The Dallas Cowboys will not encounter the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 until the 10th week. They will meet again in Week 17.
Last year they played in Week 9 and again in Week 14 and somehow the Cowboys overcame an early division lead by the Eagles.
This year they might go into the first matchup fighting for their playoff lives.
The Cowboys lead the overall series 74-56. Dallas is 43-24 at home but the Eagles lead 32-21 in games played in Philadelphia.
Despite the Cowboys’ current 18-game lead, the series has been fiercely competitive as of late.
It is expected to remain so for some time.
Against The Eagles
Philadelphia won the first three games between the teams (a 1960 win followed by a season sweep in 1961). Two of the three game were played at the Cotton Bowl.
After winning the first meeting of 1967 season the Eagles were up 10-4 in the series as Dallas’ first win finally came at home in 1962 by a 41-19 count.
The Cowboys first win in Philly took three more years to achieve, a 21-19 win in 1965.
Dallas turned their fortunes around in the second game of the 1967 season. A 38-17 win at home sparked a 10-game win streak.
The Eagles snapped the streak with a 30-16 home win in 1973.
After the teams each held serve on their home fields the next two games, Dallas embarked on a nine-game win streak from 1974 through 1978.
After trading wins back and forth, the Cowboys swept the 1983 and 1984 games then won back-to-back games in 1985 and 1986.
The Eagles reeled off an eight-game win streak from 1987 through 1991. Dallas answered with a seven-game win streak from 1992-95.
The last extended streak went to the Eagles from 2000 to 2004 when the Eagles won six straight and nine out of 10.
But in the last 20 years, Philadelphia has never won more than two in a row over Dallas. Since then Dallas has had two three game win streaks and a four game streak (2017-19).
The teams have met four times in the playoffs with the Eagles taking the first game in the 1980 NFC Championship game, 20-7.
Since then Dallas has won all three playoff games – 1992 (34-10), 1995 (30-11), and 2009 (34-14) – between the two teams.
Week 10 History
The Cowboys are 33-26-1 in Week 10 games overall. They are 14-11-1 at home with the tie coming in 1961 against the Washington Redskins.
Dallas is 19-15 on the road in Week 10.
They lost a game to the players strike in 1982 – the last week the stoppage canceled a game that year – and three byes that fell on Week 10.
Dallas has won their last two home games on Week 10 – the Falcons in 2021 and the Giants in 2023 – but lost their last road game in Week 10 to Green Bay in 2022.
Their last road win on Week 10 ironically was in Philadelphia in 2018. The Cowboys last Week 10 loss at home came in 2019 against the Vikings.
Of their 60 Week 10 games over half have come against their NFC East rivals.
Dallas is 9-5 against the Eagles, 7-3 against the Giants and 4-2-1 against Washington.
Week 17 History
The Cowboys first Week 17 game was a loss at Minnesota in 1982 – an added week to the normal 16 week schedule then to account for the strike.
Week 17 games didn’t become a regular feature in the NFL until 1990 and Dallas lost at Atlanta that year in Week 17.
The Cowboys would win six of the next nine Week 17 games to close out the 20th Century with a 6-5 record in Week 17 games.
Since the turn of the century they are a dismal 8-13.
At one point, from 2000-2008, Dallas lost nine straight Week 17 games.
Dallas has won their last two Week 17 games though, beating the Titans in Tennessee in 2022 and the Lions last year at home.
The Cowboys had lost at the Giants in 2020 and at home to the Cardinals in 2021 before that.
The Cowboys are 8-5 at home but just 6-16 on the road – where they will be in this year’s Week 17 contest.
All but 13 of the 35 games have been played against NFC East rivals.
Dallas is 3-3 against the Eagles, but 405 against Washington and just 2-5 against the Giants.
My Prediction
(based on rosters as of today)
As much as it pains me to say this – unless there are some big changes between now and Week 10 – I have to go with an Eagles’ sweep.
The Cowboys may already be eliminated before Week 17 even rolls up.
Predicted Week 10 season record: 3-6.
Predicted Week 17 season record: 7-9.