The 2025 NFL season has lastly arrived.The defending Tremendous Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host to the NFC East division rival Dallas Cowboys to kick off the marketing campaign for a particular NFL kickoff sport version of “Thursday Evening Soccer,” and boy does this showdown look totally different than we thought it could only a week in the past.
The Cowboys shocked the soccer world by buying and selling star defender Micah Parsons to the Inexperienced Bay Packers for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Dallas, due to this fact, enters this sport with a new-look protection that may attempt to decelerate an offense that includes final season’s NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr and different stars who line up all throughout each side of the crew — from the offensive line to the receiving corps and the quarterback.
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The Eagles misplaced a number of gamers from their championship protection however return a good portion of their core. They’re going to be taking up a Cowboys offense that has a bunch of latest faces — led by broad receiver George Pickens — as effectively, one that ought to look considerably totally different than it did a 12 months in the past. Past the personnel adjustments, Brian Schottenheimer steps in for ousted coach Mike McCarthy as the previous offensive coordinator now will get to carry the first whistle for America’s Crew.
Earlier than we break down the matchup, this is a have a look at how one can watch the sport.
The place to observe Cowboys vs. Eagles
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 4 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Monetary Discipline (Philadelphia)
- TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (Strive totally free)
- Comply with: CBS Sports activities App
- Odds: Eagles -7.5; O/U 47.5 (through DraftKings Sportsbook)
When the Cowboys have the ball
Dak Prescott was injured for each video games in opposition to the Eagles final 12 months, so we did not get to see what he appeared like in opposition to this model of Vic Fangio’s protection. He is confronted a Fangio protection 3 times in his profession, per Tru Media, going 58 of 95 for 733 yards, 5 touchdowns and an interception. He did not do effectively in any respect in opposition to the Fangio-led Broncos in 2021, however carried out very effectively in opposition to the Bears in 2016 and the Dolphins in 2023.
It’s going to be fascinating to see them sq. off right here, just because Fangio’s type of protection appears so effectively constructed to play in opposition to this specific model of the Cowboys offense. Fangio tends to play mild packing containers and invite the opposing offense to run the soccer, assured that his entrance can deal with that facet of issues, after which overload the deeper zones of the sphere with protection defenders.
This could work completely in opposition to Dallas, which basically threw away the working again place once more this 12 months by rolling with Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and fifth-round choose Jaydon Blue. Williams has been a shell of himself in his two seasons since getting back from an ACL tear. Sanders bought surpassed in Carolina by Chuba Hubbard. Blue is explosive however was injured on and off all through coaching camp. It isn’t an inspiring group until Blue actually breaks out.
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And the Dallas offensive line has some query marks, so we should not make certain they will clear the way in which for the run sport anyway. Tyler Guyton missed virtually all of camp with an harm. Terence Steele is coming off one other down 12 months. Tyler Booker might be taking part in his first NFL sport.
They usually’ll all should work in opposition to what’s a really stout defensive entrance for Philadelphia. The inside of the road could have the most important problem in opposition to Jalen Carter and Co., however Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari and the remainder of the sting group can probably trigger some issues for 2 questionable tackles as effectively — particularly within the passing sport.
The Cowboys ought to have one of many NFL’s extra explosive passing video games this 12 months, although. And regardless of Schottenheimer’s offseason proclamations, it ought to be one of many highest-volume passing video games as effectively. (Once more, they don’t seem to be going to run the ball very effectively. And their protection goes to be … not good. They will should throw the ball a ton.) With not simply CeeDee Lamb, however George Pickens on the skin and a wholesome Jake Ferguson working the center, the Cowboys ought to be capable to threaten extra areas of the sphere than they did a 12 months in the past.
It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see how these groups attempt to align in opposition to one another, and who tries to control which passing-game matchups. Lamb does a whole lot of work within the slot, however will Dallas kick him exterior, the place the Eagles have a query mark throughout from Quinyon Mitchell, reasonably than having him work most frequently in opposition to Cooper DeJean? Will Philly have Mitchell comply with Pickens across the subject, comply with Lamb when he works on the skin, or simply play on one facet of the formation and never fear an excessive amount of concerning the matchups?
