Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys’ season was already spiraling downward and out of control this past Sunday, but the wheels officially came off when Dak Prescott left the game early with a hamstring injury. It was later revealed that his hamstring has been partially torn off the bone, and Prescott is expected to go on the injured reserve. That leaves Cooper Rush as the new starter for a 3-5 Cowboys team.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Rush’s first start of the season will come against the 6-2 Eagles. If last week was when the team officially hit rock bottom, then this is the week that the pain of being at rock bottom really kicks in.

While the Cowboys have plenty of rivalries throughout their long and storied history, few have reached the level of vitriol as the rivalry with the Eagles in recent years. Much of that is due to the fact that these two have gone back and forth for control of the division recently, but that won’t be the case this year.

Right now, the Eagles are hitting their groove. They’ve won four straight and are getting some great contributions from their prized free agent signing Saquon Barkley, who’s just 75 rushing yards shy of the 1,000 mark for the year. It’s a sharp contrast from last year’s Eagles team, which imploded over the final half of the season, losing five of their final six games. The internal tensions that led to the collapse are seemingly behind them now.

Some of that has to do with the overhaul to the coaching staff. While general manager Howie Roseman retained head coach Nick Sirianni amid rumors he may make a move, the coordinator spots were completely flipped. And just to add an extra level of flavor to this rivalry, both positions were filled by coaches with a unique history for the Cowboys.

The offense is now run by Kellen Moore, who is only two years removed from being the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator. He left Dallas for the same job with the Chargers after the 2022 season, paving the way for Mike McCarthy to take over play-calling duties. Moore’s stay on the west coast didn’t last long, but he’s enjoying far more success in Philadelphia now, where his offense ranks eighth in EPA/play and 13th in offensive DVOA.

On the other side is Vic Fangio, who has plenty of experience facing off against McCarthy. The two coaches squared off twice a year for McCarthy’s final four years with the Packers, and then they exchanged words after Fangio’s Broncos blew out McCarthy’s Cowboys in 2021. They met again last year, with Fangio coordinating the Dolphins’ defense, and he once again got the win over McCarthy.

The Cowboys probably would’ve been underdogs anyway this week, but losing Prescott has ensured that this game is an uphill battle for Dallas anyway. The Eagles are currently favored by a full touchdown, the second-largest spread of any game this week. Many will remember that Rush went 4-1 starting in place of Prescott back in 2022, but that was with Moore calling the plays. We have yet to see him play a full game with McCarthy calling plays.

Furthermore, Rush’s only loss as a starter came against the Eagles, who won 26-17 with the help of three interceptions from Rush. It was the end of a magical run for the backup, and a reminder of how limited the offense had been without Prescott. This year, they’ve been just as limited even with Prescott, and Rush’s brief playing time last week didn’t offer much to suggest things would change.

If there’s any reason for optimism in this one, it starts with who is playing this week. CeeDee Lamb appears to be doing better after injuring his shoulder last week, and odds are good he’ll be able to play. Additionally, Micah Parsons is expected to return for this game, which should drastically improve a pass rush that’s struggled to be consistent in his absence.

Is it enough to win, though? Likely not. The Cowboys have yet to win a home game this year, and it seems unlikely to happen this week against a superior opponent. And that’s what will hurt the most, as it’s been rare for fans to actually expect to lose to the Eagles during the McCarthy era. In fact, you’d have to go all the way back to 2011 to find the last time the Eagles swept the Cowboys; the Cowboys have swept their rival three times since then, most recently in 2021.

While this is the first game between the two this year, it’s also the first game where the season feels truly and completely lost. The optimistic way of looking at that is that the Cowboys could be a perfect trap game for the Eagles. That seems unlikely, though, as the Cowboys are just 10-18 as underdogs under McCarthy. While such an outcome would certainly be a welcome surprise, fans are (rightfully) preparing for pain this Sunday.