Troy Aikman pours cold water on Cowboys’ win over Eagles: ‘Let’s not get carried away’
Dallas Cowboys great and broadcaster Troy Aikman said the team’s 38-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles had not changed his view of Dallas, cautioning against reading too much into a victory over a depleted opponent. His comments matter because he sees the Cowboys as capable, but says their progress, especially on defence, will determine whether they can contend in the playoffs.
Philadelphia had lost four straight and started backup quarterback Tanner McKee, with Jalen Hurts sidelined for the season by blood clots. The Eagles were also without or had lost several key players, including Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson, while Saquon Barkley left after nine snaps with a back injury. Dallas rose to 3-4; its offence averages 27 points per game, but its defence allows 25.7, ranking 23rd in the NFL, and the team trails the Giants in the NFC East.
In short
- Aikman said Dallas’s win over a weakened Philadelphia side proved little.
- The Cowboys improved to 3-4 but remain behind the Giants.
- He says defensive progress will be key to their playoff chances.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The win may still be a meaningful sign of Dallas’s potential: the Cowboys scored 38 points and improved to 3-4, showing that their offence can perform against a divisional rival. A strong result can build confidence and provide a platform to improve, even if the Eagles were missing important players.
The case against
A win over a depleted Eagles side may say little about whether Dallas can contend in the playoffs, particularly while its defence is allowing 25.7 points per game. Philadelphia was on a four-game losing streak, started a backup quarterback and lost key players during the game, so caution about drawing broad conclusions from this result is reasonable.
Explained simply
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are long-standing rivals in the NFL, the United States’ top professional American football league. Troy Aikman is a former Cowboys quarterback who now works as a broadcaster.
Aikman’s assessment reflects a basic question about Dallas: can its defence improve enough to support a strong offence? That matters because teams need to perform consistently across the season to reach and succeed in the playoffs.
The Eagles were missing several important players, including starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, when the teams met. Their absences are relevant when judging what the result says about Dallas, whose defence had been allowing more points than many teams.