Javonte Runs for 155, Overshown Picks Off McKee: Cowboys 38, Eagles 21, and the NFC East Is Suddenly a Race

By Jake "Star" Whitfield, RF Sports Radio Cowboys voice

Cowboys Nation, go ahead and enjoy your Tuesday. Dallas walked into Philadelphia with its season on the line, ran the ball down the Eagles' throats, and left town with a 38-21 win and a real seat at the NFC East table.

The facts

Dak Prescott threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to CeeDee Lamb, as the Cowboys handed the Eagles their fifth straight loss, per the Associated Press. Philadelphia is 2-5, its longest skid since 2016. Dallas is 3-4, and the AP notes the Cowboys are the only team in the division with two division wins. The New York Giants lead at 4-2-1.

The story was the run game. Dallas ran 38 times for 204 yards, and Javonte Williams carried 25 times for a career-high 155 yards and a touchdown, per NFL.com. That is the most rushing yards by a Cowboys player since Ezekiel Elliott had 159 against Tampa Bay in December 2016. The team site points out Dallas came into the game last in the league in carries per game. It scored on seven of nine possessions and put up a season-best 416 yards.

The swing came late in the third. Down 21-20, Prescott dropped a 16-yard touchdown to Lamb in the corner, then ran in the two-point try for a 28-21 lead. Brandon Aubrey added field goals of 55, 27 and 24 yards, and Williams finished it with a 2-yard run. DeMarvion Overshown, in his first game since a Week 1 hamstring injury, picked off Tanner McKee in the fourth. "Our division, we're in it," Overshown said, per the AP. Prescott also passed Tony Romo for the most multi-touchdown games in franchise history with 80, per the team site.

"Come out, get a division win on the road in a hostile environment right before we get to go home for a couple of weeks, I think it was massive," Prescott said.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: this is the game plan we have been screaming for. NFL.com reports Brian Schottenheimer made a point all week of getting Williams at least 25 carries, after he got just 11 in the loss to Green Bay. When you commit to the run, Dak gets cleaner looks. He threw no interceptions after two straight games with two picks each, per Eagles Wire, and his rating was 118.1, per the team site.

I also owe Overshown a thank-you note. I said Sunday that he and Cobie Durant were the two guys who could change this defense. He had six tackles, two pass breakups and the game-sealing interception.

Now the cold water. The Dallas Morning News reports Monday Night Football analyst Troy Aikman was unmoved, under the headline "Let's not get carried away." He has a point. This was a Philadelphia team without Jalen Hurts, playing a backup quarterback, and Saquon Barkley was limited after halftime. My call on Sunday was Cowboys 24, Eagles 20. They beat it by 14 points, and that is a good sign. It is one win, though, not a turnaround yet.

What to watch next

Does the 25-carry plan stick when the opponent is healthy? Does Overshown's hamstring hold up after a full game? Can the defense build on holding McKee to 211 passing yards? For the pregame picture, read our Oct. 26 Cowboys pregame column, and keep the Dallas Cowboys page bookmarked all week.

Radio question: is this the night the 2026 Cowboys found their identity, or did they just beat a broken Eagles team?

Sources: AP News - Dak Prescott throws 3 TD passes as Cowboys beat Eagles 38-21; CBS Sports (AP) - Cowboys hand spiraling Eagles fifth straight loss with 38-21 win; NFL.com - Javonte Williams powers Cowboys' blowout win over Eagles; DallasCowboys.com - Game Recap: Cowboys run over Eagles, 38-21; ESPN - Cowboys 38-21 Eagles box score; The Dallas Morning News - Cowboys coverage (Aikman unmoved by win over Eagles); USA TODAY Eagles Wire - Will Saquon Barkley play vs. Cowboys?.