Why the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day turkey may be extra juicy

Two games, two losses by a combined score of 60-10. The Cowboys are looking for a 2026 renewal with many national pundits thinking they are trending upwards. The Eagles are a team with the opposite sentiment – there is legitimate concern the Nick Sirianni/Jalen Hurts coaching/QB duo has already been reached its pinnacle. The NFL sure knows how to create maximum drama in games guaranteed to draw a ton of eyeballs, which Cowboys games always do anyway, but Thanksgiving is understood to be a whole new level to that.

Last year’s Eagles at Cowboys game shows the immediate potential in this game. The Cowboys completed a 21-point comeback by holding the Eagles scoreless over the final 42 minutes of play, a Herculean effort by a defense that otherwise was the reason this team didn’t contend for the playoffs, and won the game at the buzzer on a Brandon Aubrey field goal. The win capped off a season series where the Cowboys went toe-to-toe with the Eagles, losing the season opener 24-20.

Another cool thing about the Cowboys Week 12 win against the Eagles last season was how it set them up to do something for the first time in franchise history four days later, on last year’s Thanksgiving. After beating the Eagles, the Cowboys went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving. They became the first team in league history to beat both of the previous season’s Super Bowl participants in a span of five days, and just the fourth overall. The other instances of this happening came with the 1982 Chargers, 1985 Lions, and 2016 Falcons.

There’s no doubt whatsoever these two wins were the high-point of an otherwise up and down season, as part of a greater three-game win streak which was actually the only winning streak of the entire season. All of the wins came in a spotlight, beating the Raiders on Monday Night Football, Eagles on FOX’s America’s Game of the Week, and Chiefs on Thanksgiving.

This win streak started right as the Cowboys introduced Quinnen Williams, brought in via a trade with the Jets, to the defensive lineup. Having Williams for a full season in a completely revamped defense is now one of the most exciting things to look forward to for the Cowboys in 2026.

When it comes to the looming Thanksgiving visit from the Eagles on the defensive side of the ball, there is, of course, the juiciness of Christian Parker coaching against his former team and Vic Fangio, who has brought Parker along as a trusted assistant at multiple spots in the league.

The Cowboys have won seven of their last eight at home against the Eagles, and if they make it eight of nine on Thanksgiving, they’ll also be making quirky Turkey Day franchise history in back-to-back seasons. Beating the previous year’s Super Bowl participants in five days in 2025, and finally beating the Eagles on Thanksgiving in 2026. Plus, they can get Bounty Bowl revenge. And Christian Parker will get the win over Vic Fangio. We should also mention again – it’s a division game.

That should be some juicy turkey.