Hours before the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys faced off on Monday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field, Michael Irvin decided to take a huge jab at the Eagles. The former Cowboys star and sports commentator delivered a pointed jab at their championship pedigree. “I understand you just got in the Super Bowl business, but we’ve been in the business,” Irvin said, making sure his message landed right in the heart of Eagles territory.
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That confidence was hardly surprising. Irvin spent 12 seasons as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys before transitioning into sports commentary. And just a few hours after taking a shot at the Eagles, his former team gave him even more reason to boast. They celebrated a 38-21 victory over Philadelphia. The defeat began a troubling stretch for the Eagles, who went on to lose five consecutive games for the first time since 2016. However, all these statistics are only part of the story, as Monday’s matchup featured several dramatic moments.
CB faces a potential risk of an NFL fine
During the Philadelphia Eagles’ matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl champion cornerback Quinyon Mitchell avoided an in-game penalty but could still face a retrospective fine from the league for an unflagged infraction involving wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
In the second quarter, Mitchell attempted to tackle Lamb near the sideline. Replays and broadcast angles appeared to show Mitchell grabbing and twisting Lamb’s facemask.
Despite the contact, the officiating crew did not flag the play. As a result, Mitchell avoided a 15-yard facemask penalty that would have given Dallas an automatic first down. Although the officials did not throw a flag on the field, the NFL regularly reviews game footage for missed infractions and player-safety violations.
Under NFL rules, twisting, turning, or pulling an opponent’s facemask is a serious foul intended to protect player safety. Players can still receive fines later in the week for unflagged facemask violations. A standard first-offense facemask fine typically carries a penalty of nearly $12,000 under the NFL’s fine schedule.
After the game, Lamb made his feelings about Philadelphia clear during an appearance on SportsCenter, saying, “First of all, I hate Philly. That’s for one. Eagles suck.”
The debate around the National Anthem performance
Before Monday evening’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field, the pregame ceremonies featured the National Anthem and a traditional flyover.
Local Philadelphia vocalists and performers delivered a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to kick off the matchup. Following the tradition at Lincoln Financial Field, a live bald eagle named “Philly” performed a ceremonial flight across the field during the anthem’s final notes.
While Hiruy Tirfe’s saxophone rendition of the National Anthem impressed some viewers, others questioned whether the performance was appropriate for the occasion. One fan expressed that sentiment on X, writing “that sax had no business sounding that melancholic before a football game.”
Another fan echoed the criticism, writing, “I love saxophones but I don’t know if this was the right move for tonight’s National Anthem.”
“Honestly, a horrible saxophone solo national anthem would be so funny on MNF,” another fan wrote.
One more viewer shared a blunt assessment: “That saxophone national anthem at the eagles vs cowboys game was horrendous.”
The criticism largely centered on the saxophone arrangement. However, the iconic Philadelphia R&B group Boyz II Men performed the National Anthem during the Eagles-Cowboys Week 1 opener for 2025, and their performance did not draw the same complaints.
One fan summed up the concern, writing, “With all due respect, a saxophone might be the worst way to perform the national anthem.”
Dak Prescott set the tone for the Cowboys
Dak Prescott bounced back from a difficult stretch to lead the Dallas Cowboys to victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. His efficient performance helped snap Dallas’ two-game losing streak and boost the team’s hopes of contending for the NFC East title.
After throwing four combined interceptions over the previous two games, Prescott played turnover-free football against Philadelphia. He committed no turnovers and was not sacked.
Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb on a 9-yard touchdown pass to get Dallas’ offense rolling.
He then threw a 21-yard strike to George Pickens, who dragged his foot along the back corner of the end zone. Prescott ended up throwing three touchdowns.
With Javonte Williams rushing for a career-high 155 yards, Prescott helped lead a balanced offensive attack. The Cowboys surpassed 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards against Philadelphia in the same game for the first time since 1983.
The Eagles had one piece of good news
Saquon Barkley made a gutsy return in Monday’s game, battling through multiple injuries to deliver an efficient performance whenever he touched the ball.
Barkley played just nine offensive snaps and touched the ball on every one of them, recording seven carries and two receptions. He became the first NFL starter in the past 20 seasons to play at least nine snaps in a game and touch the ball on 100% of them.
Despite his limited playing time, Barkley produced 62 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and nine receiving yards for 71 total yards from scrimmage.
Entering the game, Barkley was listed as questionable after missing the previous two contests with a hamstring injury.
He opened Philadelphia’s first possession with an 8-yard touchdown run before heading to the exercise bike to stay loose.
Later in the first quarter, Barkley broke off a 29-yard run but tweaked his back during the play. The issue gradually worsened, limiting him to his final snap in the third quarter before he was ruled out for the rest of the game.
“The hamstring came out great,” Barkley noted after the game, adding that he does not expect his back issue to keep him out long-term: “I truly love this game, and I feel like if you’re able to go, sometimes you’ve got to push your body to the limit.
“I’m trying, it’s just not responding the way I want it to respond right now. It sucks because I’m trying to be the best leader I can be, and it’s hard when you’re not able to be out there and perform for your team.”
Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni praised Barkley’s toughness, saying, “He’s tough as heck. He wanted to be out there for his teammates, probably had to slow him up. He’d be out there every play because of the person he is and the teammate he is.”
However, Barkley’s limited return comes at a critical time for Philadelphia. Running backs Will Shipley, Tank Bigsby, and Carson Steele are all on injured reserve, while Dameon Pierce exited late in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury.
That wraps up the latest from Monday Night Football. Stay tuned for more updates on the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys as the NFL season continues.