To set the stage, this is a game that marks an important intersection in the 2024 season for the Eagles, who dive into back-to-back games in the NFC East, a kick-start to a really tough stretch of games that will help define this season.
To be clear, there is nothing like Eagles-Cowboys and there are all sorts of streaks on the line – the Eagles' struggles in Dallas (0-6 since 2017), the Cowboys' home success in the division (17 wins in last 18 games), the Philadelphia four-game winning streak against the Dallas three-game losing streak.
Such fun. All in the past. The Eagles have a huge 4:25 PM kickoff on Sunday at AT&T Stadium and they have specific areas to win to walk out with a victory. Some storylines to digest between now and the opening drive on Sunday …
- Once again, the injury factor is huge
The Eagles come in pretty darn healthy – cornerback Darius Slay returns after missing the Jacksonville game with a groin injury and wide receiver A.J. Brown is healthy after leaving that game with a knee injury. Left tackle Jordan Mailata remains out and on Injured Reserve.
Otherwise, everyone on the active roster is good to go.
Dallas, on the other hand, won't have quarterback Dak Prescott. Cornerback DaRon Bland hasn't played all season. Left tackle Tyler Guyton is a question mark with neck and shoulder injuries. Pass-rushing threat Micah Parsons is set to return after an extended absence.
- About that Cooper Rush fellow …
The Eagles played against Rush in 2022 and picked him off three times, but otherwise, Rush has won five games replacing Prescott and has done a nice job. The Eagles are expecting the same offense – a heavy dose of passing to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who is playing through a shoulder injury – and a short passing game featuring wide receiver Jalen Tolbert and tight end Jake Ferguson. Dallas has struggled to run the ball this season, but it's important that the Cowboys get the running game going to take some stress away from Rush.
"He's a quality NFL quarterback and you don't see their offense take a dip when he's in there," safety Reed Blankenship said. "Very smart, doesn't force it, and knows how to run their scheme. We've got to be very good against this offense and Cooper Rush."
- QB Jalen Hurts is playing with supreme confidence
He looks so good out there, doesn't he? Hurts is in total command and he will have his entire receiving arsenal available, including tight end Dallas Goedert. Handling him, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith is a large assignment for the Cowboys' defense, and if the Eagles can win on first and second down and then keep it to third-and-manageable situations for Hurts, it could be a very good night for the offense.
If the Eagles let Parsons take over, it will be very, very tough for the Eagles against a desperate Dallas squad.
The bitter rivals have played each other 130 times, since the series started in 1960. Relive the greatest games and moments from one of the most historic battles in the NFL before the two square off on Sunday afternoon.
Kenneth Gainwell flies into the end zone!
Touchdown Eagles!
What an atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field.
Sweaty-J takes down Prescott in the biggest moment of the game.
Ball loose, game over!
DeVonta Smith celebrates a big fourth quarter touchdown in a 2022 win against the Cowboys.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson recorded two interceptions in last year's home win over Dallas.
A.J. Brown had 67 receiving yards and a touchdown in his first game against the Cowboys as an Eagle.
Jalen Hurts led the Eagles to a 6-0 start!
The Eagles celebrate Kenjon Barner's rushing touchdown against the Cowboys in 2017.
Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill served as the emergency place kicker against the Cowboys after Jake Elliott left injured.
Rodney McLeod makes a leaping interception in Dallas.
Jay Ajayi exploded for 91 rushing yards against in a blowout win at Dallas.
Carson Wentz led his team to a huge division win during the Super Bowl season.
Ronald Darby climbed the ladder to intercept Dak Prescott.
Jordan Hicks returned an interception for a 67-yard touchdown in a 2015 matchup at Dallas.
DeMarco Murray sneaks into the end zone against his former team.
Caleb Sturgis made two clutch kicks in the fourth quarter of an overtime win.
Jordan Matthews sprinting toward the end zone for the game-winning touchdown against the Cowboys.
Jordan Matthews crosses the goal line in overtime as the Eagles beat the Cowboys 33-27.
The Eagles celebrated a huge rivalry win in front of the Dallas faithful.
Jordan Matthews loved scoring against the Cowboys.
Cody Parkey made four field goals as the Eagles routed the Cowboys.
A family affair on Thanksgiving in Dallas.
LeSean McCoy rushed for 159 yards and a score in a 33-10 win over the Cowboys.
Thanksgiving in 2014 was celebrated in the perfect way!
Nick Foles threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns during a 2023 victory in Dallas.
Brent Celek's second quarter touchdown put Philadelphia up for good.
Bryce Brown scored a huge fourth quarter touchdown to help the Eagles clinch the 2013 NFC East crown in Dallas.
Brandon Boykin's interception just after the two-minute warning sealed the division for Philadelphia.
Shady scored another big-time touchdown against the Cowboys.
The Eagles celebrated winning the NFC East in the visiting locker room at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Chris Clemmons returned a fumble for a 73-yard touchdown in a 2008 showdown with Dallas.
Joselio Hanson took a fumble back to the house for a 96-yard touchdown, stopping the Cowboys from winning the 2008 NFC East.
Donovan McNabb threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns as the Eagles improved to 8-1 with a win in Dallas.
Terrell Owens caught three touchdowns in a 49-21 win over the rival Cowboys.
Lito Sheppard's 101-yard pick six sealed the win for Philadelphia.
- Remember all the talk about turnover ratio?
If you were at all a doubter, hopefully that's changed. The Eagles have been particularly effective with their ball security during the four-game winning streak and, actually, have just the one turnover from last week – Saquon Barkley's strange fumble that was returned for a touchdown – and so there's a reason the Eagles have won four straight games.
They are +4 in those games, reducing their turnover differential from -6 to -2 for the season. That's a trend you love to see. Dallas, meanwhile, is a -7 and that is as good a reason as any to explain the Cowboys' 3-5 record.
- The running game matchup favors the Eagles
Philadelphia is second in the league in rushing and Dallas is ranked 30th in the league at stopping the run, allowing 147.8 ground yards per game. Wow. Seems pretty obvious what the strategy might be.
But it's never as simple as that, of course. The Dallas defense has been ravaged by injuries all season, so having Parsons back is a big deal. Maybe the Eagles run right at him to slow him down. We shall see.
On the other side of things, Dallas runs the ball poorly – 87 yards, 31st in the league – and the Eagles have done a good job stopping the running games. Captain Obvious might suggest this tilts things in the Eagles' favor but there are always new twists and turns in games.
- The Rivalry continues
All of the above sounds nice now, but what does it really mean? Maybe a lot, maybe very little. It is a new chapter in a rivalry that dates back to 1960, so let's go. Crazy things happen when these teams get together. Dallas is desperate for a win, so that makes the Cowboys a dangerous team. The Eagles host Washington on Thursday night, so it is a very quick week for the Eagles.
This is what we all love: Eagles at Cowboys, the first of two games between the teams this season. It should be a fun one, a tough one, and something that means a lot in the division before all is said and done.
