Will Andy Reid Run The Ball vs. Cowboys?

It is a question that is now pretty much as old as time- will Andy Reid run the ball?

Each week, the pressure for Reid to run the ball seems to be greater than before. Against Atlanta, we all thought coming out of a Bye Week it would happen- McCoy had 16 carries. Against New Orleans, facing one of the worst rushing defenses in the league, running the ball only made sense- McCoy had 19 carries, and only 1 in the red zone. Fans are as frustrated as a wife who asks her husband to miss the 2nd half of a game- they know the answer, and they know the answer is no.

But today, facing the Dallas Cowboys, the question again has to be asked again. Will Andy Reid run the ball?

For once, history says that answer is yes.

In Reid's 13 years as head coach of the Eagles, his teams have lost 4 games in a row just three times. In each game where losing a 5th one was on the line, Reid did the things fans have asked for: ran the ball.

In 1999, the Eagles started 0-4 before they finally got a win in Week 5 vs. the Dallas Cowboys. Reid ran the ball 23 times for 114 yards in the 23-10 victory.

In 2005, with Mike McMahon at quarterback, Reid ran the ball 29 times to end the Eagles 4 game losing streak. The Eagles had 154 yards rushing in their 19-14 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Last year, when the Dream Team fell to 1-4, Reid and his offense got on LeSean McCoy's back in Washington to end the losing streak. Reid ran the ball 30 times- 28 by McCoy- as the Eagles got back on track in a 20-13 win over the Redskins.

Overall, Reid has averaged 27 rushing attempts in games in which he faced the possibility of a 5 game losing streak. His teams average 136 yards on the ground in those games.

Will Reid run the ball today against the Cowboys? History says he will. History also says the Eagles will win.

But a quick survey of the fans in Philadelphia will likely show that no one expects either of those things to happen.

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks