It is Day 80 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain
dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.
We’re now at Day 80 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, where we revisit one of the biggest regular-season statement games of the Mike McCarthy era. The Cowboys entered this Sunday night showdown at 9-3, one game behind the Eagles in the NFC East, and still carrying the frustration of a narrow 28-23 loss in Philadelphia earlier in the season. The Eagles came to Arlington at 10-2, but Dallas turned the rematch into a one-sided rivalry statement, beating Philadelphia 33-13 and pulling even with the Eagles atop the division.
Sunday, December 10, 2023 — 8:20 p.m. ET
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 33, Philadelphia Eagles 13
The Cowboys made their intentions clear on the opening drive. Dak Prescott led a 10-play, 75-yard possession and finished it with a 13-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb. Philadelphia started to answer, but Jalen Hurts fumbled on a quarterback draw just outside the red zone, with Donovan Wilson forcing a fumble and recovering the ball. That early takeaway kept the Eagles off the board and set the tone for a night where Dallas repeatedly punished Philadelphia’s mistakes.
Brandon Aubrey then added a 60-yard field goal late in the first quarter, giving Dallas a 10-0 lead and continuing what had become one of the best rookie kicking seasons in NFL history. Philadelphia finally got points through Jake Elliott, but the Cowboys answered with another touchdown drive, this time capped by a one-yard Rico Dowdle run. By halftime, Dallas led 24-6, thanks to a Michael Gallup touchdown right before the whistle, and the Eagles looked nothing like the team that had controlled the NFC for most of the season.
The only real Philadelphia touchdown came from its defense. In the third quarter, Jalen Carter returned a Prescott fumble for a 42-yard score, briefly cutting the lead to 24-13. But even that moment did not change the feel of the game. Dallas responded with field goals, controlled possession, and kept forcing Philadelphia’s offense into frustration. The Eagles finished without an offensive touchdown.
Prescott did not need to throw for 400 yards to make the point. He finished 24-of-39 for 271 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, spreading the ball around and staying composed after the Carter return. Lamb caught six passes for 71 yards and the opening touchdown, while Jake Ferguson added 72 yards.
The defense was the real story here. Dallas forced three fumbles from Philadelphia’s top offensive playmakers of Hurts, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith. The Cowboys also made key fourth-down stops, tackled well in space, and never allowed the Eagles’ offense to find the rhythm that had defined its 10-2 start. For a Dallas team constantly questioned over whether it could beat elite opponents, this was the kind of performance that changed the conversation, at least for the moment.
This game belongs on the countdown because it was more than a rivalry win, it was a compelling win. Dallas was trying to prove it belonged in the top tier of the NFC, Philadelphia was trying to steady itself after being blown out by San Francisco, and AT&T Stadium became the place where the Cowboys made the Eagles look vulnerable. The season would end in disappointment, but on this night, Dallas looked like a contender with teeth.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Brandon Aubrey became the first kicker in NFL history to make two field goals of at least 59 yards in the same game. He hit from 60 yards in the first quarter and from 59 yards in the third, then added kicks from 45 and 50 in the fourth quarter.
Countdown To Kickoff by day:
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81
