ARLINGTON, Texas - First a playoff spot, now first place in the NFC East.
Once again, the Cowboys (5-2) and Eagles (5-2) will play for something significant in Philadelphia next week.
Sunday's 38-17 drubbing of the Seattle Seahawks (2-5) pushed the Cowboys' winning streak to three - their longest since November 2008 - and set up a division showdown following Philadelphia's own victory over the New York Giants.
Post-game chatter centered as much on potential payback for last year's 44-6 loss to the Eagles as the Cowboys' complete effort Sunday before 80,886 at Cowboys Stadium.
"We'll be ready," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "We just want to enjoy this game first. We'll talk about Philly next week, but this is the NFC East. Each week is tough."
The Cowboys got an early challenge from the struggling Seahawks, who took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and trailed just 14-10 late in the second. But Tony Romo's seven-yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams increased the Cowboys' halftime lead to 11.
Seattle never got any closer.
The Cowboys then ripped off 17 more consecutive points - two more Romo touchdowns and a Nick Folk field goal - to ensure victory by the fourth quarter.
"This team is explosive in that we're kind of rocking along and all of a sudden we're way ahead," head coach Wade Phillips said. "The ability to do that can make you a good football team."
Once again the Cowboys got contributions from a variety of sources. Romo (21-of-36, 256 yards, 3 TDs) hit 10 different receivers, including a team-high five completions to Miles Austin for 61 yards. Austin also caught a three-yard touchdown pass during that 24-0 run, giving him five scores in his last three games.
Fellow fourth-year receiver Sam Hurd caught his second career TD, his first since 2007. Patrick Crayton scored a punt-return touchdown in consecutive Cowboys games for the first time since Hall-of-Famer Bob Hayes in 1968.
And the defense overcame a slow start - the Seahawks scored on two of their first three drives - to sack quarterback Matt Hasselbeck three times and force two turnovers, one of which led to a Cowboys TD.
Seattle entered the red zone only once - after a fourth quarter Romo fumble at his own eight-yard line that resulted in a Seahawks score.
The defense is allowing a 16.4-point average in its last five games, and the team is 4-1 in that stretch.
"We can't start off slow like this every Sunday," nose tackle Jay Ratliff said. "We've got to come out on fire and remain that way through the end of the game. We definitely to work on that, but the win, I'm definitely happy with that."
The Cowboys also held Seattle to 79 rushing yards and got subsequent pressure on Hasselbeck, who had been sacked seven times in four previous starts. A third-quarter hit appeared to aggravate his injured ribs, but he finished the game.
"It says a lot for him to come back in the game and play the way he did," Phillips said. "I thought he stood in there good, and we had a good rush on him all the time and he still made some plays."
The Cowboys made their share, too. Now it's on to Philly for a rematch of last year's disappointing finale in which the Eagles earned the NFC's final wild-card spot.
"The last couple games I think we've dominated all three phases," Crayton said. "If we can win three out of three, you usually get W's.
"Big game next week. We've got to be ready. It's going to be some rudeness in the city of Brotherly Love, but that's what you expect."
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