Philadelphia Eagles' 28-23 Win Over The Dallas Cowboys Shows Why This Matchup Is The NFL's Best Rivalry

The NFL only has a few marquee rivalries, but this Sunday afternoon reminded us the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys matchup is the best one.

Today’s game had it all. Fierce intensity, players fighting through injury, highlight reel catches, momentum swings, and incredible drama.

It started in the first quarter, when Cowboys receiver Kavonte Turpin left the game because of a rib injury. You don’t need to be a doctor to know that’s a painful injury to deal with, but Turpin didn’t care.

This is Cowboys-Eagles, you gotta fight through the pain. And that’s exactly what he did. 

On his first play back from the injury, Turpin recorded his second touchdown of the year, giving Dallas a 14-7 edge.

But what's a rivalry game without some chippiness? Thanks to Jason Kelce and Damone Clark, we got some.

With the Eagles driving in the red zone shortly thereafter, Clark put his shin right in Kelce’s face while the center was on the ground. 

That definitely wasn’t a “Brotherly Shove.” That was dirty, and Kelce didn’t like it. As such, Kelce proceeded to grab Clark by the shoulderpads and yell like a maniac in his face. He can do that without getting flagged, since today is his birthday.

That’s one of the most alpha male moments I’ve ever seen. I think Clark is going to have lots of nightmares about a certain o-lineman going berserk six inches from his nose.

The injury bug didn’t stop there either. Jalen Hurts took an awkward shot to his knee and fell grimacing in pain just before half. If Hurts needed a minute to recover, you know it’s serious.

The Drama Only got Better In The Second Half

Not to worry, because Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith on an absolute dime on the ensuing drive. I guess being able to squat 600 pounds helps keep your legs healthy.

But Hurts wasn’t the only quarterback laying it all on the line. Dak Prescott was willing to take a brutal hit while trying to score on third-and-goal early in the fourth quarter. 

Prescott’s effort unfortunately didn’t result in points, nor did the following pass to tight end Luke Schoonmaker. But again, these types of plays show what this rivalry means to anyone who wears these jerseys.

Unfortunately, Prescott made a mistake that likely cost his team the game on the ensuing possession. After getting the score to 28-23, Dallas decided to go for two. Prescott appeared to have rushed the try in successfully, but replay showed his foot was out of bounds.

That would prove quite costly. Despite getting to the Philadelphia 27 - with the help of multiple Eagles penalties - kicking a field goal was no use because they were down by five. As such, Dallas had to try a desperation play for the win.

CeeDee Lamb’s reception fell just short, and the Eagles escaped with a rivalry win.

This is as good as it gets in the NFL. Each year, we get to see two elite teams who hate each other lay it all on the line - twice.

If December’s matchup is anything like this, we’re going to have a phenomenal match on our hands.