Cowboys-Eagles Rivalry: Why Are the Cowboys and Eagles Rivals

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) triers to stop Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NFL regular season kicks off tonight with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys. This week 1 rivalry game between the NFC East teams is one of the biggest ones in the sport.

The Eagles will come into this game as the defending Super Bowl champions, playing in front of their fans for the first time since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy back in February. The Cowboys, on the other hand, have much to prove after last season’s dismal performance, which saw them miss the playoffs.

The season may be just starting now, but the stakes are already high. Divisional opponents have much more on the line, as winning the division means automatic entry into the postseason. So, before we tune in to tonight’s match, let us revisit the history books to get a better feel of this growing rivalry.

How Old Is the Dallas Cowboys – Philadelphia Eagles Rivalry?

The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles goes back to September 30, 1960, which is when these two teams met for the first time. Since then, this rivalry has transcended into an intense battle with the two teams having met over 130 times.

Despite the Eagles being a part of the league since 1933, the Dallas Cowboys franchise was only established in 1960, but even then, the team was not part of the Eastern Conference in their first season.

Why Are the Cowboys and Eagles Rivals?

There are a couple of key reasons for this rivalry turning out the way it has. One of them is not even due to the players or personnel of the teams, but rather due to the fans.

The Eagles are known to have some of the most hardcore fans, and that fanbase is pretty much hated by every other franchise. Add the fact that these two teams see each other a minimum of two times each season, and it’s a recipe for blood to boil.

On the field, however, the rivalry began to take shape around the mid-1960s. The Eagles were on a downward trend, while the Cowboys were on the rise. Over the years, Dallas achieved far more success, going on to lift two Super Bowls before Philadelphia could even appear in one.

From the early to mid-90s, Dallas went on a strong run, grabbing three Super Bowls in a span of just four years, while the Eagles hadn’t made it back to the big game. It is this resentment toward the Cowboys as they went on to achieve plenty of success after joining the Eagles division that led to the rivalry growing rapidly.

A new documentary on Saquon Barkley is set to premiere on Oct. 9th — the day the Eagles travel to play the Giants

Looks like it is years of footage and interviews:

pic.twitter.com/35ZtbL83Gf

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 3, 2025
Cowboys vs Eagles Head-to-Head Record for Regular Season

The Cowboys and the Eagles have met each other 128 times in the regular season. The head-to-head record between the two currently stands in favor of Dallas, which leads by a margin of 71-57.

Philadelphia came out on top with a narrow 27-25 win when the two sides first met on September 30, 1960. The latest matchup between the two was played out on December 29, 2024, where the Eagles thrashed the Cowboys 41-7.

Dallas has lost three of the past four matchups between the two teams. Last season, the Eagles blew out the Cowboys in both games, outscoring them 75-13 in just two games.

The next chapter of this rivalry is set to take place in just a few hours. Can the Cowboys spring up a surprise and walk out with a win on the road, or will the Eagles continue their demolition job and stamp their authority further?

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!