Eagles Remain Undefeated as Jalen Hurts Outwits Cowboys Pass Rush

Supported by

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles entered Sunday as the N.F.L.’s last unbeaten team, thanks largely to the improved play and the development of Jalen Hurts. With his arm and with his legs, Hurts, the third-year quarterback, propelled the Eagles to the franchise’s third 5-0 start since 1981, stirring newfound excitement for a fan base already viewed as one of the most ardent in the league.

Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence, though, did not care.

“All y’all need to write is he hasn’t played the Cowboys yet, so we don’t know how good he is,” Lawrence said Thursday at his locker in the team’s facility.

That sentiment was typical of this bitter N.F.C. East rivalry, especially ahead of a prime-time matchup to determine first place in the division. It was inaccurate, though, as the Eagles beat the Cowboys, 26-17, thanks to Hurts’s efficiency and Philadelphia’s suffocating defensive performance early in the game.

The Eagles moved to 6-0, while the Cowboys (4-2) fell to third place in the division behind the Giants (5-1).

The Eagles and Hurts, who threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns, rose to the moment, pairing their run-pass option system on offense with sticky defensive coverage and timely takeaways in the second quarter, when Philadelphia outscored the Cowboys, 20-3. Receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 111 yards and two touchdowns and the team rushed for 136 yards.

In the first half, the defense held Dallas, led by the backup quarterback Cooper Rush, to only 81 total yards of offense and snagged two interceptions. Rush, who had been undefeated in four games as a starter in place of the injured Dak Prescott, threw for 181 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, while Dallas rushed for 134 yards.

The Eagles’ offense, which had succeeded early by containing the Cowboys’ versatile linebacker Micah Parsons, stalled toward the end of the first half when offensive lineman Lane Johnson left the game with a head injury, allowing Dallas to gain momentum at the start of the third quarter.

Shortly after halftime, Dallas completed a 79-yard drive that concluded with Ezekiel Elliott rushing for a 14-yard touchdown, closing the gap to 20-10 with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. On their next series, after an Eagles punt, the Cowboys drove 93 yards and scored a touchdown when tight end Jake Ferguson caught a 7-yard pass, closing the gap to 20-17 with 14 minutes 39 seconds left in the game.

But Hurts orchestrated a 75-yard drive, which ended when Smith acrobatically caught a 7-yard touchdown. The Eagles failed to convert the 2-point attempt, making the score 26-17 with 7:02 remaining.

On the ensuing Cowboys possession, Rush sailed a pass over the middle and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson made a diving interception for his second takeaway of the night, effectively ending the game.

It was a statement performance for the Eagles, who moved the ball most of the night with run-pass options, a concept that allows the quarterback to run or throw the ball depending on how he reads a defender. On many plays, that defender was Parsons, a second-year player who entered the game tied for the league lead in sacks (6) but for whom Hurts repeatedly accounted.

The Cowboys had been led by Parsons and their defense, which entered the day having allowed the second fewest points in the league (72) and ranked second in sacks (20). Dallas will await Prescott’s return to balance its approach in order to keep pace in the N.F.C. East.