The performance of the Eagles\u2019 defensive line vs. the Cowboys on Monday night wasn\u2019t a sudden failure. The unit has been unraveling for some time. Howie Roseman<\/a> built its core through the first round of the draft and has since handed out massive extensions to defensive tackles Jalen Carter<\/a> and Jordan Davis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both have been a significant part of the Eagles\u2019 recent success and both may end up justifying Roseman\u2019s confidence in their futures. But the early returns on the contracts that Carter ($152 million) and Davis ($78 million) signed in the offseason suggest that hubris might have prevented the general manager from realizing his mistake. <\/p>\n Eagles fans hang in their seats as the players leave the field after the Eagles lose to the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Eagles lose 38-21.Read more<\/a>David Maialetti \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n The 38-21 loss to Dallas in which the defense allowed 204 yards on the ground and didn\u2019t lay a single hand on quarterback Dak Prescott was just the most obvious manifestation of the Eagles\u2019 underperforming D-line. But the pass rush has been anemic dating back to last season, and the run defense isn\u2019t close to what it was just two seasons ago.<\/p>\n Carter and Davis may be the poster boys for a defense that has fallen short of living up to expectations. But the ineptness of coordinator Vic Fangio<\/a>\u2019s group extends beyond just the two biggest pieces.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019ve seen those guys be disruptive and you\u2019ve seen those guys make quite a bit of plays,\u201d coach Nick Sirianni<\/a> said of Carter and Davis. \u201cObviously, we\u2019re all going to want plays back from tonight and moments back from tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Where to start? On the very first few plays from scrimmage, it was clear the Cowboys were going to try and establish their ground game. Duo blocks sealed off Davis and Carter and running back Javonte Williams ran through a gaping hole up the middle for 15 yards.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Nick Sirianni has lost five straight games, maybe the Eagles locker room, and without a miracle, his job<\/a><\/p>\n The Eagles forced Dallas into settling for a field goal. But after Sean Mannion<\/a>\u2019s offense finally opened with two imaginative drives and scored touchdowns, Fangio\u2019s defense allowed the Cowboys to match the Eagles.<\/p>\n And coach Brian Schottenheimer did so by mostly running behind the strength of his offensive line: guards Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. It\u2019s shocking that it took him seven games to figure it out. Schottenheimer had neglected his run game and the Cowboys were 2-4 coming in partly as a result.<\/p>\n He saw an opportunity against an Eagles defense that had been relatively stout on the ground despite Fangio\u2019s penchant for having the lightest box rate in the NFL. Carter and Davis normally prevent him from having to steal from the back seven.<\/p>\n But Smith, Booker, and Co. beat them at the point of attack and the interior linemen became disorderly in their gap assignments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew it was kind of going to be this game,\u201d Davis said. \u201cTheir coach challenged them and they took it to heart and they ran the ball. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not a game that we wanted to play, but you know we have to answer the call when we know it\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that starts from me and that starts from everybody in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Eagles grades vs. Cowboys: Defensive line invisible, tough night for Riq Woolen<\/a><\/p>\n Stopping the run takes all 11 players. There were missed tackles throughout the lineup. But Williams (25 carries for 155 yards) and Tyler Goodson (10 carries for 38 yards) kept pecking away until the former exploded for a 34-yard run in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n The Eagles defense had typically waited until the last frame to fold, weighed down by a historically wretched offense. But they were beaten at the first bell. Could it have been all the previous snaps the unit played in the first six weeks?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a sports scientist. I can\u2019t say, \u201d Davis said. \u201cI just know when we go out there, we have to answer the call.\u201d<\/p>\n Even in earlier games in which the defense kept the Eagles within striking distance, there were signs that Roseman\u2019s roster construction was faulty. Turnovers and sacks were scarce, while missed tackles and busted coverages were plentiful.<\/p>\n The most damning indictment has been the lackluster pass rush. The Eagles entered third-to-last in pressure rate and last in quick pressure rate, which is mostly a D-line metric. It confirms what has become obvious on film: they don\u2019t have pass rushers who can win consistently with explosiveness or physicality.<\/p>\n Carter has shown he is capable. He did so just two weeks ago against the Jaguars. But when a bully gets bullied, as Carter did against Booker and Smith, he often becomes undisciplined. Carter finished with just two assisted tackles and zero pressures.<\/p>\n \u201cY\u2019all have a good night and get home safe,\u201d Carter said after he declined to talk with reporters in the locker room at Lincoln Financial Field.