The term "must-win" is often overused, especially this early in the season. That wasn't the case for the Dallas Cowboys entering their Monday Night Football matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.

Both teams were 2-4, but the Eagles were on a four-game losing streak and were without their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, and two starting receivers, while Saquon Barkley was limited as well with a hamstring injury. This is a game they had to win to keep within striking distance of the New York Giants in the NFC East, and a loss would have been devastating for a team facing relentless questions entering the game.

It wasn't pretty, and the defense still had far too many mistakes, but the Cowboys were able to walk out of Philly with a 38-21 win. Let's take a look back at this important victory and see who stood out as both winners and losers for America's Team.

Winner: Javonte Williams, RB

Dallas said all week they needed to stick with the run, and they finally did. The results spoke for themselves as Javonte Williams ran for more than 100 yards for the first time this season. He not only topped the 100-yard mark, but also bested his previous career high of 135 yards. Williams finished with 155 yards and one touchdown on 25 attempts, helping the Cowboys set the tone.

Loser: Quinnen Williams, DT

Quinnen Williams was the Cowboys' big acquisition at the 2025 NFL trade deadline, and he was supposed to usher in a new era defensively. He was even signed to a three-year, $105.9 million extension this offseason, making him the face of the defense.

Through seven games, he's struggled to consistently live up to that billing. Against the Eagles, he had two miscues on the first two drives. On the opening drive, Williams was called for a neutral zone infraction. On the second drive, he had a far worse penalty.

Philadelphia fumbled the ball on fourth-and-one and Williams recovered the fumble. It didn't count, however, as Williams was penalized for being lined up offside. That gave the Eagles a fresh set of downs, and instead of Dallas getting the ball back, Philadelphia continued its drive and took a 14-10 lead.

Winner: George Pickens, WR

George Pickens came under fire this week when Brian Schottenheimer called him out for his lack of effort as a blocker. During the first half, Pickens was giving more effort, even serving as the lead blocker on a six-yard screen pass to Ryan Flournoy. That said, he's an elite receiver for what he can do when the ball comes his way, which he reminded the world on the snap following the screen.

On third-and-three from the 21, Dak Prescott targeted Pickens in the back of the end zone, and he made a remarkable fingertip grab. Even more impressive than the catch was how he got both feet down with just inches to spare.

George Pickens. Snatched that. 🤯

What a throw from Dak! pic.twitter.com/AaOLxegVIW

— ESPN (@espn) October 27, 2026

Loser: Justin Barron, LB

Much like Quinnen Williams, Justin Barron had costly penalties back-to-back. First, he was called for holding on a kickoff following the Eagles' first touchdown, which forced them to start at their own 18. His second penalty, however, was an absolute killer.

Philadelphia had just scored after a 13-play, 76-yard drive to take the lead 14-10. Tyler Goodson responded with a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but it didn't count as Barron was flagged for another hold.

Winner: CeeDee Lamb, WR

CeeDee Lamb is one of the best wideouts in the NFL and he once again had a stellar outing. He scored the Cowboys' first touchdown of the game, and made an made an excellent adjustment to bring that one in.

CEEDEE TEEDEE

DALvsPHI on ESPN⁰Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/LxHUKFN2Ne

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2026

He had a second touchdown in the second half to give Dallas the lead back following a great drive from the Eagles, and that should have been his third of the game. Late in the first half, Lamb was wide open and should have been able to walk into the end zone, but the pass was slightly off target from Prescott. Lamb still somehow hauled it in for a 30-yard gain, which allowed Dallas to score a field goal right before the half.

Hard to get more wide open than CeeDee Lamb here

DALvsPHI on ESPN⁰Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dv18lWu4Hw

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2026

Lamb finished with 74 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions, giving the offense the spark they needed to get the job done.

Winner: DeMarvion Overshown, LB

The Dallas defense has been desperate for a game-changer, and DeMarvion Overshown might be what they've been missing. Overshown returned to action for the first time since Week 1 and was able to make multiple big plays. He batted down a pass on Tanner McKee in the first half and had a tackle for loss in the third quarter. His best play came in the fourth quarter, though, when Overshown stopped a promising drive from Philadelphia by picking off a pass from McKee. Dallas was up by 10, and this turnover allowed them to put the game away and improve to 3-4.

Winner: Dak Prescott, QB

There was plenty of pressure on Dak Prescott going into this game after the Cowboys had back-to-back poor offensive showings. They scored just 16 in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 13 in the loss to the Green Bay Packers. During those two games, Prescott had two touchdowns and four interceptions, which led many people to doubt him.

Prescott responded well in the NFC East showdown by completing 15-of-27 passes for 212 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. There's still a lot to get right before we can believe in this team, but Prescott and the rest of the Cowboys did what they were supposed to do on Monday.