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Eagles Experience Little Resistance

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Associated Press

The Philadelphia Eagles have scored the most points in franchise history and have matched their most victories in a season. All that’s left is wrapping up home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Shawn Barber returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles the jolt they needed to defeat the Dallas Cowboys, 27-3, Saturday night.

Philadelphia (12-3) won its sixth consecutive game and reached 12 wins for the first time since the 1980 squad that made it to the Super Bowl.

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The Eagles can clinch home-field if Green Bay loses today and Tampa Bay falls Monday night. If either lose, Philadelphia locks up a first-round bye.

The Eagles can secure home-field on their own with a victory in the finale next Saturday against the New York Giants.

“The best thing now is we control our destiny and we can run with it,” said quarterback A.J. Feeley, who completed 19 of 33 for 253 yards to improve to 4-0 as a starter.

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The Cowboys (5-10) performed miserably in what might have been the last home game for Emmitt Smith and Dave Campo.

Smith had only 30 yards in eight carries and was only a decoy in the goal-line situation that used to be his specialty, marking one of many questionable coaching moves Campo made -- the kind that might have prompted owner Jerry Jones to meet with Bill Parcells on Wednesday.

The Dallas Morning News, citing sources close to Jones and Parcells, reported today that Jones had already decided to fire Campo.

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Dallas failed to cross midfield until late in the third quarter and didn’t convert a third down. This was the Cowboys’ third consecutive loss, putting them in double-digit losses for the third successive season -- a first in franchise history.

The team encouraged fans to wear Smith’s No. 22 jerseys, and many obliged.

There also were plenty of signs asking for Smith’s return, including one person who held up a giant check for $7 million that had “loyalty” in the memo section.

“I want to apologize to all Cowboys’ fans. This was an embarrassing performance,” said Smith, who then walked out the back door of an interview room.

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