The Dallas Cowboys return to action Monday night for their third consecutive primetime matchup, taking on the Philadelphia Eagles. If the Cowboys want any shot at making the playoffs, they absolutely need to walk out of Philly with a win.
Before the two teams square off, here are three causes for concern in the matchup.
1) Cowboys’ Offensive Line Woes
The last two weeks have been bad for Dallas’ offensive line. In their two matchups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys have allowed 30 total pressures, 25 QB hurries, and 5 QB hits. Dak Prescott’s mobility has kept them from allowing a single sack, but Dallas’ offensive line has been struggling as of late.
This week, the Cowboys face another tough test against an Eagles’ defensive line that has a knack for creating some pressure. In their matchup last week against the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia recorded 17 total pressures, 12 QB hurries, and 3 sacks.
If Dallas’ offensive line comes in out of sync and struggles to pick up a blitz like they have the past two weeks, Philadelphia’s defensive line could dominate this matchup. Fixing their protection issues should be one of the Cowboys’ top priorities heading into this game.
2) Dallas’ Defensive Struggles on Third Down
If you looked at just first and second down, the Cowboys’ defense was outstanding last week. Unfortunately for Dallas, there’s more to playing complete defense than being good on the first two downs. In the first half, the Packers converted 9 of 10 third downs, leading them to take a commanding 17-0 lead at halftime.
While Dallas played a lot better on third down in the second half, Green Bay finished 11-for-18, an outstanding 61.1% success rate on the most important down in football. Dallas’ third-down struggles on defense were not a one-game issue; they’ve been arguably their biggest problem all season long.
This season, the Cowboys’ defense has allowed a league-worst 54.7% third-down conversion rate, a historically bad number. It doesn’t matter who is playing quarterback for the Eagles this week; if Dallas’ defense is as bad on third down as it was last week, it will struggle to leave Philly with a win.
3) Playoff Hopes Hang in the Balance
If the Cowboys walk out of Philadelphia on Monday night without a win, you can put a nail in the coffin for their playoff hopes this season. Losing a third straight game, two of which they were favored in, bringing them to 2-5 and 1-2 in the division, would be a near-impossible deficit to recover from.
On the flip side, if the Cowboys can find a way to defeat this beat-down Eagles team, their next five matchups feature some winnable games. Including this week, Dallas will likely be favored in four of their next six matchups, with four of those matchups coming at home.
If the Cowboys play like they have the past two weeks, none of it will matter, but Monday night’s game has a chance to be a season-defining matchup for this 2026 Cowboys team.