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When the Eagles have the ball
Regardless of what Jerry Jones could have informed you throughout his media blitz following the Parsons commerce, the Cowboys won’t be higher on protection after having traded arguably one of the best defensive participant in soccer. As we wrote final week: The Cowboys have been, by EPA per play, the NFL’s single-best protection within the snaps the place Parsons was on the sphere throughout his four-year run in Dallas. Within the snaps the place he was off the sphere throughout that very same span, Dallas ranked useless final in EPA per play.
The Eagles, in the meantime, are an offensive machine designed to ram the ball down their opponents’ throats. Whereas Kenny Clark could enhance the Dallas run protection, he’s definitely not going to repair it single-handedly. There are minus run defenders elsewhere on the sphere, and Clark’s presence for one thing like 60-80% of the snaps shouldn’t be going to alleviate the problems solely. Philly’s offensive line is a gaggle of maulers that ought to be anticipated to maul Dallas up entrance, clearing the way in which for Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts to do their factor.
Barkley had a muted efficiency in his first sport in opposition to the Cowboys final 12 months (14 carries for 66 yards in a blowout win), however torched them within the latter sport (31 carries for 167 yards). Mixed, he ran 45 occasions for 233 yards, which is about 5.2 yards a pop. If he comes near that effectivity on Thursday night time, it will be a protracted night for the Cowboys.
Hurts discovered super speeding success in that first sport in opposition to the Cowboys (he did not play within the latter contest), with seven carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns. It is notable that the Cowboys usually struggled to include the quarterback run sport over the previous couple of years, yielding 4.6 yards per designed rush and seven.9 yards per scramble, through Tru Media. Matt Eberflus’ Bears defenses did a greater job in that space (3.9 and 6.6 yards, respectively), however he now has Dallas’ personnel to work with.
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The Cowboys may even want their suddenly-depleted entrance to give you a cross rush, and that might be simpler mentioned than accomplished. With out Parsons, the edge-rush group consists of Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston. One approach to generate extra cross rush is by blitzing, however new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus runs a system that sends blitzes at a below-average price. Throughout his three years in Chicago, the Bears blitzed at solely the Twenty third-highest price within the NFL, and through his four-year stint because the Colts‘ defensive coordinator, they blitzed on the third-lowest price within the league. So the concept the Cowboys are going to ship further rushers to make up for Parsons’ absence would not actually cross the odor take a look at.
All of those elements level to it being wildly unlikely that the Cowboys will get a lot strain on Hurts on Thursday night time. The offensive line was going to be troublesome to penetrate to start with, and now Dallas is shorthanded in contrast with the place we thought the protection can be heading into the matchup.
And if Hurts has time to sit down within the pocket and throw, issues aren’t going to go effectively for Dallas, as a result of the secondary goes to be closely examined — and it is not in one of the best form in the meanwhile. Trevon Diggs is surprisingly going to play after spending the offseason rehabbing a critical knee harm, however he’ll doubtless be joined at exterior nook by Payments cast-off Kaiir Elam.
These two would be the major guys defending A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as a result of $92 million man DaRon Bland might be going to play the slot when the Cowboys are in nickel appears. (Brown went for eight receptions, 145 yards and a rating in opposition to Dallas final 12 months, whereas Smith ripped off eight catches for 134 and two journeys to the tip zone.) If and once they’re in base, then Bland will be a part of Diggs on the skin. Eberflus typically had his No. 1 nook in Chicago, Jaylon Johnson, shadow opposing No. 1s, however it could be lots to ask for Diggs to do the identical in his first sport again, whereas having Bland do it could imply utilizing another person within the slot, the place neither Diggs nor Elam has spent a lot time of their careers.
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Prediction
The Cowboys’ roster is solely not in the identical class as that of the Eagles. That was true even earlier than Dallas traded Parsons, and it’s much more so now. Throw within the Cowboys not being 100% wholesome and the Eagles taking part in at dwelling of their first sport because the defending Tremendous Bowl champions, and this has the makings of a double-digit win.
Decide: Eagles 34, Cowboys 21 | Cowboys +8.5
