What’s going on with the Cowboys? Checking in on the Eagles’ free-falling rivals at the start of Dallas Week.

The Dallas Cowboys have not been in a great place this season. Quarterback Dak Prescott was caught sharing his true thoughts on the team on the sideline during Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the team’s third in a row, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Eagles are heading down to Dallas this week to face the 3-5 Cowboys in their second division matchup of the season after beating the New York Giants on Oct. 20. In 2023, the two teams were jockeying for top position in the NFC East. Now, as the first Dallas Week of the season gets underway, the Eagles have won four straight while the Cowboys flounder.

Prescott, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Falcons, will not play on Sunday against the Eagles, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed. Cooper Rush will start, and Trey Lance will back up Rush.

“Cooper’s played really good football for us,” McCarthy told reporters Monday.

Rush has six career starts in seven seasons for the Cowboys. He went 4-1 in five starts in 2022 — the lone loss came against the Eagles — completing 58% of his passes for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.

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McCarthy did not provide a further update on how long Prescott will be out, but said the Cowboys will discuss putting him on injured reserve, which would require Prescott to miss at least four games. The Eagles’ second game against the Cowboys is on Dec. 29 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Prescott signed a reported $240 million four-year extension on Sept. 8, but since then, the Cowboys have gotten off to a 3-5 start, prompting Prescott to say “We [expletive] suck” on the sideline, which was caught on TV cameras.

“I think it’s frustration, and people like Dak knowing the standard you need to play to to win in the NFL,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan Monday. “There is frustration, and we’re doing things that don’t help our cause, whether it’s penalties, whether it’s getting the ball, whether it’s turning the ball over, we’re doing these things that make it hard to win in this league. Certainly everybody has their moments of frustration when a team that really felt like we had a high bar in terms of what our expectations are and falling short.”

Stephen Jones said on Monday that the team isn’t sure if star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who suffered a shoulder injury, will be able to play on Sunday, although it appears he avoided serious injury. Still, things seem to be going from bad to worse for the Cowboys, who already have an uphill climb to compete with the Eagles and the ascendant Commanders in the NFC East this year.

But star edge rusher Micah Parsons, is expected to practice on Wednesday, McCarthy told reporters Monday, and could be on track to play Sunday depending on how that goes. Parsons has been out since sustaining a high ankle sprain in Week 4.

Despite the struggles, Jerry Jones is sticking by McCarthy.

“He’s really good with the players,” the Cowboys owner and general manager said of McCarthy after Sunday’s loss. “They think highly of him. He’s got a lot of fire in his belly. So, I’m just giving you this, I like the positives I see. And by the way, frankly, some of the best coaches I’ve been around, I got to see them when times were bad.”

Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who returned to the Cowboys in the offseason after Dallas missed out on Derrick Henry, was scratched for the first time in his NFL career last Sunday after missing and arriving late to several team meetings, per NFL Network.

“Zeke couldn’t make the trip,” Jerry Jones said on his radio show pregame. “He was being punished. … I know Zeke is the first to recognize the discipline involved in meetings … Zeke is the antithesis of trouble. He’s absolutely led the way his entire career.”

Elliott is available to play against the Eagles, McCarthy said Monday.

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Jerry Jones also said that while he doesn’t see Dallas making a big swing at the deadline, he does believe the Cowboys will make additions, although that quote came prior to the confirmation about Prescott’s injury, which could change the calculus.

Could there be a big new addition on the Dallas sideline on Sunday? Time will tell, but the clock’s almost running out for the Cowboys.