Cowboys vs Eagles is living up to the Monday Night Football billing in Philadelphia. Saquon Barkley, back from a hamstring injury, scored on his second carry of the night as the Philadelphia Eagles — playing without franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts — took an early 7-3 lead over the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field, in a game both 2-4 teams desperately need to keep their NFC East hopes alive.

Key Points

• Saquon Barkley is active and scored an 8-yard touchdown on his second carry, after a 29-yard run on the same drive
• Jalen Hurts is out for the season with blood clots in his lungs; Tanner McKee starts at quarterback for Philadelphia
• DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks are inactive for the Eagles; KaVontae Turpin is out for Dallas
• Brandon Aubrey's 55-yard field goal gave Dallas an early 3-0 lead before Barkley answered
• Both teams entered at 2-4; the loser falls to 2-5 in a wide-open NFC East

What Happened: Barkley Announces His Return

Dallas struck first, ending its opening drive with a 55-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey. Philadelphia's answer took barely any time at all — and it ran entirely through its returning star.

Despite missing starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks, the Eagles had no problem going right down the field. That is because Saquon Barkley is back.

The Eagles running back, who is returning from a hamstring injury, caught a dump off from Tanner McKee for a 12-yard gain. Barkley then went 29 yards on the next play, though it appeared he aggravated his hamstring after awkwardly getting around safety Caleb Downs.

With Barkley on the sideline for one play, McKee connected with rookie Makai Lemon for 21 yards. After an offsides penalty on Cowboys defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, Barkley went around the right side for an easy 8-yard touchdown.

The Eagles lead 7-3 with 10:25 left in the first quarter. Barkley has 37 yards and a touchdown on two carries and one catch for 12 yards.

The one concern for Philadelphia: that brief exit after the 29-yard run. Barkley returned to finish the drive, but his hamstring will be watched on every snap for the rest of the night.

Background: A Rivalry Game With Season-Long Stakes

When the NFL schedule dropped in the spring, the expectation was the Dallas Cowboys' trip to Philadelphia would be one of the Monday Night Football highlights of the season. Instead, both teams are 2-4 and now the Eagles are without quarterback Jalen Hurts as they get ready to put Tanner McKee in against Dallas.

The state of the NFC East, though, is such that the winner of this game is still in reasonable position to make a run. A win tonight would put the victor in strong position in the weak NFC East while the loser would likely drop to 2-5, increasing pressure on coaching staffs and short-term playoff hopes.

The Week 7 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26, with an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field. ESPN will carry the national telecast with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the booth, the game is reported to be simulcast on ABC, and viewers can stream on DIRECTV, fubo or the ESPN app.

The matchup has also become the night's biggest online story in America: "Eagles" was the top trending US Google search as kickoff approached, with more than 200,000 searches.

The Injury Picture: Why This Game Tilted Towards Dallas

Philadelphia remains without quarterback Jalen Hurts for the season as he receives treatment for blood clots in his lungs, leaving Tanner McKee to start under center. It will be Tanner McKee under center for a second consecutive start, with the former sixth-round pick making his 2026 debut last week in a 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The inactives list underlined the gap. As of 7:30 PM ET, Monday, October 26, 2026 (Week 7): Saquon Barkley is active after his hamstring injury, while Philadelphia wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks are inactive. Jalen Hurts is out on injured reserve, and Dallas is without Emari Demercado and KaVontae Turpin.

Dallas has a major advantage in health in this game. The Cowboys will have Dak Prescott under center, and he has all of his major receiving options. Dallas will need to figure out their defense in this game. They've already lost to one backup quarterback this season, and their team has allowed 382.5 yards per game to opponents.

The numbers behind that defensive worry are stark. The Cowboys have allowed a league-worst 149.8 rushing yards per game and had 48 missed tackles entering Week 7 — exactly the profile a returning Barkley is built to exploit, as the opening drive showed.

Philadelphia's problems run deeper than one position. The injury bug, Lane Johnson's retirement, and trades have hindered their offensive line. They rank near the bottom in rushing and will essentially have two rookies alongside Dallas Goedert as pass-catchers for this contest. Barkley's backups, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley, are on injured reserve, so if his hamstring acts up, Dameon Pierce — who had a lead role for Philly in Week 6 — becomes the next man up.

Barkley's Season So Far

Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley has missed back-to-back games with a hamstring injury. This season, Barkley has appeared in four games, but he's played very limited snaps in two of them due to a stinger in Week 2 and his hamstring injury in Week 4. The star running back has 36 carries for 182 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and four catches (on seven targets) for eight yards.

That makes Monday's start — 37 yards and a touchdown on his first two carries — the sharpest he has looked all season, and a reminder of why Philadelphia's offence runs through him when Hurts cannot.

What the Odds Said Before Kickoff

Dallas was a 4-point road favourite as it looked to break a two-game losing streak, with some books listing Cowboys -4.5, an over-under of 44.5, and moneyline prices around Cowboys -225 and Eagles +188. The Cowboys' offence had gone quiet — just 29 points combined in Weeks 5 and 6 after putting up at least 30 points from Week 2-4 — while Prescott brought a perfect 4-0 record in road Monday Night Football games into the night.

Why It Matters

This is the rare mid-season game that can bend two seasons at once. For Philadelphia, a win without Hurts would prove the roster can survive on Barkley and defence while McKee manages games. For Dallas, losing to a second backup quarterback — with the healthier roster and the favourite's tag — would turn a slump into a crisis and pile pressure on head coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose inconsistent play calls have already hurt the Cowboys this year.

The college game is heading for its own decisive stretch too — read our look at how Rivalry Week is set to decide the College Football Playoff race, and our latest update on the Heisman Trophy race.

What Happens Next

Watch Barkley's snap count drive by drive: if the hamstring that flared on his 29-yard run limits him, Philadelphia's already thin offence loses its engine. Dallas, meanwhile, must show its run defence can adjust after being gashed early — and Prescott must make the Eagles pay for missing Smith and Wicks by keeping McKee off the field. This live story will be updated as the game develops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jalen Hurts playing against the Cowboys? No. Hurts is out for the season with blood clots in his lungs and is on injured reserve; Tanner McKee starts for Philadelphia.

Is Saquon Barkley playing tonight? Yes. Barkley is active after missing back-to-back games with a hamstring injury, and he scored an 8-yard touchdown on his second carry.

What time and channel is Cowboys vs Eagles? Kickoff was 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, October 26, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, televised on ESPN and ABC, with streaming on DIRECTV, fubo and the ESPN app.

Who was favoured in Cowboys vs Eagles? Dallas was around a 4 to 4.5-point road favourite, with an over-under of 44.5.

What is the early score in Cowboys vs Eagles? Philadelphia led 7-3 with 10:25 left in the first quarter, after Brandon Aubrey's 55-yard field goal for Dallas and Barkley's 8-yard touchdown run for the Eagles.