The Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys have been NFC East rivals since 1970. Both franchises have seen their fair share of glory.
Eagles-Cowboys: NFC East 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 most 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 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.
Rivalry Eras: Eagles Finally Reach the Top
Despite Dallas fans constantly bragging about Super Bowl rings, the Eagles finally broke through in the modern era. Their miracle run to Super Bowl LII and the heroics of Nick Foles lifted the weight of every NFC East rival with a championship to celebrate.
The Eagles have significantly more overall success as an organization than the Cowboys during the 21st century, and especially in recent seasons.
However, the head-to-head matchups have gone in favor of the Cowboys enough to drive Philadelphia fans crazy. The two franchises have established themselves as the consistent top two teams in the NFC East. Expect more classics in the era of Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts.
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 Worst Dallas Cowboys Memories
The Arrival of Chip Kelly
December 29, 2023: Eagles 24, Cowboys 22
The Chip Kelly offense took the NFL by storm in the second half of the 2013 season. The 3-5 Eagles surged into position to steal the NFC East from a Cowboys team that missed an opportunity to run away from less talented competition behind them.
Nick Foles finished off a miracle season with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in a road victory at Dallas. Backup quarterback Kyle Orton had the opportunity to lead a game-winning field goal drive, but he threw an interception to Brandon Boykin with under two minutes remaining.
The Eagles had recovered from Andy Reid’s unceremonious departure quicker than expected.
A Thanksgiving Blowout
November 27, 2014: Eagles 33, Cowboys 10
Chip Kelly had taken over the identity of the Eagles by Thanksgiving Day in 2014. An injury to Nick Foles forced Mark Sanchez into action for a matchup against the Cowboys with the entire nation watching. The Eagles dominated a matchup between 8-3 teams to take the NFC East lead (for the moment).
Sanchez finished 20/29 for 217 yards and one touchdown in one of the most efficient performances of his career. The offensive system looked like it could turn mediocre players into effective starters.
David Akers Taunts Cowboys, Drew Pearson
2018 NFL Draft
Drew Pearson had his fun at the 2017 NFL Draft on the Ben Franklin Parkway. The Hall of Famer thanked the Eagles for allowing him to have a career in the NFL. He didn’t expect that Philadelphia would celebrate their first Super Bowl in franchise history months later.
David Akers stored Pearson’s troll move in the memory bank. He stood at the podium at the 2018 NFL Draft in Dallas and pointed out some key information: Most of the available prospects weren’t born when Dallas last won the Super Bowl after the 1995 season.
The back-and-forth trash talk was healthy and lighthearted. It deserves a good lookback above some other rivalry memories when both teams’ fans have gone overboard.
The 2017 Winning Streak
November 19, 2017: Eagles 37, Cowboys 9
The heart of the 2017 season gave Philadelphia fans surprisingly little stress. The Eagles steamrolled through their opponents on a nine-game winning streak. The eighth win came at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday Night Football.
Dallas took a surprising 9-7 lead into halftime. Nothing could slow the Eagles down on offense, however, including an injury to Jake Elliott that completely tipped Doug Pederson’s hand in fourth-down strategy and two-point conversions. It didn’t matter in the least.
Carson Wentz and the Eagles scored four unanswered touchdowns, but 28 points wouldn’t have looked as good. They outscored their NFC East rivals 30-0 without the option to kick extra points. The blowout let Eagles fans laugh about how reserve linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill filled in for Elliott on kickoffs.
Carson Wentz Leads Late-Season Surge
December 22, 2019: Eagles 17, Cowboys 9
The 2019 season was an ugly one for the entire NFC East. The Eagles fell way short of expectations with a 5-7 start. A weak field of competition failed to make them pay for it. When Carson Wentz regrouped for a late-season surge, he put the Eagles in position to take hold of the division lead in a Week 16 matchup at Lincoln Financial field.
The Eagles put together one of their most complete efforts in an underwhelming season. Unexpected hero Sidney Jones made the biggest contribution of his Eagles career by breaking up a fourth-down pass from Dak Prescott to seal the victory.
