The Dallas Cowboys saved their season on Monday Night Football by prevailing with a win. Better yet, they beat their bitter NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, in front of a national audience, handily so, too. And even better yet, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was a complete ghost in this matchup.
Someone needs to send out a search party for him.
Dallas' offensive line, particularly the interior, has never been the issue for a struggling Cowboys team this season. But even the best units lose reps on occasion, especially when they're playing against $152 million players. That wasn't the case in Week 7 with Carter, though.
Not only did Carter have a bad outing, but he was completely invisible, outside of a dustup he tried to start on the field. And anyone playing poorly to help Dallas win is sweet, but given Carter's history with America's Team, it was twice as sweet to see him have a no-show in primetime.
Jalen Carter's history with Cowboys makes him an obvious player to root against
Fans remember Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, when Carter spit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first snap of the game. It was a bad look for Carter but not necessarily off-brand for a player who fell in the draft in the first place because of character concerns.
And Dallas fans haven't forgotten that; Carter is an enemy for life.
Carter may relish in that in some ways, as certain players like being the villain and thrive in such a role. That pressure can bring out the best, but it can also amplify a player's mistakes or highlight their shortcomings when they don't live up to it.
On Monday, the fourth-year pro did not live up to his billing at all.
Dallas fans should revel in Jalen Carter's complete stinker against Cowboys
A quick glance at the box score tells the story for Carter, as he had just two assisted tackles against the Cowboys. Yes, the Dallas offense was firing on all cylinders, but one would think that in 59 plays, the market-resetting defensive tackle would have a bigger impact. He did not.
The biggest impact that Carter made was actually on the face of Brevyn Spann-Ford, when he slapped the Cowboys' tight end after a play. Somehow, Carter was not flagged, despite it being obvious to those just watching the broadcast. But a fine should be coming for him.
It's not like that'll hurt Carter's pockets too badly, but his showing on Monday was generally atrocious. In addition to his inability to show up significantly on the stat sheet, Carter also registered zero pressures for the first time since Week 3 and just the second time since Week 15 of the 2024 season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Carter's pass-rush win rate was a staggeringly low 3.8 percent. That means that he won exactly one (1!!!) of his 28 pass-rush snaps against the Cowboys. Carter was completely and utterly dominated by Tyler Booker and Tyler Smith.
Just look at this clip. It's beautiful.
In typical fashion for him, Carter did not respond to this well or face the music at all. According to Eagles reporter Jeff McLane, Carter declined to talk to the media for the third straight game, proving once again that he does not care about putting out a good image.
That's why dominating him was twice as sweet for Cowboys fans. Not only was he an Eagle struggling tremendously in a loss, but his history with Dallas makes him an easy player to root against, and the dramatic response from him is a reminder that this team has real estate in his mind. For no cost!
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