The Eagles had no shortage of energy going into their Week 8 meeting with the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field, and Tanner McKee helped set the tone before the opening kickoff.
With Philadelphia welcoming Dallas to Philly and getting good news on Saquon Barkley’s injury status, the backup quarterback stepped into the spotlight and delivered a pregame speech that fired up the room. In it, McKee described his teammates as a “bunch of dogs,” a line that matched the edge he brought ahead of the Monday night showdown.
Tanner McKee’s pregame Pump-Up speech to the #Eagles. pic.twitter.com/v8dWszxMdU
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) October 26, 2026
That confidence mattered because McKee was lined up to become the second backup quarterback to beat Dallas in three games after the Buccaneers' Jalon Daniels did it back in Week 5 with Baker Mayfield sidelined due to injury.
The game itself opened with Dallas striking first. Brandon Aubrey drilled a 55-yard field goal to put the Cowboys up 3-0, but McKee answered by leading an Eagles drive that ended with an eight-yard Barkley touchdown run and got the home crowd right back into it.
Dallas quickly punched back through the air. Dak Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb on a nine-yard touchdown pass, and Aubrey added the extra point to put the Cowboys back on top.
Still, McKee’s response from there showed why the Eagles trusted him in this spot. Philadelphia put together another strong drive into Cowboys territory as the first half wound down, and the offense started to find some rhythm with McKee getting two pass-catchers back for the game. Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s plan began to take hold as the rivalry game heated up.
McKee may not be Jalen Hurts in the eyes of Eagles fans, but he showed plenty of poise and command. On a night already packed with emotion, Philadelphia had every reason to keep believing more good news could still be coming.
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