Vic Fangio didn’t hide from the mess.
After the Eagles’ defense was gashed in a 38-21 loss to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field, the Philadelphia defensive coordinator put the spotlight on himself instead of looking for excuses.
“I didn’t do a good enough job coaching,” Fangio said, via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dallas did just about everything it wanted. The Cowboys rolled up 204 rushing yards on 38 carries, and Javonte Williams did the heaviest lifting with a career-high 155 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts.
Williams became Dallas’ first 150-yard rusher since Ezekiel Elliott in 2018. Philadelphia, meanwhile, never managed a tackle for loss.
The damage wasn’t limited to the ground game. Dak Prescott was sharp, completing 15 of 27 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. CeeDee Lamb caught two of those scores, and George Pickens grabbed the other.
For stretches, the game stayed tight. It featured six lead changes, and the Eagles opened the second half with an 84-yard touchdown drive to move ahead 21-20.
But Dallas answered with 18 straight points. Prescott’s third touchdown pass swung the lead back to the Cowboys, Brandon Aubrey added a field goal, and Williams finished the job with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:21 left, coming right after a DeMarvion Overshown interception.
Philadelphia was already operating with a short bench on both sides. Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks were all out, which pushed Tanner McKee into the starting job, and Saquon Barkley exited with a back injury.
Even with those absences, Fangio made clear he was owning the defensive failure himself. It lands at a tough moment for the Eagles, who have now lost five in a row and sit at 2-5.
Next up is a visit from the NFC East-leading New York Giants, and Philadelphia will need a far cleaner effort if it wants to stop the slide.
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