The Philadelphia Eagles will need some time to bounce back after losing to the Dallas Cowboys 38-21 in Week 7 on Monday Night Football.
There wasn’t much to get excited about on defense, as it was the worst performance of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s three years in Philly. They allowed 416 yards and, once again, had a game with no turnovers.
Philly’s biggest defensive problem, though, was the lack of a pass rush. They finished with zero sacks and zero quarterback hits in the loss. That was a major talking point for the Eagles after the game.
Philadelphia Eagles Address Lack of Pass Rush in Week 7 Loss
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni faced reporters after the game. Reporters asked him about the defensive front not getting any pressure on the Cowboys. Sirianni gave Dallas more credit rather than explaining the struggles.
“Again, give them credit,” Sirianni said via The Athletic’s Zach Berman. “They did a good job. I think they were ahead of the sticks quite a bit and in manageable third downs. When they were in third downs, they were able to keep us off balance there with the way they ran it and then some of their play action game. So again, credit to them.”
“…Again, there’s never just one thing. Again, when you’re not getting pressures, you’ve got to try to simulate them in some way. So again, it’s always a version of, how are we executing? How are we putting them in positions to succeed? Because all that matters is that it goes out onto the field and we try to give ourselves the best chance to win. In this game of football, just like anything, I think we always want to pin it on something, but there’s multiple things that contribute to it. We’ll look at that, look at some of the common themes and see what we need to do to get better.”
The Eagles played this game without Nolan Smith Jr., who was out with an injury. Jonathan Greenard played in the game, but has been banged up all season. Jalyx Hunt also played injured with a lower-leg injury.
Eagles’ Defense Folded at the Worst Possible Time
The Eagles’ offense finally got some things going, so it was disappointing to see the defense fold. Philly’s defense struggled to pressure Dak Prescott and stop the run. The defense allowed 204 rushing yards in the loss.
Cracks are starting to show in the defense, which isn’t a good thing. This is an Eagles team that invested over $300 million in the defensive line this offseason, so not getting a sack or quarterback hit is a bad look.
Philly will have to bounce back against the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Losing that game will surely end their 2026 season.
Nick Sirianni Deflected on Eagles’ Biggest Problem in Crushing Cowboys Loss