Rivalry file
Birds, ’Boys, and bad blood
The Eagles–Cowboys rivalry isn’t a marketing slogan — it’s the NFC East’s longest-running argument. From the Cotton Bowl spark in the ’60s to Vet snowballs, Bounty Bowls, and every fall’s “we want Dallas,” this is the featured game because the hate still shows up on time.
1967
The spark
A late-season Cotton Bowl meeting flipped polite coexistence into something meaner. From then on, the schedule wasn’t complete until you circled Dallas — or Philadelphia.
1980
NFC Championship
Vermeil’s Eagles finally punched through America’s Team, 20–7, and sent Philly to its first Super Bowl. The Vet shook. The rivalry never cooled.
1989
Bounty Bowl
Buddy Ryan’s Birds vs. a rebuilding Dallas. Allegations, cheap shots, and a Thanksgiving-week mess that still gets replayed whenever the teams meet.
Now
Same division, same heat
Playoff races, December nights, and October dates like this one — every meeting is still a referendum on who owns the East.
Watch · documentaries & vault
Read · history & greatest hits
Philadelphia Eagles · Ray Didinger
The history of Eagles–Cowboys
Where the hate started — 1966–67, a stolen ball, and four lost teeth.
CBS Sports
10 greatest moments in the rivalry
From America’s Team era through the NFC title game and beyond.
Dallas Morning News
10 memorable Cowboys–Eagles moments
Bounty Bowls, snowballs, and the games Dallas still talks about.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
When both sides were riding high
Five regular-season meetings that actually meant something early.
Things to do
Dallas
Philadelphia
Food & drink tours
Dallas
Philadelphia
City passes & day trips
Dallas
Philadelphia
