them. That's part of my job as a quarterback and I have to keep believing. Keep believing."

Already without left tackle Jason Peters , center Jason Kelce and right guard Danny Watkins , Philadelphia suffered another big blow when Todd Herremans suffered a dislocated bone and ligament damage in his right foot. The right tackle was placed on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday.

Herremans' absence could make things all the more difficult on Philadelphia, which can't afford to slip any further in the standings. The Eagles are in a second-place tie with Dallas, 2 1/2 games behind division-leading New York.

Philadelphia hasn't been handed five straight losses since opening 0-5 in 1998 - the season before Reid took over.

"We've got to find a way to win a football game," said Vick, who completed just 22 of 41 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Saints. "We miss that feeling of winning and it's been a long time since we've had one, so it's important to come out this week, have a great week of practice, a great week of preparation and get ready to play a good football game."

The Cowboys (3-5) are in a similar situation, knowing another loss Sunday could prove too much to overcome.

"We've dug ourselves a hole and we just got to keep fighting," defensive end Jason Hatcher said. "We've got the right guys to do it, we just have to go out there and believe and do it, stop talking about it and be the team that we're supposed to be."

Dallas is coming off Sunday night's 19-13 loss at undefeated Atlanta, giving up a season-high 453 yards of total offense. The Cowboys settled for field goals on their first two drives and scored their only touchdown with 5:21 remaining in the game.

"There have been too many different things," said tight end Jason Witten , who hauled in seven catches to become the team's all-time leader with 754, surpassing Michael Irvin. "(Teams) that are good in this league are consistent. That's not what we've been.

"Each week it's different, and you've got to eliminate it and get it fixed. ... The results have got to come. They've got to come soon."

While Tony Romo threw for 321 yards with a TD, the Cowboys managed just 65 yards on the ground. Dallas is averaging 83.4 rushing yards to rank 29th in the league and could have a hard time running the ball again with DeMarco Murray (sprained foot) missing a fourth consecutive game.

The Cowboys, though, are hoping to have linebacker Dan Connor available after he sat out last week with a neck injury.

"A desperate football team? I wouldn't say that at all," coach Jason Garrett said. "You've heard me use the word urgent a lot around here. We believe in urgency 365 days out of the year. That's where we are right now. We have to be urgent in our preparation ... getting ready for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday."

The Cowboys are looking to avoid a third consecutive loss in this series after dropping both matchups last season by a combined 54-14. Vick threw for 572 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in those games, improving to 3-0 as a starter against Dallas since 2010.

Romo's 2 TDs lead Cowboys past Eagles 38-23

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes that kept Dallas even through three quarters. Then the Cowboys let their defense and special teams run wild in the end zone to win big and pump some life back into the NFC East race.

Dwayne Harris had a 78-yard punt return TD, and Brandon Carr returned an interception 47 yards for a score to lead the Cowboys to a 38-23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

The Cowboys (4-5) and are second in the NFC East, 1 1/2 games behind the New York Giants , who lost to Cincinnati earlier Sunday.

The win, and a break in the schedule, could propel the Cowboys back in the thick of the division race. They will play five of their next six games at home, starting Sunday against Cleveland.

"Don't use words like desperate," Romo said. "The importance was at its highest level. I don't know if we are thinking anything more than we need another win."

The latest game between these fierce rivals was more about salvaging a season than playing with something big on the line.

The Eagles (3-6) lost Michael Vick to a concussion after consecutive bruising hits in the second quarter and have lost five straight games under coach Andy Reid for the first time in his 14 seasons.

Rookie Nick Foles filled in for Vick and briefly rallied the Eagles until the Cowboys started showing some touchdown versatility. Romo hit Dez Bryant on a 30-yard pass on the final play of the third quarter, and Harris and Carr scored their TDs in the fourth quarter.

The loss could speed up the countdown clock on Vick's and Reid's time in Philadelphia.

Foles hit the field in the second quarter and was greeted by a loud ovation from a crowd that had become fed up with Vick's erratic play.

Vick was knocked on his back by linebacker Ernie Sims on an incomplete pass and was slow to get up. He headed for the locker room and Foles started warming up. Vick, however, may have been injured on the previous play when he was driven from behind headfirst into the ground by Jay Ratliff .

Vick did not talk to reporters but appeared groggy in the locker room.

It might be too late for the Eagles, no matter who the quarterback is, to save their season.

Reid said he'd determine the starter for Sunday's game at Washington based on Vick's health

"I was hoping he'd make it through without having a concussion, but that's where we sit right now with him," Reid said.

Foles, a fan favorite without ever throwing a regular-season pass, looked like an instant hit and woke up a sleepy crowd in the third quarter when he hit Jeremy Maclin for a 44-yard TD and a 14-10 lead. Alex Henery 's 40-yard field goal made it 17-10.

Foles was rolling, the Eagles were scoring, and the good times were back at Lincoln Financial Field.

But in a season unraveling with each bumbling defeat, the Eagles were knocked down to reality.

Romo, who finished 19 of 26 for 209 yards, tied it with that TD pass to Bryant.

Dallas coach Jason Garrett had insisted the Cowboys weren't desperate after losing four of five. And they were dominant in the fourth period. The Cowboys need to keep playing like they did late on Sunday for a shot at catching the Giants.

Owner Jerry Jones refused to call the win a season saver.

"I don't want to do that," he said. "You can, but I don't want to do it. I know how important the game is to us."

Early in the final quarter, Foles had an interception return for a touchdown wiped out on a holding penalty. No worries, Dallas. Harris returned a punt 78 yards for a 24-17 lead that silenced the crowd.

On the next drive, Foles had an interception returned for a score that counted, by Carr, returned 47 yards for a 31-17 lead.

That was it for the fans in green, who fled for the exits. Stanley Havili had a 1-yard TD run with 1:55 left, but Henery missed the extra point.

Then Foles fumbled after sacked and Mike Jenkins recovered for a touchdown.

"Critical win for us," Garrett said. "I thought the effort was there. I thought we were focused the whole game. When you have success, you have to play through it, you have adversity, you have to play through it, and today was a good example of that."

In the final minutes, fans behind Dallas' bench unrolled a banner that read, "Andy, Quit, Your Team Has!"

Foles was 22 of 32 for 209 yards and one touchdown.

"Not good enough to win," Foles said. "I made some mistakes and I can't turn the ball over. That's the most important thing to win games."

Vick, the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, has struggled this season and entered with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He looked like his old self on the first drive, finishing it by connecting with Riley Cooper for a 2-yard TD. Cooper's sensational one-handed grab on a fade route gave the Eagles their first points on their opening drive all season.

The fun was short-lived when Romo hit Felix Jones on an 11-yard TD pass. Dan Bailey kicked a 30-yard field goal to send the Cowboys into halftime with a 10-7 lead.

NOTES: Foles was the first Eagles rookie QB to throw a TD pass since AJ Feely in 2001. Brian Westbrook, a running back, threw one in 2002. ... The Eagles had won six straight division games, including a sweep of the Cowboys. ... Eagles WR Jason Avant left with a hamstring injury. ... Sims started 15 games for the Eagles in 2010 and had two sacks.

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