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There were snaps, drives, and even an entire quarter where the Philadelphia Eagles looked like their old selves against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Expected to lose at home by, well, (almost) everyone, Philadelphia came out of the gates hot, with Vic Fangio’s defense stopping Brian Schottenheimer’s offense early on, limiting Dallas to a field goal before Tanner McKee put together a blistering touchdown drive that had fans buzzing. Saquon Barkley looked like his old self running in space, Makai Lemon came in clutch with a 21-yard grab on first down, and just like that, the team’s first-quarter scoring drought was a thing of the past.
Sure, as the first quarter and then the half progressed, some cracks began to show, including Barkley being largely held out of action with a hamstring injury and Fangio’s defense breaking against the run far earlier than usual, but at halftime, the Eagles were only down six and were getting the ball to start the second half, making it 21-20 at the 5:44 mark of the third quarter.
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And then, as has become the norm, the wheels fell off.
Dallas scored to close out the third quarter, and from there, Philly didn’t add another point to the board again, allowing 10 unanswered Dallas points, with a momentum-ruining interception snatching any chance of a comeback with just under eight minutes left to play.
Suddenly, hope turned to tragedy, and the Eagles fans who filled up the Linc on Monday night had to go home unhappy, wondering what the future holds for their favorite team. Will the Eagles be sellers at the trade deadline? More likely than not, yes, as this team simply doesn’t have what it takes to make it to the playoffs, let alone do any serious damage if they get there.
Why Vic Fangio is to blame for the Eagles’ MNF loss to the Cowboys
After clearing every other coordinator in South Philadelphia for the first six weeks of the 2026 NFL season, Vic Fangio arguably turned in his worst game of the season, which, when the Eagles’ last MNF appearance is factored in, is saying something.
Facing off against a Cowboys team that ranks ninth in points per game scored, 15th in yards per game, sixth in passing yards, and 30th in rushing yards, Dallas scored on seven of their nine offensive drives, with Prescott completing 15 of his 27 passing attempts for 212 yards and three touchdowns, while Javonte Williams rushed the ball 25 times for 155 yards and a touchdown in his best game of the season.
The Eagles once again struggled to generate much of a pass rush, sacking Prescott exactly zero times, but where things got really frustrating was in the run game, where Philadelphia didn’t record a single tackle for loss over 65 defensive snaps. Riq Woolen had one of his worst games of the season, allowing touchdowns and recording pass interference penalties, and Quinyon Mitchell once again missed time with injury, forcing Jonathan Jones into the game at cornerback.
Did Fangio simply expect the Cowboys to abandon the run game like, well, most games this year and focus more on the passing game? If so, what does that say about Shottenheimer taking things in the opposite direction and having so much success? Maybe the Eagles will get back on track, but their defense is much healthier than their offense and arguably had a worse game, leading one to wonder if their morale is toast after a month of struggle.
Why Tanner McKee is to blame for the Eagles’ MNF loss to the Cowboys
In the first half, McKee looked like he was on his way to a class backup quarterback upset game, scoring a touchdown in each of the first three quarters, but when things got tight, and Philadelphia needed their new QB1 to go blow for blow with a Pro Bowler, it just didn’t happen.
In the game, McKee finished out regulation with 23 completions on 35 attempts for 211 yards, a touchdown and an interception – just one fewer passing yard than Prescott on eight more attempts – but in the fourth quarter, McKee dropped back 15 times and only ended up amassing 82 yards and a pick for his troubles.
Was the offensive line perfect? Hardly, they allowed two sacks, and the combination of Landon Dickerson and Drew Kendall clearly needs some extra time to gel, but McKee not quite placing the ball where it needed to go consistently became the storyline of the second half and ultimately led to four straight drives without scoring despite being down 28-21 at the start of the fourth.
Fortunately for McKee, the Eagles were playing with basically no one, and when more talent returns, he should have a little more wiggle room throwing to DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks instead of Elijah Moore and Elijah Mitchell, but his play late was an issue in Week 7, and that’s a reason why Philadelphia’s losing streak is now up to four.
Why Howie Roseman is to blame for the Eagles’ MNF loss to the Cowboys
And last but not least, a big reason why the Eagles lost in Week 7 is because they simply didn’t have the players they needed to win, and that, at the end of the day, falls on Howie Roseman’s shoulders.
Now granted, there aren’t very many teams that can weather an injury report as deep as the Eagles’ heading into Week 7 and live to tell the tale, but is Philadelphia’s roster really built for success? They spent the whole summer experimenting with Andy Dalton as their backup quarterback instead of giving key reps to McKee, who filled the role well over the past two seasons when his number was called. Lane Johnson is technically still on the Eagles’ active roster, taking up a roster spot from a player who could actually be useful, and their offensive weapons as a whole just aren’t good enough when the starters aren’t available.
Case in point: Hollywood Brown. The Eagles signed him back in March to serve as a deep threat field-stretcher for Jalen Hurts, but after adding Wicks and Makai Lemon, he rapidly became an afterthought, catching zero balls before taking the field in Week 7. Rumors began to swirl that Brown could be traded – which feels like a serious possibility – but when the Eagles needed a little Hollywood magic on Monday Night Football, the collegiate Sooner simply didn’t have a strong connection with McKee, with the game ending on a deep ball overthrown when the duo wasn’t on the same page.
From a macro perspective, it’s hard to find many offseason additions that have really worked out for the Eagles. Lemon and Markel Bell are both starting from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the trio of Arnold Ebiketie, Dameon Pierce, and Wicks have all played key roles, but Riq Woolen rapidly looks like he isn’t a scheme fit, Brown, Moore, Johnny Mundt, and Jonathan Jones are all limited contributors, and players like Dalton, JT Gray, Chandler Martin, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Stone Smartt aren’t even with the team anymore.
Throw that all together, and the Eagles’ lack of depth has been thoroughly exposed.
Now granted, maybe Roseman hasn’t given up on the season. He reportedly was in on Quenton Nelson before the Seahawks traded him and might add someone if it actually helps the Eagles long term. But for now, the Eagles look like sellers, and if they continue to say goodbye to quality players, they simply will not have the depth needed to find internal diamonds in the rough to build around into the future.
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