As an abomination, it was an A+.
The Eagles built a 21-0 lead, watched it evaporate, and walked out of AT&T Stadium with a 24-21 loss that dropped them to 8-3 and a suddenly tightened NFC East race.
Dallas (5-5-1) outgained the Birds 473-339, including a decisive 125-63 edge on the ground, and shut out the Eagles (8-3) over the final 2 1/2 quarters.
Of course, it’s a long shot the Cowboys could come back and win the division, or even make the postseason, but the Eagles just gifted them an opening as holiday season approaches. And stranger things have happened, like the Birds’ collapse two seasons ago after starting 10-1 with a bunch of shaky wins.
Now, they have a short week to prep for the 8-3 Bears on Black Friday. Here’s the position-by-position report card from Sunday’s meltdown:
Quarterback: C-
Jalen Hurts was both the reason the Eagles surged ahead and why they couldn’t close. He went 27 of 39 for 289 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and added seven carries for 33 yards and two rushing scores. He was sharp early, especially on third down and in the red zone, but the offense didn’t score after the 11:32 mark of the second quarter.
Late pressure and tighter Dallas coverage contributed, yet Hurts also held the ball too long at times and took a costly final-possession sack. A quarterback with a 21-point lead must lead in finishing the game. This was a lack of leadership.
Running back: D
Saquon Barkley never found daylight behind an offensive line that struggled to create movement. He finished with 22 rushing yards on 10 carries and caught seven passes for 52 yards, but almost nothing came easily on the ground.
Tank Bigsby had an 8-yard run on his lone rush and then disappeared. With only 63 team rushing yards on 18 attempts, the Eagles became predictable, an issue magnified once Dallas seized momentum.
Wide receiver: B
A.J. Brown delivered the type of first half he’s been asking for, catching eight passes for 110 yards and the opening touchdown while beating both press and bracket coverage. DeVonta Smith added six catches for 89 yards, including a 41-yard strike that set up points.
Beyond the top two, production faded — Darius Cooper and Xavier Gipson combined for just 10 yards, and Jahan Dotson didn’t record a catch. As the Cowboys increased their pressure and rolled coverage, outside separation became less consistent, but the receivers were among the few position groups that produced enough to win.
Tight end: C-
Dallas Goedert’s two catches for 20 yards and Grant Calcaterra’s lone 8-yard grab reflected a muted role. The tight ends helped in protection and served as short-area check-down options, but they weren’t central to the passing plan. With Hurts frequently pressured, more involvement over the middle might have offered quicker answers.
Offensive line: C-
The stat line — one sack allowed — looks solid, but the video told a different story. Run blocking was inadequate, and Dallas’ interior penetrated often, disrupting timing and shrinking Hurts’ pocket on key second-half drives. Late penalties and negative plays compounded the problems. When the Eagles needed one sustained drive to stabilize the game, the line couldn’t deliver it.
Defensive line: B-
The front four flashed early, but the overall performance fell short. Dallas totaled 125 rushing yards and Dak Prescott threw for 354, averaging nearly 10 yards per attempt.
The Eagles’ Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and the edge rotation produced pressure in spurts, but sustained disruption was lacking. With a chance to close the door in the fourth quarter, the line (though tired) instead yielded the 49-yard march that set up the winning field goal.
Linebacker: B-
Again, another strong start that faded late. Nakobe Dean was active with five tackles and the team’s lone sack. Zack Baun had nine tackles and recovered a key fumble. Still, Javonte Williams churned out 87 yards on 20 carries, and Prescott’s scramble touchdown exposed interior lanes. It was solid, but not the crisp, high-level showing this group delivered in recent weeks.
Cornerback/Safety: B
The secondary battled talented receivers all afternoon and eventually cracked, but attrition took a toll as cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and safeties Reed Blankenship and Andrew Mukuba all departed with injuries.
Dallas wideout George Pickens erupted for 146 yards and a touchdown on nine catches, and CeeDee Lamb added 75 yards. The Eagles had four pass breakups and a first-half interception that should have pushed the game toward a blowout, but communication issues and soft zones yielded multiple chunk gains.
Special teams: C-
Lots of people want to hammer Jake Elliott for missing a 56-yard field goal, but those people just weren’t watching the game. The problems were with the offense. Also, Xavier Gipson’s muffed punt in the fourth quarter handed Dallas valuable field position and flipped the game’s rhythm. The Eagles generated little in the return phase and didn’t threaten with a momentum-shifting special-teams play of their own.
Coaching: D+
The defense was solid and played well enough to win for most teams facing Dallas, which has a potent offense yet one of the worst defensive units in the league. But the offensive coaching was atrocious once again. The scripted plays worked early and then the Eagles failed to adjust, as usual. Coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo couldn’t regain offensive rhythm, leaned too heavily on ineffective runs, and missed opportunities to reset the tempo. For a team chasing a No. 1 seed, this was a step backward in game management.
Also, the Birds undermined themselves with a season-high 14 penalties for 96 yards, an uncharacteristic lack of discipline for a team that typically prides itself on clean football. Not only didn’t they win the turnover battle (even 2-2), they failed to win on explosives — the two areas Sirianni stresses most.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc for the latest updates.
