They didn't have a giveaway in either of their last two games, including last week's 23-16 win over the Vikings, and had just four in the previous six games after turning it over three times in their 16-13, Week 1 loss to Green Bay.
They needed the same kind of clean game against the Cowboys and their opportunistic defense. They needed it but didn't get it, coughing up the football three times, including two that Dallas cashed in for first-half touchdowns, in an ugly 38-17 loss.
All three turnovers had McNabb's fingerprints. He threw two interceptions and opened the game with a careless fumble that quickly put the Eagles in a hole.
"There was no room for error,'' McNabb said.
On the Eagles' first offensive play, McNabb, trying to escape a cramped pocket after failing to find anyone open, had the ball knocked out of his hand by Marcus Spears.
Linebacker Bradie James recovered the loose ball at the Philadelphia 37. Six plays later, running back Julius Jones ran it in from 2 yards out to give Dallas a lead it would just keep building on.
"[Cowboys coach] Wade Phillips has these guys going,'' said McNabb, who was sacked just three times but was under duress much of the night. "He trusts the fact that they can get pressure.''
Eagles coach Andy Reid usually can trust the fact that McNabb won't turn the ball over, but not last night. Late in the second quarter, with the Eagles trailing 14-7, McNabb, who went into the game tied with Neil O'Donnell for the lowest career interception percentage in league history, was picked off for the first time in 13 quarters.
Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin read McNabb's eyes and intercepted a pass down the middle of the field for wide receiver Hank Baskett with a minute-and-a-half left in the second quarter. Three straight Marion Barber runs from the 14 got the ball into the end zone for a back-breaking touchdown that made it 21-7.