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Saquon Barkley isn\u2019t throwing in the towel on these Eagles, or his injuries: \u2018I\u2019ve seen seasons like this flip\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Carter giving the media the Heisman postgame \u2014 and often in the weeks leading up \u2014 has become a regular occurrence. It\u2019s far down the list of concerns about the fourth-year D-tackle, but franchise cornerstones can only shirk responsibilities for so long.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t the only player to dodge answering questions. Jonathan Greenard, among others, bowed out. Greenard played (although an empty stat line suggested otherwise) despite a nagging ankle injury that has limited his playing time since returning from a pectoral injury. <\/p>\n Greenard was another of Roseman\u2019s high-priced signings this offseason. He sent two third-round picks to the Vikings for the outside linebacker and then inked him to a contract worth $98 million. He has just one tackle and one quarterback hit in three games.<\/p>\n The 29-year-old Greenard was supposed to be the linchpin ahead of youngsters Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. on the edges. But he\u2019s starting to fall into the category of another recent failed acquisition to improve the pass rush (see: Huff, Bryce).<\/p>\n The Eagles had zero sacks and hits on Prescott. Fangio dialed up a few simulated pressures and blitzes to compensate for his enfeebled pass rush. Smith was out with a concussion and Hunt, like Greenard, had a questionable status after missing a game with knee and ankle injuries.<\/p>\n But the Cowboys, who had struggled vs. the blitz this season, had answers for Fangio\u2019s early pressures. And when the coordinator rushed just four \u2014 which is often his preferred method \u2014 Prescott had time and picked the Eagles secondary apart.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re not getting pressures, you\u2019ve got to try to simulate them in some way,\u201d Sirianni said. \u201cIt\u2019s always a version of, how are we executing, how are we putting them in positions to succeed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Eagles rookie receiver Makai Lemon shows promise in Cowboys loss: \u2018He\u2019s a gritty player\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n That might be as close as Sirianni has ever gotten to calling out Fangio, however tame it might have been. But he\u2019s been riding the longtime defensive coach\u2019s coattails for most of their two-plus years together. Fangio might now regret holding off retirement.<\/p>\n Roseman strayed from the Eagles\u2019 long-held philosophy of building from the trenches out in crafting a defense to suit Fangio\u2019s needs. He let both defensive tackle Milton Williams and defensive end Josh Sweat walk in free agency after Super Bowl<\/a> LIX, and re-signed and drafted off-ball linebackers Zack Baun<\/a> and Jihaad Campbell<\/a>, respectively. <\/p>\n In a vacuum, these weren\u2019t egregiously bad decisions. But Williams, a homegrown former third-rounder, would have been far cheaper had Roseman had the foresight to sign him earlier. And even as a free agent, he would have been more affordable than Carter ended up costing.<\/p>\n There had been reports that Carter, who requires additional maintenance, was on the trade market. Roseman denied the reports, but those instincts might have been right in this case. Roseman might have felt pot committed, but Carter had only one great season (out of three) that delivered on his draft pedigree. <\/p>\n Shoulder injuries certainly played a role in last year\u2019s regression. Some of the best signings are good players coming off bad seasons, although Carter has yet to realize his potential as the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL.<\/p>\n Davis had just one good season out of his first four. He\u2019s still a dominant run-stopper, in spite of Monday night. But he\u2019s not close to a real factor as a pass rusher despite the expected future value that an extension often represents.<\/p>\n Carter and Davis are far from finished products, however. Roseman may have woven together a roster that is falling apart from a mass of injuries combined with some of his dubious decisions. He may start a fire sale, but the two stalwarts in the middle aren\u2019t likely going anywhere.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, it\u2019s just refocus,\u201d Davis said. \u201cI know it kind of seems redundant, but right now it\u2019s just refocus.\u201d<\/p>\n Can the Eagles see where it went wrong?<\/p>\n Listen to the latest episode<\/p>\n The Eagles seem reluctant to address the handling of the Jalen Hurts blood clots saga, but the key questions involved in the story aren\u2019t going anywhere. Throughout the week, in the absence of remarks from general manager Howie Roseman or team medical personnel, head coach Nick Sirianni was peppered by reporters. He\u2019s offered few details in return. After speaking with high-ranking medical officials currently or previously employed by NFL teams, The Inquirer\u2019s Jeff McLane frames four central issues that remain unanswered, while also looking at what this situation means for Hurts\u2019 future in Philadelphia.\u00a0Listen here.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1793113933_554_circle_outline_footer_light_theme.png\"\/)
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