Dallas Cowboys v Carolina Panthers
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The defending Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles were expected to be heads and shoulders above the rest of their NFC East competition, entering the year as sizable -150 favorites, per Sports Odds history. Fast forward to Week 6, and the NFC East appears to be up for grabs. Philadelphia is now 4-2 after consecutive losses against the Denver Broncos and at the New York Giants in which their offense looked absolutely clueless. 

That's why the Dallas Cowboys' Week 6 30-27 upset loss at the Carolina Panthers (3-3) is so damaging. With a win on Sunday in Charlotte, Dallas (2-3-1) would have been just a half game back of an Eagles squad engulfed in chaos. It's even more of shame for a Cowboys squad whose passing game was firing on all cylinders against the Panthers.

Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns on 25 of 34 passing while Dallas co-No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens erupted for 168 yards on nine catches, a total that included a 34-yard touchdown in which he broke free untouched en route to the end zone. Pickens is now up to a career-high six receiving touchdowns this season, and with a receiving touchdown in five consecutive games, he's just the seventh Cowboy ever to accomplish that feat. 

Yes, it's early in the season, but an Eagles offense anchored by 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year running back Saquon Barkley has been outgained in total yards in all six games they've played this season. That makes Philadelphia's 2025 team the sixth in the last 85 years with a winning record through six games despite being outgained in every game, per CBS Sports Research. The previous five such teams combined for zero playoff wins. Barkley, wide receiver A.J. Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts are not aligned on what the offense should look like. The NFC East is wide open in 2025. 

The problem for Dallas on Sunday was an overreliance on what was an inefficient run game offensively in the clutch, and a Cowboys defense that still struggles to get off the field. Entering Week 6, Cowboys running back Javonte Williams had 447 yards rushing, the third-most in the NFL. However, he and the Dallas ground game couldn't get out of the mud in Charlotte with him producing just 29 yards rushing on 13 carries.

That made coach Brian Schottenheimer's play calling on what ended up being Dallas' final offensive possession of the day straight up baffling. Consecutive screen/checkdown passes to Williams were how the Cowboys chose to spend their first two downs despite Carolina having no answer for Pickens in general or tight end Jake Ferguson down the seam all day long. Those two throws to Williams combined to lose 12 yards, and all Prescott could do on third-and-22 is check it down to fullback Hunter Luepke for a 4-yard gain.

An even bigger issue for the Cowboys is their defense couldn't get off the field after Carolina began what ended up as the game's final possession at its own 14 with 6:07 remaining on the clock. The Cowboys playing too far off the line of scrimmage and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's targets in defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' zone-based defense (86.6% zone coverage rate, highest in the NFL in 2025 per TruMedia) provided too much space to operate, particularly on what was essentially a game-deciding play with the Panthers facing a fourth-and-4 on Dallas' 49 with 2:36 left to play. Young (199 yards passing, three touchdowns and one interception on 17 of 25 passing) was able to hit wide receiver Hunter Renfrow underneath on a slant for a gain of 7 with ease thanks to Dallas playing too far off the line. Dallas' run defense reverting to 2024 form and allowing ex-Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle go off for 183 yards on 30 carries (a 6.1 yards-per-carry average) also compounds the headache on the defensive side of the ball. 

It's a real shame because Prescott is performing at an MVP-caliber level with an NFL-most 13 passing touchdowns and a top five completion percentage (71.6%, fourth in the NFL) entering the late afternoon window of Week 6. He just needs more help from his defense and his coaches to capitalize on a 2025 Eagles squad that is clearly walking wounded.