COWBOYS ACHIEVE GLORY; EAGLES HEARTBROKEN

13 YEAR WAIT ENDS AS DALLAS CLICHES PLAYOFF SPOT

The Dallas Cowboys lost their first two games in December and seemed poised to renew their reputation for finish-line fades. But they revived themselves and the faith of their fans with a winning streak that has continued into January and through the first game of the postseason. Who knows when it will end? The streak reached four games Saturday night with a convincing 34-14 victory over Philadelphia in a National Football Conference wild-card game. It was the first postseason victory for the Cowboys since the 1996 season, and it was a dynamic performance in almost every aspect. As many of the 92,951 fans left this flashy new stadium in the mood for celebration, some must have wondered: can the Cowboys continue this streak through February? Two more victories would put Dallas in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1995-96 season, when the Cowboys won their last championship. Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips said that he and quarterback Tony Romo were buoyed by the victory “because it takes a lot off us even though we weren’t here in ’96.” In some ways, this one was predictable. The Cowboys had defeated the Eagles twice in the regular season, including by 24-0 last weekend in their regular-season finale. But Saturday’s loss, with so much more at stake, was a devastating defeat for the Eagles, who looked like perhaps the N.F.L.’s best team until the Cowboys stalled them. (NYTimes)