Eagles grades vs. Cowboys: Defensive line invisible, tough night for Riq Woolen

Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 38-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys:

Tanner McKee made his second start, but first since Jalen Hurts was shut down for the season after blood clots were discovered in his lungs. Should he have the job the rest of the way? His performance against Dallas suggests that maybe he should be on a short leash. McKee completed 23 of 35 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. But he threw a costly late interception and is often a sitting duck in the pocket.

McKee had a nice moment early when he pumped and drew a linebacker’s eyes before hitting Makai Lemon on a crosser. But he struggled in the drop-back game, particularly before the half. He threw low and incomplete to an open Darius Cooper in the second quarter and slightly behind Makai Lemon a play later. The Eagles eventually went three-and-out.

But McKee came out strong in the second half. He completed 7 of 9 passes on the opening possession, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Lemon on a rub route to help the Eagles retake the lead, 21-20. A series later, McKee held the ball too long and was sacked.

Joe Milton, who was recently poached from Dallas’ practice squad, was promoted ahead of rookie Cole Payton to back up McKee. Payton was the emergency third quarterback.

The Eagles’ 86 first-half rushing yards were 29 more than they had in their previous two games combined. But Saquon Barkley’s nagging hamstring injury limited his playing time, and Dameon Pierce just wasn’t explosive enough.

Barkley got the game going with a little shake before picking up 29 yards on his first carry, but appeared to pull up lame. Three plays later, he finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to the right. He touched the ball on each of his eight first-half snaps, but was clearly less than 100 percent. Barkley opened the second half with a 12-yard run, and had another rush, but he pulled up lame again.

Pierce ran five yards off the left and into the end zone for the Eagles’ second touchdown. He picked up eight and 12 yards on two outside zone runs during a second-quarter drive. He struggled to pick a second-quarter blitz that resulted in a batted pass. Pierce ran hard, overall, but gained just 47 yards on 14 carries before getting dinged in the fourth quarter. Practice squad call-up Elijah Mitchell jumped in for the injured Pierce and had a nifty catch and run for 15 yards.

McKee’s limitations hindered the passing attack, and the Eagles just couldn’t muster much downfield through the air.

Makai Lemon was the de facto No. 1 receiver with DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) sidelined with injuries. He finished with a team-high seven catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. A 21-yard reception came on the opening drive when he pulled in a crosser and picked up yards after the catch. Lemon couldn’t pull in a pass over the middle just before the half. It was thrown behind him, but it hit him in the hands.

Lemon had several snags to open the second half, including one that went for 15 yards on fourth down and a four-yarder to cap the drive. It was the first touchdown of his career. Tight end Dallas Goedert made a sweet 18-yard grab over the middle in the fourth quarter. He finished with five catches for 48 yards. Goedert failed to hold his block on a third-quarter outside run that ended up as a loss.

Darius Cooper dropped an early pass, but made up for it by picking up 17 yards on a third-down screen in the first quarter. Hollywood Brown converted a third down on a shallow crosser that he took for 19 yards total.

Rookie Eli Stowers was active for his first NFL game. Whether he was ready or not, second-round draft picks can’t sit forever with dubious injuries. He was targeted once on the final drive, but the pass fell incomplete. Grant Calcaterra made his first appearance of the season after missing time because of a back injury. He likely got the nod ahead of Zach Ertz, who has run out of practice squad elevations, because of special teams.

The Eagles run game finally had some cohesiveness and sustained success on outside zone runs. It was a team effort, but the O-line led the way. It was tough sledding, though, without Barkley.

Landon Dickerson made his return after missing the previous five games with a knee injury. He assumed his normal left guard spot ahead of Willie Lampkin and looked better than he did in Week 1. Dickerson had a nice lead block on a Pierce 9-yard run in the first quarter. He still had issues moving in the wide-zone blocking scheme.

The pass protection was mostly solid, although McKee didn’t take many deep drops until the Eagles trailed in the second half. And that’s when the sacks came. Tackles Jordan Mailata and Markel Bell mostly kept the Cowboys edge rushers at bay. Bell got to the perimeter for a block that helped spring Cooper on the 17-yard screen. Tyler Steen and Dickerson had problems vs. defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Steen had a holding penalty that brought back a Barkley run.

Center Drew Kendall, in his return after missing two games with a knee injury, won at the point of attack on Barkley’s 8-yard score and a drive later sealed open a hole up the middle on a 6-yard rush. Mailata rocked the baby and carried a Cowboys end back five yards on Pierce’s 5-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles’ first Tush Push didn’t quite work. McKee fumbled the snap. But defensive offside gave the Eagles a first down on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter.

