After beating up on a bottom-dwelling Raiders team last week, the Dallas Cowboys seemed to think they were on top of the world, talking about the playoffs and even winning the division.
“Why not us?” quarterback Dak Prescott and several of his cohorts openly asked.
It may have seemed like a joke to the first-place Eagles, the reigning Super Bowl champions. They clearly didn’t take it seriously on Sunday.
After jumping out to a feverish 21-point lead, the Eagles flatout blew it and lost 24-21 to a team that entered the game below .500 in Week 12.
Here are five things we learned.
1. Heads need to roll
Whatever coaching accountability looks like, who knows. No one is suggesting that head coach Nick Sirianni needs to go — he definitely doesn’t — but something needs to change on the offensive side of the ball.
The Eagles’ defense held one of the NFL’s top offenses to 24 points, and scoreless for most of the first half, yet the Birds put up just 21 total against one of the league’s worst defenses.
Could the Eagles’ ‘D’ have done more, perhaps. But the story on Sunday, as it has been all year, was the failure of the offense.
2. Hurts and A.J. Brown reconnect
…At least for one week (and one half, again). Receiver A.J. Brown had five early receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He ended up with eight catches for 110 and the TD on 10 targets from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Not bad numbers, but the Birds were shut out in the second half against the 30th-ranked defense in the league.
3. Offense stalls late (again)
Several outside observers, including Brian Baldinger, Alex Smith, Greg Cosell and Donovan McNabb, have called the Eagles’ offense “elementary,” “remedial,” “uncreative” and “rudimentary.”
After a big opening quarter and a half of scripted plays, the offense stalled — which has been a theme much of the season.
Zero in-game adjustments to opponents’ adjustments. Why is this so difficult?
4. Dallas rivalry can still be a small margin of error
The Eagles and Cowboys have played several razor-tight games in the Sirianni era, and this was another. One red-zone stall, one missed tackle, one failed third down — that’s often the difference.
Philadelphia is still ahead in the NFC race, but this loss reaffirmed two truths: the Eagles cannot afford to sputter offensively for long stretches, and Dallas is good enough to punish every mistake.
For a team with postseason aspirations, the tape from this one will sting — and should serve as a reset point entering a critical late-season stretch.
5. The Eagles should have buried the Cowboys.
The Eagles have a superior roster. This was a bad loss. It could be season-defining in either direction. The Birds are rich in wins so maybe they can afford to give up one, but that’s a dangerous game, particularly against a division rival.
Besides, this offense has been playing with fire since day one. Will the Eagles turn this defeat into a positive launching point or will this be the beginning of a collapse, reminiscent of 2023?
—
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc for the latest updates.
Source: Berkshire mont