IRVING, Texas -- One of Jason Garrett’s assets is as a storyteller. His players often mention Garrett’s speeches the nights before games as a motivational tool.

Garrett likes to say he gives the same sermon each week, just told different ways.

There does not need to be a sermon this week.

“If he has to say something to you to get you pumped up, you don’t need to be out there,” safety J.J. Wilcox said. “This is one of these games here where you should be fired up automatic because it’s a rival game. It kind of dictates our future. So if he has to talk to you, I might tell them myself to get out of the game and I ain’t but in my second year. It’s pumped me up. I’m ready to go.”

First place is on the line in the NFC East when the Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

Garrett might be able to keep it simple. He might just need to say kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET.

“Probably not a whole lot (you need to say to get your team emotionally ready for a game like this),” Garrett said. “But again, one of our jobs as coaches is try to help our team think the right way. A lot of that is about taking care of the process along the way, focusing on having a great Tuesday, getting locked in to this rep, this drill, this team period, whatever those things are, to help us give us our best chance to play our best on Sunday night. We’ll continue to reinforce that message.”

Garrett thought the Cowboys were a little too rambunctious in the first meeting against the Eagles, which Philadelphia won 33-10 on Thanksgiving Day. The defense overpursued and left gaps for LeSean McCoy to run, which in turn freed up Philadelphia’s passing game. Offensively, the Cowboys never got into a rhythm and the offensive line was unable to settle things down.

The key, according to players and Garrett, is to have control over the passion, emotion and enthusiasm that Garrett talks about on a daily basis.

“He does say the same thing a lot of different ways, which is what good coaches do,” tight end Jason Witten said. “Having said that, when we came in (Tuesday) morning, I think there was an energy that this is a great opportunity we have and we’re not going to let this opportunity slip. The best thing he’s done is kind of take the emotion out of that. He says, ‘All right, this is what’s going to give us a chance to win and here’s how we have to play.’ I think our team has really done a good job of understanding that and then taking it to the field.”