It was a collective failure, but the Eagles’ two high-priced defensive tackles were almost invisible. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis hardly had their names called all night as Dallas running backs Javonte Williams and Tyler Goodson ran up the middle at will and combined for nearly 200 yards rushing. The two interior linemen who signed contracts worth more than $225 million combined were also part of a pass rush that generated little pressure on Dak Prescott. The Cowboys quarterback picked had ample time in the pocket when he did drop. He was never sacked.

Carter jumped the count and got into the backfield for a run stop at the line in the second quarter, but the only other time he stood out was when he slapped a Cowboys O-line after the whistle and got away with what should have been a personal foul. Moro Ojomo was playing with an oblique injury, but might have injured something else later. He was ineffective, as was fellow backup Byron Young.

Edges Jonathan Greenard (ankle) and Jalyx Hunt (knee/ankle) were active despite questionable status reports entering the game. Greenard still hasn’t contributed a play of note despite inking a $98 million contract in the offseason. He’s clearly not healthy, but that factors into the evaluation of his trade. Hunt failed to set the edge on Williams ran into the vacancy to convert fourth-and-1 in the second quarter.

Arnold Ebiketie had an early pressure that forced an errant Prescott throw. But Ebiketie, like most of the Eagles’ front, got blown off the ball on Williams’ 34-yard fourth-quarter bolt. Nolan Smith Jr. was out after suffering a concussion last week.

It’s tough to make stops at the second level when tailbacks have a running start. But it’s not as if the Eagles’ off-ball linebackers were hitting the gaps and disengaging from blocks. Zack Baun led the defense with nine tackles, but he missed his share, as well. He couldn’t wrap up on a strong Williams 12-yard run in the first quarter.

Jihaad Campbell just wasn’t around the ball much and finished with just 2 assists on tackles. He appeared to be out of his gap on Goodson 10-yard run in the first quarter. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. split time with Campbell for the second straight game. He worked to the sideline to limit a jet sweep in the second quarter.

The secondary was in the crosshairs with the Eagles unable to stop the run or get to Prescott. After playing exclusively on the right side in the first six games, Quinyon Mitchell opened on the boundary side as he did for most of 2026. He made a strong pass breakup before the half on a slant route. Mitchell went down late in the second half after Cowboys receiver Ryan Flournoy caught a 13-yard pass in front of him.

With Mitchell out, Prescott went at his replacement, Jonathan Jones, and hooked up with George Pickens for 21 yards.

Riq Woolen had a difficult night. He had an early pass breakup and, just before the half, had tight coverage on a bomb. But Woolen had a couple of rough moments, including a slip, when he allowed two catches to Lamb before the half. His struggles continued after the break. Woolen committed a third-down holding penalty and later let Lamb get behind him for a 16-yard touchdown.

Cooper DeJean got beat by Lamb on a corner route for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter. DeJean almost tackled tight end Jake Ferguson on a pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter.

There were just too many examples of Andrew Mukuba failing to come down into the box and help against the run. He gets blocked easily by too many receivers. He was sharper in coverage. Pickens got behind him for a 21-yard, toe-tapping grab in the back corner of the end zone in the second quarter. It was a perfect pitch and catch by the Cowboys. Kenny Moore II was the nickel safety ahead of Marcus Epps for a second straight game. He had only two tackles and no pass breakups, but he’s still better than Epps.

Punter Braden Mann dropped a 49-yard punt inside the five that Cooper downed at the 2-yard line. Gunner Kelee Ringo made a strong tackle after Mann’s 61-yard punt in the fourth quarter.

Britain Covey suffered a knee injury on his first touch — an 18-yard kick return — and never returned. Elijah Mitchell took his spot next to Pierce and both struggled as returners. Lemon was back to field punts with Covey out, but he let both short kicks bounce and get downed.

Nick Sirianni had his offense looking at least functional for three quarters despite all the injuries. But Vic Fangio’s defense was terrible and couldn’t stop the Cowboys from marching. Dallas’ run offense had been underwhelming almost all season, but it stomped on the Eagles for 204 yards on the ground. The pass rush was again anemic. Fangio dialed up early blitzes and simulated pressures to offset the lack of a pass rush, but when he went with just four, Prescott often had tons of time.

Sean Mannion had easily his best game as offensive coordinator. His early script was varied and inventive and kept the chains moving. He finally got the under-center, play-action game going and did his best to get the ball out of McKee’s hands with quick timing routes. He attacked the Cowboys on the edges where they came in weak.

Mannion came out of the half and dialed up a 17-play drive for the Eagles’ first third-quarter touchdown of the season. But McKee and missing so many key players made it nearly impossible to pull off the upset.