Why the Eagles’ Surprising Edge Could Shatter the Cowboys’ NFL Season Opener Expectations

Kickoff is upon us, and boy, isn’t it thrilling to swap our college gridiron vibes for the NFL’s grand return? Tonight, the reigning Super Bowl kings—the Philadelphia Eagles—take on the Dallas Cowboys, a franchise still nursing last season’s wounds and a patchwork offense that looks more like a fixer-upper than a finely tuned machine. Remember last season’s beatdowns? The Eagles scored 75 points over two games while the Cowboys could barely scrape together 13. With Dak Prescott back under center and a new playcaller in Dallas, can the Cowboys conjure a comeback, or will the Eagles soar unhindered on their quest to repeat? Jalen Hurts is likely eager to show the world he’s not just winning but dominating. So, who’ll write the first chapter in this season’s saga? Strap in, because this ain’t just another game—it’s a litmus test of resilience, strategy, and heart. LEARN MORE.

Cowboys vs. Eagles, 8:20 ET

Kickoff is here, my friends. I know we got College Football back last week, but now we are here with the NFL returning, and we should be as excited as possible. We have the reigning Super Bowl champs taking the field tonight, which is the norm for the start of the season. This should be an exciting game with plenty of questions that will need to be answered. Can’t wait to see what happens tonight as the Cowboys start their season and the Eagles begin their defense of the Lombardi trophy.

The Cowboys seem like they always have a tumultuous offseason. This one was certainly no different. Last year was a brutal year where they finished the season at just 7-10. Even when they had Dak Prescott, the team was a losing squad at just 3-5. The remainder of the year they had a couple of impressive wins, but I can’t say they were great. Philadelphia embarrassed the Cowboys in both games last season, outscoring the Cowboys 75-13. That’s not a typo. In two games the Cowboys scored no more than seven points in a game. In fairness to the Cowboys, Prescott was not the quarterback in either of those games. He is back, so the offense should be better. The problem is that Dallas has very little on offense. The offensive line has struggled and is getting older. The running game is probably nonexistent. The team does have CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens which could make a nice opportunity, but I’d expect Prescott to have to throw 50 times for the Cowboys to win the game. 

The Eagles ran a convincing campaign last year and a powerful drive in the playoffs on the way to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. Philadelphia has the opportunity here to run it back as well, with virtually every key piece remaining in place. Most evaluators have the Eagles as the top offensive line and defensive line in the sport, or at least somewhere near the top five in the league. There are a few things I expect from this season – Jalen Hurts to be showcased as a great quarterback – not just a winning one, a great one. And, Saquon Barkley to not get much over 1,600 rushing yards. I just don’t see them riding him into the ground. Will Shipley and AJ Dillon are both capable backs, and I expect them to be used fairly regularly. That isn’t to say Barkley won’t get a ton of work, it just means that their goal is still the Super Bowl. Defensively, they should be among the best in the league. It will be hard to see any team running up the score on Philadelphia.

Tonight the Eagles will once again win this game. The Cowboys have a new playcaller and will need time to figure things out. The Ealges will be dominant once again, and I’d be surprised if the Cowboys score over 14 points in this game. I’m taking the Cowboys under 19.5 points for the game, and the Eagles to cover the -7.5 spread in this one. I think this should be an easy victory for the Eagles. I also think Hurts finds the endzone first to start the season at +450. Not great value, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen. 

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