Both Teams Are 2-4 As Cowboys And Eagles Battle For Division Hope

Both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles enter Monday night's matchup with identical 2-4 records, making this game a direct collision for a potential turnaround. The NFC East currently stands as the weakest division in the league, a factor that keeps the door open for either side to surge back into contention despite their struggles.

The New York Giants hold the division lead at 3-2-1, but the gap is slim. In a historic statistical anomaly, no team in this division has won a game over the past two weeks. This marks the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that every team in a division has gone winless over a two-week span. This unique situation places immense pressure on the outcome of Monday's contest.

Philadelphia faces significant hurdles on the offensive line. The Eagles have lost four straight games, their first such streak since 2020. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is on injured reserve due to blood clots and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Backup Tanner McKee, who spent most of his first two years in a support role, takes the reins. He received only two days of first-team practice before his first meaningful start last week, a loss to Carolina.

McKee noted that he feels prepared for the challenge this week, as he has had more than a full week to work with first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. He plans to spend more time with the coaching staff rather than preparing alone. The running game remains a concern, with star Saquon Barkley missing more than two games due to a hamstring injury. His backups Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby are also hurt, leaving Dameon Pierce as the primary option in the last game.

Dallas has its own defensive and offensive issues to address. The Cowboys rank 30th in the league on defense under first-year coordinator Christian Parker. On offense, the team scored only 29 points in its last two losses, including a 23-13 defeat to Green Bay last week. This is the first time since 2019 that the team has scored fewer than 20 points in consecutive starts for quarterback Dak Prescott.

Owner Jerry Jones stated on Wednesday that he does not expect further coaching changes this season. He described the recent hiring of longtime defensive assistant Mike Pettine as a strategic and unique move. Several individual milestones are also on the line. Javonte Williams is the second Cowboys player with seven rushing touchdowns through the first six games, trailing only Emmitt Smith from 1994 and 1995. CeeDee Lamb has 48 receptions, the franchise record through six games, and is closing in on 8,000 career receiving yards.

The Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert needs one catch to move into third place on the franchise's career receptions list. Dallas is favored by 4 points. The Cowboys are 3-3 against the spread while the Eagles are 1-5. Dallas leads the all-time series 72-58 and won the last meeting 24-21 on Nov. 23, 2025. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. CST on ESPN. Philadelphia plays at Washington on Nov. 1, then hosts the Giants to finish a divisional stretch that will determine if their season can be saved.