NFC East Stagnation: Cowboys and Eagles Clash for Divisional Relevance

The National Football League’s NFC East has not produced a single win in two weeks, a first since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. This statistical anomaly sets the stage for Monday night’s matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia.

Both franchises hold 2-4 records, trailing division leader New York Giants (3-2-1) by one game. The Eagles are attempting to break a four-game losing streak, their first of that length since 2020. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is on injured reserve due to blood clots and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. That places Tanner McKee, a backup for his first two NFL seasons, in charge of the offense. McKee noted that he has a good preparation process and plans to meet with the coaching staff more frequently rather than preparing alone.

The Eagles’ offensive struggles are evident in their scoring, having managed only 58 points in their last four losses. Running back Saquon Barkley has missed more than two games with a hamstring injury, and backups Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby are also injured. Carson Steele, signed from the practice squad last week, suffered a shoulder injury against Carolina. Dameon Pierce was the only Eagles back to carry the ball in that game, gaining 35 yards. Dallas allows 4.7 yards per carry this season.

The Cowboys face their own defensive challenges, ranking 30th in the league under first-year coordinator Christian Parker. Offensively, the team scored just 29 points in its last two losses, including a 23-13 defeat to Green Bay last week. The franchise has scored fewer than 20 points in consecutive starts for Dak Prescott for the first time since 2019. Owner Jerry Jones stated at the NFL’s annual fall meeting on Wednesday that he does not expect further coaching changes this season. He described the recent hiring of Mike Pettine as a strategic and unique move.

Individual milestones are also on the line. Javonte Williams has seven rushing touchdowns through six games, the second-highest total for a Cowboys player in that span, behind Emmitt Smith. CeeDee Lamb holds 48 receptions, third in the NFL and a franchise record through six games. He is approaching 8,000 career receiving yards. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert needs one catch to move into third place on the team’s career receptions list.

Dallas is favored by four points, with the Eagles holding a 1-5 record against the spread compared to Dallas’s 3-3. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 72-58 and won the last meeting 24-21 on Nov. 23, 2025. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CST on ESPN. The Eagles will play at Washington on Nov. 1, then host the Giants to conclude their divisional schedule.