With it being the beginning of Dallas week, and the first game of the new decade, there is no better place to start than looking back at some of the most memorable moments from the rivalry during the 2010s. The Eagles and Cowboys were relatively matched throughout that period, but there have been some great moments that Eagles fans will be able to remember long into this decade.
The Brandon Boykin Interception
In 2013, the Eagles led by Nick Foles headed into Jerry World for a week 17 clash knowing a win would secure the NFC East and a place in the playoffs. With a little over six minutes left of regulation, running back, Bryce Brown put the Birds up 24-16 and in the ascendancy for the division. The next drive saw Dez Bryant score a 32-yard touchdown on a 4th & 9 to bring the Cowboys within two points of tying the game, but a failed two-point conversion left them with a field goal to win it all and the division. After Philadelphia was unsuccessful in their attempts to run down the clock, they put the ball back in the hands of Kyle Orton for one last drive. Orton would be on the field for less than five seconds as he threw the ball behind his wide receiver and into the hands of cornerback Brandon Boykin. That play secured an NFC East title in Chip Kelly's debut season as the Eagles head coach. However, they would not make it past the wildcard round as the New Orleans Saints beat the Eagles 26-24 as a Shayne Graham field goal won the game as time expired.
Sidney Jones' moment in the spotlight
The Eagles met Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field in week 16 of last season knowing the winner of the game would more than likely win the division. Carson Wentz and his core of practise squad players had the Eagles up 17-9 with 4.33 left on the clock. It was up to the defense of Philadelphia to come up big in the biggest of moments, and they did. As the Cowboys drove the field in search of a touchdown and a two-point conversion they stalled at the Eagles 23-yard line. On a 4th & 8, Dak Prescott threw a pass towards the endzone with the hope of Michael Gallup making a vital touchdown reception. Instead, it was a forgotten man in the Eagles' secondary that would come up big and make the play of the game. Sidney Jones became the star of the night with his vital pass break up to turn the ball over on downs, and give the Eagles offense the chance to chew the clock. They did exactly that, and then Doug Pederson's team would go on to beat the New York Giants and win a second NFC East title in three years.
Sanchez puts Philadelphia into dreamland
In Thanksgiving of 2014, the Eagles were in a peculiar situation. They were top of the NFC East with an 8-3 record, but starter Nick Foles was out injured, and his replacement was Mark Sanchez. People were unsure whether Sanchez could lead the Eagles towards something special despite their great record. On Thanksgiving, they travelled to face the Dallas Cowboys who also had an 8-3 record. A win in this game looked likely to push the Eagles a step closer towards the playoffs and potentially put them within the grasp of a first-round bye. What transpired that night were beyond everyone's wildest dreams. Led by Sanchez, the Eagles blew the backdoors off of the Cowboys as they won 33-10. The former Jets quarterback who was made famous for his butt fumble was looking to rewrite his own story. Having managed the game with 217 yards passing and a touchdown, he had Philadelphia believing they could potentially do something in the post-season as they sat with a record of 9-3. Sadly, that was good as it got for the Eagles as they would end up winning one more game that season and they missed out on the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
Kamu Gruiger-Hill takes special teams captain to the next level
In 2017, the Eagles were in their best run of form in years, and they headed to Dallas with the hopes of all but securing the NFC East. However, what would happen at half-time would cause some frustration for the Eagles and their fans. Kicker Jake Elliott was out for the game with a concussion, meaning the Eagles put their faith in special teams captain and linebacker Kamu Gruiger-Hill to take kicking duties. Luckily for the Eagles, Elliott was not missed, as they destroyed Dallas in the second half by a score of 30-0. Gruiger-Hill was only tasked with kick-offs in the second half which he did a great job with keeping them all inbounds. The game ended 37-9 in the Eagles favour as they extended their winning run to nine games. Sadly we never got to see Kamu attempt a field goal or a PAT.
One of Shady's greatest days in Midnight Green
The end of LeSean McCoy's tenure in Philadelphia was an ugly one after being traded to the Buffalo Bills due to a breakdown in his relationship with Chip Kelly. However, during his six-year spell with the Eagles, McCoy broke the Eagles' rushing record finishing with 6792 yards. He had many memorable moments for the Eagles and was loved by the majority of the fan base. One of his best games in midnight green came against the Cowboys during the 2011 season. Despite ending the season with an 8-8 record, the Eagles' 34-7 thrashing of Dallas was a big highlight. McCoy was an MVP on the day totalling 185 yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns and 15 receiving yards. It would be his second-best performance for rushing with the Eagles, and he averaged six yards per carry on the day. For someone that was the definition of consistency during his time with the Eagles, Shady loved a game against Dallas and had four game's of 100+ rushing yards whilst in Philly.
Sam Bradford's overtime win in Jerry World
The 2015 Eagles season was a bemusing one. Chip Kelly took on a Bill O'Brien role and traded Nick Foles for St Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford. He would also not extend Jeremy Maclin's contract, traded LeSean McCoy and released starting offensive linemen Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans. In short, the season was a complete disaster. However, there were a couple of good memories for Eagles fans to remember. One was the 33-27 overtime victory in Dallas which sparked some false hope that at 4-4 the Eagles could win the NFC East. After trading constant scores, the game went to overtime, and Sam Bradford's pass to Jordan Matthews turned into a big catch and run that would result in a 41-yard touchdown. That was as good as it got for the 2015 Eagles as Chip Kelly was fired before week 17, and they ended with a 7-9 record.