The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night by a score of 26-17. Despite the loss, there should be confidence coming out of the Cowboys' facilities in Frisco.

Dallas fell down big early to the undefeated Eagles — trailing 20-0 at the half. However, the Cowboys fought back and scored 17 unanswered to make it a battle into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys had a real chance to come out of Philly with a win.

That is in-spite of Cooper Rush throwing three interceptions. And the defense struggling to stop the run. And some costly penalties throughout the game, especially on electric KaVontae Turpin kick returns.

In the end, the Cowboys walked out with a loss. Still, there is reason for optimism. The team fought back into the game, showed signs of life, and had some late opportunities to pull off the road upset.

Cowboys look the part

Furthermore, the Dallas Cowboys are set to welcome Dak Prescott back into the fold as soon as this week. Dallas managed to win four games — including a pair of divisional victories — in Prescott's absence. The Cowboys also knocked off both the Rams and the Bengals during the winning streak.

That is more than any reasonable person could have expected.

As clean as Rush played for much of the stretch, there is a glaring difference between he and Prescott. Prescott is a franchise quarterback with the ability put up points on the scoreboard. Dallas has greatly missed his dynamic ability behind center in the passing and running game.

That upgrade at quarterback, combined with the other pieces of the team, makes the Cowboys dangerous. Even just a competent offense complements the defense in a great way. It keeps the defense fresh and poses a legitimate threat to the opposition.

"It’s good being 4-2. Obviously I’m not too excited about the fact that we just lost. But I’m excited that there’s a long season ahead, we’re in a good position," Prescott said after the game on Sunday. "We control everything in front of us."

Dallas still has a lot of football in front of them. Despite losing to the Eagles on Sunday, the Cowboys showed that they are a threat in the NFC when Prescott is back on the field. That should excite Cowboys fans moving forward.

Featured image via Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports