Instant observations from Cowboys 24, Eagles 21: Eagles offense starts strong, then does nothing

Did you think it was going to be easy? It never is with the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles. And this time, it finally got them.

The Eagles roared to a 21-0 lead in Jerry World over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12, behind their defense and the strength of the passing game. But after Saquon Barkley fumbled in Dallas territory with a little over seven minutes left, the Cowboys had the ball with the game tied at 21. After Xavier Gipson made a mind-numbing fumble a few minutes later, the Cowboys had the ball inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line with the score tied at 21.

And then after the Eagles’ seventh straight empty possession, Brandon Aubrey made a 42-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cowboys a 24-21 win. The Eagles fell to 8-3, and gave away a chance to essentially end the NFC East race in the process. Brutal loss.

Yet again, the Eagles offense fell asleep for an extended stretch and the Eagles’ dominant defense gave up some big plays to Dallas while also taking on a bunch of injuries.

Here are the PHLY Eagles staff’s reactions.

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EJ Smith

Despite playing most of this game — and this season — with an apparent priority to limit mistakes, the Eagles made plenty of them in a stunning collapse at AT&T Stadium.

The team’s 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys featured a season-high 14 penalties with an offense that ground to a self-imposed halt and a defense that couldn’t withstand a flurry of injuries in the secondary. The Eagles offense scored touchdowns on each of its first three series, but went the next seven drives without mustering up a point as the Cowboys rattled off 24 unanswered.

This loss should leave the Eagles wondering if their winning formula of avoiding turnovers at the expense of explosive offense has reached too far. By the time they needed to put their foot back on the gas, the engine had stopped running.

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Fran Duffy

Well…that was something.

We looked like we were on our way to a ‘that’s what y’all wanted to see’ type of performances from Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense.

Instead .. we got the type of game that absolutely no one wanted to see.

After jumping out to a 21-0 lead, the Eagles went scoreless for hours, finding themselves in another one-score game. There were brutal penalties on both sides of the ball. There was an egregious gaffe on special teams. With two minutes remaining, Jalen Hurts had the ball on his own 37-yard line on third-and-two and took a ridiculous sack for a 12-yard loss.

The offense was stagnant. The defense tried to fight through an injury to Reed Blankenship but gave up chunk plays downfield.

It’s hard to win one-score games time after time after time. This week, the Eagles fell on the wrong side of that equation.

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Rich Hofmann

It’s just never easy. And at some point, playing this style of football is going to bite you. It did today.

At some point, you need play like a normal offense for three hours. Seven straight real drives with zero points. Seven straight. Three three-and-outs mixed in there, on a day when A.J. Brown looked like A.J. Brown.

The offensive ineptitude has been brushed aside because the Eagles “just win.” Enough! That group has to be better.

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Jamie Lynch

What a start to the game, couldn’t have asked for a better beginning of the game. A turnover on downs & immediately get AJ Brown cooking with a TD to cap the drive. Chefs kiss, no notes.

A very funny, self inflicted wounds 2nd quarter by the Cowboys with 2 penalties that kept the defense on the field and a great Blankenship INT at the goal had the Eagles coasting into halftime feeling good. So we thought, but nothing is ever easy.

A 3rd quarter where the offense decided to play scared, some bad penalties & all of a sudden, the Cowboys made it a game going into the 4th.

This 4th quarter may have been the most anxiety ridden quarter of football I can remember for a long time. No one seemed to want to take the game.

That was just absolutely disgusting & awful. Xavier Gipson simply you CAN NOT DO THAT. 4th & 2, you go for that! So much could’ve been done to avoid this loss.