FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys got a much-needed 38-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, and a much-needed jolt of energy from their offense, which put up 200+ yards rushing and passing respectively.
In the two weeks before, Dallas' offense was only able to score a total of 29 points, an uncharacteristic showing from a unit that was one of the best in the league in 2025. For Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, the win in Philadelphia was a step towards getting back into that rhythm.
"It was an attempt at re-identifying who we want to be," Prescott said. "We obviously know we love our run actions and throwing the ball like that, but you've got to get the run going. We weren't committed enough to it the last couple of weeks before last, and I think that obviously hurt us. We got us into more of a passing situation than we wanted to be earlier than we planned."
"It was a very intentional approach of making sure that we're gonna stick to the run, trust those guys, watch that one yard, two -yard runs turn into four and fives, and then even those turn into 10 and 12's. It was a great start."
Finding an identity on offense was something that offensive coordinator Klayton Adams mentioned as something the Cowboys needed to do two weeks ago. When asked if they had begun to do that against the Eagles, Adams clarified some of his comments.
"You go into every season and you say, 'This is who we're going to be.' And that's not always who you are," Adams said. "And sometimes you go into a season and you think you're going to be a certain way and that works for a few weeks, and then you got to pivot. I feel like there was panic because I said that, but I don't believe that at all. I think that we're going to have to re-identify ourselves two or three times before the season's over because of injuries."
"When you're talking about a collective group of people, you don't just get to say, 'This is who we are,' and then that's true. I think as people move in and out of that group, as you get played certain ways, I think that part of the art of being a team that can play well late in the season is being able to adapt to what your identity is."
The Cowboys offense returned all 11 starters from their explosive 2025 season, where Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson and Tyler Smith all earned Pro Bowl nods. Why has it been difficult to find an identity offensively after the success the team had a season ago?
"I don't think we're necessarily struggling creating it, we know what we want to be," Prescott said. "When you've got the weapons, when you've got the talent that we have, sometimes you can get caught up in trying to air it out knowing how great we are in the pass game and wanting to take advantage of that. Not forgetting, but taking for granted what those guys do up front. Them controlling the line of scrimmage, controlling the time of possession, just running the ball and that opening up our play actions."
"Everybody returned, but things don't just happen. It's not like last year just rolls over into this year. So we've got to re-establish everything, find out exactly who we are and get comfortable and improve in that."
Their next to look to improve is against the Cardinals, a defense that will send some more of the blitz looks that the Cowboys struggled with against Tampa Bay and Green Bay earlier this season. It'll be a test to their continuous search for their identity, but one that Prescott feels the offense is ready for.
"Feel great about it," Prescott said of handling the blitz. "Definitely feel great about it. Made the plans, got the plan, made the adjustments, studied up, prepared for it."
Arizona is also a team that's been a thorn in the side for the Cowboys in recent years. The Cardinals have won eight of their last nine matchups, four in a row against Dallas, and have yet to lose in a game at AT&T Stadium. Last season, the Cowboys lost 27-17 to the 2-5 Cardinals on Monday Night Football.
"We got to win," Prescott said of the matchup. "Understanding what happened last year, it was an ugly, ugly game, ugly on our part. You can go to some years before then whether it'd been at Arizona. They've had our number these last couple of years. Credit to their defense, credit to the way those guys come in and play and execute, but it's a new year."
For the third time this season, the Cowboys will have an opportunity to win back-to-back games. They have yet to do so in 2026, but Prescott believes they can build off the victory in Philadelphia to help them get over the hump in Week 8 back on home turf at AT&T Stadium.
"Momentum's real," Prescott said. "Just to be able to use it, to be able to get a win, to gain a win on the road, a division win, and to be able to come back home and use this momentum of that win, use the crowd, use all the resources that the game offers you. We've got to take advantage of it and use them to our benefit and get two in a row."
