Can Dallas Cowboys Break NFL Thanksgiving Curse Vs Philadelphia Eagles In 2026?

The Dallas Cowboys will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day, something that hasn't gone well for them in the past.

Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy runs with the ball against Dallas Cowboys DE George Selvie and safety Jakar Hamilton. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

We are still a couple of days away from the full 2026 NFL schedule release, but some of the key games are already being confirmed. One of those games is the Week 12 showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles which will take place on Thanksgiving Day.

Including the postseason, these two heated rivals have met 134 times. Philadelphia might be the defending NFC East champions entering this season, but Dallas has a firm lead in their head-to-head meetings. Overall, the Cowboys are 75-59 against the Eagles, which includes a 3-1 postseason record.

Even with all that history, the two franchises have met just twice on Thanksgiving Day. Their first was in 1984, which came to be known as the Bounty Bowl after the Eagles placed a $200 bounty of Cowboys' kicker Luis Zendejas, who was cut by the Eagles earlier that year. Dallas struggled mightily in that game, losing 27-0.

Their second meeting on Thanksgiving was in 2014, when the Cowboys were blown out once again, this time by the final score of 33-10. In that game, Dallas had no answers for running back LeSean McCoy, who had 159 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Mark Sanchez also had a strong showing, giving the Eagles 217 yards and a passing touchdown.

For Dallas, Tony Romo had a day to forget, throwing for just 199 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Star running back DeMarco Murray, who led the league in rushing that season, was also off his game, rushing for 73 yards on 20 attempts for an average of 3.7 yards per carry.

Can the Cowboys break the curse in 2026?

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas will have a chance to right things this season in a game that could also be huge in deciding the NFC East.

The Eagles have won the division the past two seasons and three of the past four. The Cowboys have won it twice in the past five seasons, doing so in 2021 and again in 2023. That means the odds are high that this division will once again come down to these two teams.

Even with the Eagles controlling the division the past couple of years, the two teams have been deadlocked against one another. They're 5-5 in the past 10 meetings, and went 1-1 last season with the Eagles winning the season opener and Dallas getting revenge the week before Thanksgiving.

Dallas not only knows they can beat the Eagles, but their new-look defense is led by defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who spent the past two seasons coaching Philadelphia's defensive backs. That being the case, this could very well be the year they break this curse and defeat the Eagles on Thanksgiving.

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