Los Angeles Rams v Philadelphia Eagles
Los Angeles Rams v Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles now face tough questions after falling to the Dallas Cowboys 38-21 in Week 7.
Defensively, Philly struggled to stop the Cowboys. The Eagles gave up 416 yards, including 204 on the ground. It didn’t stop there for Philadelphia, though, as they didn’t get a single sack or hit on the quarterback.
After all the talk about the offense’s struggles, the focus now shifts to the Eagles’ defense and how bad they looked. They’re getting heavy criticism, and the players know it.
Philadelphia Eagles Defender Talks Week 7 Loss
Philadelphia Eagles v Tennessee Titans
GettyNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 20: Cooper DeJean #33 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on during the first half of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean spoke to reporters after the game about the team’s defensive struggles. DeJean said the defense wasted a good offensive performance.
“When our offense scores 21 points, that’s a game we should win. …We got to be able to win on first down to set ourselves to do the things we do best on second and third down. And we didn’t do that tonight. I feel like we gave them a lot of second-and-shorts, third-and-shorts. Didn’t allow us to play the game we play best. Winning first down is key.”
Cooper DeJean: “When our offense scores 21 points, that’s a game we should win. …We got to be able to win on first down to set ourselves to do the things we do best on second and third down. And we didn’t do that tonight. I feel like we gave them a lot of second-and-shorts,
DeJean also struggled in the secondary, allowing a touchdown catch. He also racked up just seven tackles.
Eagles Faced Several Issues on Defense After Week 7 Loss
Philadelphia Eagles OTA Offseason Workouts
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 27: Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on during OTA offseason workouts at Jefferson Health Training Complex on May 27, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Eagles had no sacks and turnovers in a game for the first time in over a decade. One problem was that they allowed over 200 rushing yards, which Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni addressed.
“Obviously, it’s never just one thing when you give up a bunch of yards like that. We’ve got to do a better job coaching. We’ve got to do a better job executing, getting off blocks, tackling. We had a couple missed tackles, but it’s always going to be about block destruction, playing on their side of the line of scrimmage, and then us putting them in positions to succeed. I give them credit. They played a good game. Hats off to them.”
Sirianni also talked about the team’s lack of pass rush. He credited the Cowboys’ offense for what they did.
“Again, give them credit. They did a good job. I think they were ahead of the sticks quite a bit and in manageable third downs. When they were in third downs, they were able to keep us off balance there with the way they ran it and then some of their play action game. So again, credit to them.”
“…Again, there’s never just one thing. Again, when you’re not getting pressures, you’ve got to try to simulate them in some way. So again, it’s always a version of, how are we executing? How are we putting them in positions to succeed? Because all that matters is that it goes out onto the field and we try to give ourselves the best chance to win. In this game of football, just like anything, I think we always want to pin it on something, but there’s multiple things that contribute to it. We’ll look at that, look at some of the common themes and see what we need to do to get better.”
The Eagles must now play another primetime game to keep any hope of the season alive. They face the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football in Week 8.
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