Only one team in the NFL has been worse against the run than the Dallas Cowboys this season.
Through six games, the Cowboys are permitting the second-most rushing yards per game at 149.8. Only the Carolina Panthers (153.2) are giving up more.
With a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on tap in Week 7 on Monday Night Football, there's a chance the Cowboys' awful defense will catch a break, as running back Saquon Barkley is questionable to play with his hamstring injury.
Here's what we know about his chances of suiting up against the Cowboys.
Is Saquon Barkley playing tonight?
Unfortunately for defensive coordinator Christian Parker and the Cowboys' putrid defense, Barkley is indeed expected to play despite his questionable tag.
On Saturday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that Barkley is "expected to play," and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo confirmed Sunday that Barkley "will be back" after his two-game absence.
The writing was on the wall before Rapoport and Garafolo chimed in that Barkley would play. After returning to practice on a limited basis earlier in the week, he capped off his week with a full practice Saturday that all but confirmed he was back.
It figures that the reeling Cowboys won't catch a break against the Eagles on Monday night. That's just the way things have gone for Dallas in 2026.
Breaks for Cowboys' defense elsewhere
While Barkley is playing, the Eagles are still missing three crucial players on the offensive side of the ball in Jalen Hurts, who will be replaced by Tanner McKee, DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.
Hurts has blood clots in his lungs that are expected to keep him out for the rest of the season, and Smith and Wicks didn't practice this week due to hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively, before being ruled out.
That's huge news for a Cowboys team that can't defend the pass, either, and has had major issues with mobile quarterbacks. Dallas is ceding the most rushing yards per game to signal-callers, and the 10th-most passing yards per game.
On defense, the Eagles are going to be without their sacks leader, Nolan Smith, and star edge rusher Jonathan Greenard may not play, either, as he's questionable.
All of this sets the Eagles game up as an ideal matchup for Dallas to right the ship after two straight losses, but if we've learned anything about this team in 2026, it's that there are no gimmes.
It would not shock us one bit for the Eagles to be missing all of these key players and the Cowboys find a way to lose, anyway.
Saquon Barkley's Eagles history vs. Cowboys
Barkley is in the midst of a down season in 2026, but that's because he has missed two games and has exited to others prematurely. He's still averaging five yards per carry in 2026.
The Cowboys have actually done a good job keeping Barkley in check over four matchupes against him in an Eagles uniform.
In his first game as a member of the Eagles against the Cowboys in 2024, Barkley tallied just 66 yards on 14 carries and one catch for 12 yards in Week 10 of the 2024 campaign.
His next game against the Cowboys came in Week 17 that season, and it was also his best versus Dallas as a member of Philly. He ripped off 167 yards on 31 carries and two receptions for two yards.
In Week 1 of 2025, Barkley had just 60 yards and a touchdown on 18 totes, which amounts to 3.3 yards per carry. He also added four receptions for 24 yards in the Philly victory.
Later that season, Barkley did even less, with 22 yards on 10 carries (2.2 yards per carry) and seven catches for 52 yards.
Between his time with the Eagles and New York Giants, Barkley is averaging 64 rushing yards (4.64 yards per carry) and 27 receiving yards per game, and he has scored four total touchdowns in 14 contests, so it's not like he has epically dominated Dallas.
That said, with the way the Cowboys' defense has played in 2026, all bets are off on Monday night.
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