The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will take part in their first of two contests against one another this season as their NFC East rivalry continues.
It has been very tough sledding for both teams so far this season, with Dallas and Philly both off to 2-4 starts that can be summed up with one word: dysfunctional.
Entering this contest, the Eagles and Cowboys are looking up at the New York Giants, who are in first place in the division with a 3-2-1 record through six games.
That's not exactly the way anyone drew it up, and especially not the Eagles and Cowboys.
Ahead of this NFC East showdown, here's the biggest concerns the Eagles present for the Cowboys on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley
Barkley has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, but the Eagles cutting Jaydon Blue off the 53-man roster and only having three running backs in total when you include Dameon Pierce on the active roster and Elijah Mitchell on the practice squad suggests the Eagles expect Barkley back this week.
The Eagles' rushing attack has struggled overall this season, but Barkley is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and still has the juice to make game-changing plays on the ground. The Eagles will need every bit of Barkley's game-breaking ability with Jalen Hurts out for the season due to his scary blood clot situation.
The Cowboys are the very definition of a get-right spot for the Eagles' rushing attack, with Dallas allowing a whopping 149.8 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL.
Dallas simply cannot let Barkley beat them. They have got to shut the star running back down and force Tanner McKee to win this game with his arm. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, we're very skeptical they can pull that off.
Cornerback trio
The Eagles have one of the better cornerback trios in the NFL with Cooper DeJean in the slot and Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen on the outside.
Each of those players has a Pro Bowl selection to their name, and all three have a completion rate allowed south of 60% and passer ratings permitted of 100 or less in 2026.
We know the Cowboys have been awful at moving the ball on the ground this season, so that puts more on Dak Prescott and the passing attack to carry the offense, but even Dallas' air attack hasn't been playing up to snuff.
There's no guarantee the Cowboys' passing offense gets going in this game with the tough matchups CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will face.
Eagles run defense
As we just noted, it has been a difficult season for the Cowboys' rushing attack, which ranks 31st through six weeks.
While the Eagles only rank 19th against the run, a deeper dive shows that's a bit misleading. Philadelphia is giving up a respectable four yards per carry and ranks fifth in run stop win rate, per ESPN.
Adding to that, Jalen Carter ranks seventh in run stop win rate, which shows he's capable of blowing things up at the line of scrimmage and making Javonte Williams' life more difficult.
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