Cowboys or Eagles – Stephen A Smith expertly declares which play-off collapse was worse

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The Dallas Cowboys were not the only NFC East team to crash out of the NFL play-offs on Wildcard Weekend.

The Cowboys were joined by divisional rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, who were soundly beaten in a blowout to Tampa Bay.

The Eagles reached the Super Bowl last year and began this season 10-1, before ending the season on a losing streak.

For fanbases of each team, their own particular losses are made a little easier by seeing the fate befalling their rivals.

While there has also been a debate over which defeat was worse, or a bigger disappointment.

Stephen A Smith says Cowboys loss worse than Eagles

Dallas lost 48-32 at home to Green Bay, a scoreline which flattered the Cowboys, with the team scoring most of the points in ‘garbage time’.

The Eagles lost 32-9 in Tampa, never once looking like they had a chance. It was a miserable night for the franchise.

Speaking on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A Smith says the Cowboys loss was the more shameful of the two.

He reasoned that Philadelphia’s defeat was a lot easier to see coming.

He explained: “The bigger disappointment was the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles was second in total defense last year, they was 26th this year. They were 8th in scoring defense last year, they were 30th in scoring defense this year.

“They were the number one pass defense last year, they were the second to last this year. We saw a deterioration, a disintegration.”

When it came to the Cowboys, Smith feels they set themselves up for failure by believing their own hype.

He said: “When you look at the Cowboys and you see how they was sticking out their chest, as America’s Team, and the $9 billion dollar franchise when the average NFL franchise is $5 billion, they start feeling themselves and chirping like they always do.

“And the fall, the collapse was that damn precipitous. The answer to this question is the Dallas Cowboys by a mile.

“We saw the Eagles coming. We did not see what transpired [in Dallas] – they were down 48-16 with six minutes left of the game. That is falling off a cliff, that is the biggest disappointment.”

The Eagles loss may have brought a smile to Cowboys fans, but it does not make up for their own defeat. It is a wound which is going to take a long time to heal. The post-season is the record that matters, and recently, Dallas have been found wanting.