Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

Daniel Collins

Written by: Daniel Collins

Last Updated:

Read Time: 4 minutes

The NFL rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys is not even close to being one of the oldest, but it is definitely one of the most intense. The Eagles and Cowboys compete in the NFC East Division, and they are usually battling each other for the top spot in the division. Dallas has traditionally gotten the better of Philadelphia, but there have been periods of dominance by the Eagles. The Eagles and Cowboys have been featured on either Monday Night Football or Sunday Night Football a combined 23 times, and they always deliver terrific performances. Lately it has been the Dallas Cowboys trying to equal the success of Philadelphia, but odds are that it will swing back the other way in future seasons. It’s always difficult to make a prediction on how a rivalry will go, but this is a rivalry that is not going away anytime soon.

History of Eagles vs. Cowboys Rivalry

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys first met in 1960 after the Cowboys joined the National Football League. The Eagles gave the Cowboys a rude welcome into this rivalry, beating Dallas by a score of 27-25 on September 25, 1960. Throughout the years, the Eagles and Cowboys have met up a total of 120 times including playoffs. The Cowboys have gone 65-51 against the Eagles in regular season games, and have also won three of the four playoff games between the rivals. Philadelphia went 10-9 against the Cowboys in the 1960’s, but the 1970’s were absolutely dominated by the Cowboys. Dallas won 17 of the 20 games between the two rivals, and it was during the 1970’s that the rivalry really took off. One of the most memorable games between the two teams was the 1980 NFC Championship Game that was won by the Eagles by a score of 20-7. Both the Cowboys and Eagles were playoff teams in 2018, and they will both be popular preseason picks to make it back to the postseason in 2019. Odds are that either the Cowboys or Eagles will win the NFC East next season.

The Philadelphia Eagles were established on July 8, 1933, and began playing games later that fall. The Eagles were established as a replacement to the Frankford Yellow Jackets, who went bankrupt. Philadelphia hasn’t had the tremendous success of other high profile NFL franchises, but they are extremely popular. The Eagles have sold out every single home game since the 1999 season, and their fans are extremely passionate about the team. Philadelphia has been a member of the Eastern Division in the NFC since it was created in 1970, and the Eagles have developed an intense rivalry with the Cowboys and New York Giants. Philadelphia has won just one Super Bowl Championship in team history, beating all the odds to win the title in 2017. In the early seasons, Philadelphia was often the preseason prediction to reach the Super Bowl, but they always seemed to fall short. Brian Dawkins and Reggie White are two of the most famous players to ever wear an Eagles uniform.

The Dallas Cowboys are considered “America’s Team,” but they aren’t even close to being one of the oldest NFL franchises. The Cowboys came into the NFL in 1960 and were shifted to the NFC East in 1970, kicking off their rivalry with the Eagles. Dallas was the class of the NFL during the late 1990’s, but they haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995. The Cowboys still continue to grow in popularity and are the most valuable franchise in American sports. Quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin teamed up to form an unstoppable trio on those late 90’s teams, and they produced some of the best teams in NFL history. The Cowboys have been inconsistent since those terrific Dallas teams, but they were NFC East Champions in 2018 and will be a popular pick to repeat next season.

Head to Head Analysis of Eagles vs. Cowboys

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have met 20 times since January 03, 2010. Dallas has been the better team since that time, but they hold only a slight edge over their rivals. The Cowboys have gone 12-8 against the Eagles, including winning three straight games in this rivalry. Philadelphia has had some great luck against the Cowboys on the road, surprisingly, winning six of the 11 games at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The Cowboys have returned the favor against the Eagles in Philadelphia, posting a 7-2 record against them in the city of Brotherly Love. The Cowboys have been the correct pick in terms of the money line, but just looking at the winners and losers in the last 20 games doesn’t always tell the whole story.

Betting on the NFL has become extremely popular in the United States, and looking at the odds and lines for each game can help us make some predictions moving forward. The Cowboys have been the outright winner in 12 of the last 20 games, but that doesn’t mean that they have always been the right pick. Philadelphia has actually been the betting favorite in 11 of the last 20 games, while the Cowboys have been favored just nine times. Looking at the point spreads and results for the last 20 games gives us a clearer picture of how this rivalry has gone. The Cowboys have gone 6-3 against the spread in the last 20 games as the favorite, and they have also gone 7-4 when they were the underdog. Dallas has been the outright winner 12 times and the betting winner 13 times. The other major thing to look at is the results of the last 20 games in terms of the “total” points. Dallas and Philadelphia have combined to go “over” the point total just nine times in the last 20 games, while the under has hit 11 times.

A Glance at Postseason Success in Eagles vs. Cowboys

The Eagles have been around for much longer, but Dallas has had far more success than their rivals. Dallas has won five Super Bowl Championships, while the Eagles have won just one. Philadelphia has won three other league championships, but all of those were won before Dallas even came into the league. The Cowboys have won a whopping 24 division championships and have made a total of 33 playoff appearances. The Eagles have just 13 division championships and have made 26 playoff appearances. Odds are that both the Cowboys and Eagles and will add to their totals in upcoming seasons, but they have already been extremely successful.

Eagles vs. Cowboys Rivalry Outlook

The Cowboys and Eagles look like they will continue their fierce rivalry in coming years. Dallas had an extremely strong 2018 season, but so did Philly.  Both teams feature numerous successful players, and you can expect to see some incredible football in their future matchups.