The Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys have been NFC East rivals since 1970. Both franchises have seen their fair share of glory, and Eagles fans love to revisit memorable victories. However, the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry certainly hasn’t been one-sided, especially before Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid came along.
Eagles-Cowboys Rivalry
The moniker of the Cowboys as “America’s Team” has never sat well in Philadelphia. It’s a fan base that identifies as the tough, unforgiving crowd that creates a hostile environment as the key element of their home-field advantage. The clash has created one of the bitter rivalries in the NFL.
The venom against the Dallas Cowboys is as old as Philadelphia fandom itself. The underdog complex developed while the Cowboys built dynasties in the 1970s and the 1990s.
The bravado of Dallas fans living in the Philadelphia area doesn’t allow Eagles fans to drop the bitterness for their arch-rival even when the rivalry on the field doesn’t have the highest level of intensity.
There’s a reason a team that plays in Texas stayed in the NFC East when the NFL realigned divisions in 2002. The rivalry factor between the Eagles and Cowboys was too advantageous for television appeal and natural drama. Two more major East Coast markets in New York and Washington were equally as important draws.
The Worst Dallas Cowboys Games
“The Pickle Juice Game” and 44-6 will always come up when Philadelphia fans think of their rivalry with the Cowboys.
However, they also have to fairly acknowledge Donovan McNabb whipping out the air guitar before an Eagles-Cowboys playoff game and the Dallas dominance before the turn of the century. The Cowboys have even unloaded their has-beens on the Eagles.
97.5 The Fanatic has put together a comprehensive history of the best Eagles-Cowboys memories in the rivalry’s history.
- Philadelphia Eagles Rivalries: 4 Best Dallas Cowboys Memories (Pre-2000)
- Philadelphia Eagles Rivalries: 6 Best Dallas Cowboys Memories (2000-2010)
- Philadelphia Eagles Rivalries: 4 Best Dallas Cowboys Memories 2011-present (coming 12/8/23)
Roy Williams Pic-Six Sinks Last Hopes for 2005 Eagles
November 14, 2005: Cowboys 21, Eagles 20
The 2005 season went off the rails early when Terrell Owens orchestrated a circus to distract everyone from the performance of a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance.
However, the Eagles had a chance to get back on track after Owens was sent home for conduct detrimental to the team. They would’ve improved to 5-4 if they held onto a 20-7 lead in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys.
Drew Bledsoe led a touchdown drive late in the game to get Dallas back within one possession. McNabb then threw a heartbreaking pic-six to Roy Williams. The long-time franchise quarterback went down with an injury during the return, and he missed the remainder of the season.
The deflating loss signified the end of the 2005 Eagles in an unexpected fall from grace.
The Air Guitar Game
January 9, 2010: Cowboys 34, Eagles 14
Donovan McNabb capped off a sustained period of success with one of his worst moments with the Eagles. His “air guitar” move before an NFC Wild Card game in Dallas wasn’t slick at the time, and it looked downright foolish when the Eagles got spanked 34-14.
The Eagles had lost to the Cowboys one week earlier 24-0. They traded McNabb three months later.
Chip Kelly, Eagles Lose Playoff Position
December 14, 2014: Cowboys 38, Eagles 27
The NFC standings shook out strangely in 2014. The 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers lost 45-21 in Philadelphia in Week 10, but they somehow earned a playoff spot 2.5 games behind the 10-6 Eagles.
Chip Kelly and company had a chance to avoid that fate by taking care of the Cowboys a second time after their recent Thanksgiving blowout. The Eagles lost 38-27 on Sunday Night Football to ruin their tiebreaker scenarios with only two games left in the season.
The Chip Kelly era never recovered.
No Clear Recovery
December 9, 2018: Cowboys 29, Eagles 23
A Super Bowl ring didn’t help the Eagles very much early in the 2018 season. They got off to a 4-6 start, but they had a chance for a late-season rally under the leadership of Carson Wentz. A win in Week 14 in Dallas would’ve put them in a good position to steal the NFC East.
Kamu Grugier-Hill made a play on the opening kickoff. He jumped on a fumble that gave the Eagles some early jubilation. The officials (somehow) claimed there was “no clear recovery” while Grugier-Hill stood with the ball in his hands.
The Eagles also missed out on a Dallas Goedert touchdown because of a phantom penalty call. They lost 29-23 in overtime after Amari Cooper caught a deflected ball from Dak Prescott for a walk-off touchdown.
The Entire 20th Century
Analyzing the rivalry requires objective honesty. The Eagles have been the more successful franchise during the 21st century, but the Cowboys won five Super Bowls before 2000.
Acquiring Dallas Cowboys Has-Beens
The track record of former Cowboys joining the Eagles is absolutely horrendous. DeMarco Murray, Miles Austin, Orlando Scandrick, and Felix Jones were unquestionably more successful with the dreaded star on their helmets. None of them achieved any legitimate success in Philadelphia.
The decision to sign free agent corner Nnamdi Asomugha in 2011 also had a lot to do with keeping him from signing with their NFC East rival. That one didn’t turn out so well for the Eagles either.
