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PHILADELPHIA -- Zach Ertz has long been a fan of Andrew Luck. At Stanford, Ertz spent two seasons catching passes from Luck. Now, Ertz’s chances of returning to the NFL playoffs are tied to Luck. Luck and the Indianapolis Colts travel to Dallas to play the NFC East-leading Cowboys Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys are 3-4 at AT&T Stadium, and may be without running back DeMarco Murray. If Murray plays, the broken hand he sustained in Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles is bound to affect his performance. “Obviously, I’m a big Andrew Luck fan and a Colts fan when we’re not playing them,” Ertz said. “This week, I’ll be even more of a Colts fan.” After Dallas beat the Eagles, 38-27, Sunday, there was a feeling in Philadelphia that the Eagles’ playoff chances were lost, as well. But it’s hardly far-fetched that the Colts will win in Dallas. Luck and his team are 10-4 and riding a four-game winning streak. They have clinched a playoff berth, but are still alive for a first-round bye. That is plenty of incentive for the Colts to play their best against the Cowboys. The Eagles play Saturday, so they won’t know the outcome of the Colts-Cowboys game before they take the field in Washington. “This game, we have everything to play for,” Ertz said. “We’re looking at it as a playoff game. If we don’t win this game, we have very, very little chance of going to the playoffs.” Last year, the Eagles went 7-1 in the second half of the season. They seemed to get better as the postseason approached. This year, they lost two games in December that really hurt their postseason chances. But those games were against Seattle and Dallas, two teams also vying for the postseason. The Eagles finish with Washington and the New York Giants, two teams that are just finishing the season and thinking about next year. The Eagles have already beaten both teams. They came back and edged Washington, 37-34, despite injuries along their offensive line. They crushed the Giants, 27-0, for their first shutout since 1996. “We need wins,” running back LeSean McCoy said. “They’re just trying to finish the season up. I’ve been there. I’ve been in that type of role. You play hard, but they’ve probably got their flights all scheduled. We’re fighting for something. It’s a little different situation.” The Eagles need help, but thanks to Luck and the Colts, there is still real hope.
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