The Eagles head into Monday Night Football against the Cowboys carrying more doubt than usual, and the injury list is doing most of the talking. Philadelphia is set to deal with absences and uncertainty all over the place, with Dontayvion Wicks, DeVonta Smith, Nolan Smith Jr. and Michael Carter among the names in question. Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Greenard and Landon Dickerson are still being watched to see whether they’ll even suit up.
That setup has left the Eagles with unusually low expectations for Week 7. And if things break a certain way, the night could get strange in a hurry.
Start with Tanner McKee, who may be asked to do just enough rather than carry the offense. With DeVonta Smith and Wicks out and Dallas Goedert banged up, the passing game may never get into a rhythm.
Philadelphia also has a clear path to lean on the ground game, especially against a Cowboys defense that ranks 31st against the run. McKee could wind up with only 20 to 25 attempts, and if Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper are the top options, there may not be much opportunity to attack downfield.
That’s how McKee ends up well under 150 passing yards.
The run game could still have a big day, and Barkley is the most obvious reason why. He’s averaging 5.1 yards per carry this season even while dealing with injuries, and the matchup is right there for him.
If Dickerson is able to go after hinting on social media that he could be back for the Cowboys game, that only makes the outlook better. This is the kind of spot where Barkley could finally break through for his first 100-yard game of 2026.
Cooper is another player who could make the most of limited touches. He has already scored four touchdowns this season, and half of his catches in 2026 have gone for scores.
The Eagles haven’t been featuring him heavily, and that probably won’t change much, but they should look for him in the red zone. Two receptions, two touchdowns - that’s the kind of weird stat line he could produce.
On the other side of the ball, Cooper DeJean may end up everywhere. He hasn’t been fully healthy this year, and it’s shown, but Philadelphia still sees him as a weapon in the slot and will keep moving him around.
That means work in coverage, work against the run, and a chance to pile up stops. In this projection, he leads the team with 15 tackles.
The one thing the Eagles may not get? A sack.
Without Nolan Smith, the pass rush is already thin, and Greenard is a game-time decision who could be unavailable. If Jalyx Hunt is out there, he may not be at full strength either.
That leaves Philadelphia without a dependable edge presence against a Cowboys line that has been solid in pass protection, which opens the door for a sackless night.
In Other News...
Eagles Face A Bigger Week 7 Problem Than DeVonta Smith
DeVonta Smith is set to miss his third game of the season with a hamstring injury, leaving the Eagles to sort through another week without one of Jalen Hurts' most reliable targets. Philadelphia has enough wideout options to patch the hole in the passing game, with Makai Lemon, Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore and Marquise Brown all in line to help absorb the workload left behind by Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.
The bigger concern may be on defense, where Michael Carter II's absence carries more weight than the missing production at receiver. Carter is expected to sit again because of an abdominal injury, and the Eagles have not gotten the same level of coverage from the players filling in for him, a problem that becomes even more glaring with the Dallas Cowboys on deck and a secondary already under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Pass Rusher Gets A Huge Cowboys Chance At The Perfect Time
Arnold Ebiketie has spent this season in a useful, if often overlooked, role as the Eagles fourth pass rusher, but the next stretch could put him in a much bigger spotlight. On a one-year deal worth $4.3 million, he has already found himself on the field far more than expected, logging 91% of the defensive snaps in Week 6 and positioning himself for even more responsibility with injuries thinning the edge-rushing group.
A possible start against Dallas would arrive at exactly the right time for a player with plenty to prove. Ebiketie has talked about keeping his focus on the field and using the rest of the season to strengthen his standing, and the opportunity matters because every rep now carries extra weight for what comes next. With the Cowboys looming and more snaps potentially waiting, he is suddenly in the kind of spot every pending free agent wants, even if the bigger picture is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Kelce Delivered A Very Philly Moment Eagles Fans Will Love
With the Eagles trying to steady themselves after four straight losses, a lot of attention has understandably been on the present tense of a season that has gone sideways fast. Nick Siriannis team heads into Week 7 at 2-4 with Tanner McKee at quarterback, and the backdrop has only gotten trickier with injuries to key players like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, plus growing criticism of the offenses cautious approach under Sean Mannion.
In the middle of all that, Jason Kelce was back in the spotlight in a way only Philadelphia can appreciate. The former Eagles center got a memorable welcome during a recent game, the kind of loud, over-the-top reception that reminds you how deeply he still resonates with this city and its fans. For a team searching for any spark, it was a very Philly moment, and one that likely felt a little more uplifting than anything happening on the field right now. [Read more 🡒]