ARLINGTON — Injuries can be an explanation in the NFL but never an excuse.

Injuries help explain why the Cowboys were no match Sunday night for the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles.

Their offense without suspended NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott could not score a touchdown and their defense without Pro Bowl middle linebacker Sean Lee couldn't stop the run. The Eagles rushed for more than 200 yards on offense and harassed Dak Prescott into four turnovers in a 37-9 romp over the Cowboys.

"Guys get hurt," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "Guys get out of the lineup for different reasons. You just have to keep moving on. We haven't done a good enough job of that over the last couple of weeks."

The Cowboys are injury-riddled. Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith missed his second game with a groin injury. Pro Bowl kicker Dan Bailey has missed the last four games with a groin injury and safety Jeff Heath also sat out Sunday night with a concussion. Would the game have turned out differently had the Cowboys had been able to field a completely healthy team?

The same question could be asked of the Eagles.

Philadelphia was without its own Pro Bowl left tackle (Jason Peters) against the Cowboys. The Eagles also were without their Sean Lee (middle linebacker Jordan Hicks) and their Dan Bailey (kicker Caleb Sturgis). All three players are now on injured reserve.

Sturgis finished fourth in the NFL in scoring last season with 135 points. He suffered a hip injury in the opener and hasn't played since. Peters has gone to twice as many Pro Bowls (nine) as Smith. He has missed the last three games with a knee injury. Hicks finished second on the Eagles in tackles last season and first in interceptions with five. He has missed the last three games with an Achilles injury.

The Eagles acquired Ronald Darby in a trade with the Buffalo Bills last summer and he walked in as the team's best cornerback. But he suffered a dislocated ankle in the season opener and missed the next eight games. Darby returned against the Cowboys and had one of the three interceptions of Prescott.

The Eagles also played without their best defensive lineman, tackle Fletcher Cox, for two games this season because of a calf injury and played another game without their other starting offensive tackle, Lane Johnson, because of a concussion.

Darren Sproles is one of the best kick returners in NFL history, ranking seventh all-time in kickoff and punt return yardage with 11,142. He also is one of the top third-down backs in league history with 532 career receptions. The Eagles lost his services in the third game of the season when he dislocated his wrist. He's now on injured reserve, as is their special-teams ace Chris Maragos. He suffered a knee injury in the sixth game of the season.

"Nobody is going to feel sorry for us," said safety Rodney McLeod, who had another of the Prescott interceptions. "We're all professionals. We all prepare to play. That's a credit to the leaders on this team and the coaching staff having everyone ready. Everyone here looks at himself as a starter. Everyone has to be ready to go at any moment."

Which is why there was no panic when the Eagles lost kicker Jake Elliott in the first quarter Sunday night with a possible concussion. He made the tackle of Ryan Switzer on the game-opening kickoff but hung around to attempt two more kicks in the first quarter, an extra point after the first Philadelphia touchdown and then a 34-yard field-goal try. He was wide right — his first miss since September — and the Eagles decided he was done for the day.

That forced Philadelphia to go the rest of the way without a kicker. They scored four second-half touchdowns and attempted a two-point conversion each time, making three of them. When they found themselves in a fourth-and-five at the Dallas 17 on their final possession of the third quarter — and a field goal no longer an option — the Eagles went for it and Carson Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery with a touchdown pass.

"Losing a kicker is unique," said Eagles defensive end Chris Long. "But we've got great coaches — and everybody is coached to perform, not just to be a backup. Nobody panics. Everybody has a hand in this thing. When a guy steps up, it's a testament to our coaching."

TCU's Halapoulivaati Vaitai has filled in for Peters and was part of a blocking front that held the Cowboys sack-less for the first time this season and also pushed around the Dallas defensive front for those 215 rushing yards.

The Cowboys and Eagles both share the next-man-up philosophy. But the Eagles have overcome all of their injury adversity to post the best record in the NFL this season at 9-1. No explanations, no excuses. Next-man-up needs to be more than a mere talking point.