Cowboys vs. Eagles Sport Preview: 6 storylines to observe within the opener – Philadelphia Eagles

With all the joy that has surrounded Thursday evening’s 2025 season-opening recreation with the Dallas Cowboys, the one objective that issues is to emerge with a victory. The Tremendous Bowl LIX World Championship banner will likely be unveiled and the pre-game hype will subside after which it is time for soccer!
How do the Eagles defeat the Cowboys? What are the storylines that matter for this opener? Let’s take a dive right here …
1. Dallas has a brand new teaching employees. And what does that imply, precisely?
Brian Schottenheimer is accountable for the Cowboys in his first season with Matt Eberflus overseeing the protection. On condition that that is the primary recreation, there’s a nice sense of the unknown. So what do the Eagles research? They have a look at Eberflus from his 15-plus years teaching within the NFL, together with stops as a defensive coordinator with the Colts (whereas Nick Sirianni coached there) and as head coach with the Chicago Bears. He has a monitor report of using a scheme that makes use of a variety of pre-snap motion, a foundation within the Tampa-2 scheme and zone protection. He needs his entrance to play in an “assault” model. The Eagles can have built-in checks for all of this and will likely be tasked with making changes as the sport goes alongside, not in contrast to each different recreation.
2. The Dallas offense: Huge-play passing assault is the problem
It is a enormous matchup: The Eagles’ secondary towards quarterback Dak Prescott – who missed each video games towards Philadelphia final season – and a few excellent move catchers led by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens (who had three targets and nil catches within the Eagles’ win over Pittsburgh final season). You’d anticipate the Cowboys to emphasize the protection with these two, together with tight finish Jake Ferguson. The important thing for the Eagles is to win on first and second down, put stress on Prescott, have sticky protection, and provides Prescott a number of appears to be like. Prescott is, by the way in which, 11-5 with six straight wins on Thursday nights in his profession. There are going to be soar balls thrown to Pickens and the Eagles have to organize for that. Huge check early for a Philadelphia secondary that has some new faces.
3. No Micah, now what?
Dallas nonetheless has pass-rush threats, even with Micah Parsons in Inexperienced Bay. Dante Fowler is a veteran with a historical past of success. Sam Williams is a rising participant for the Cowboys. Donovan Ezeiruaku has impressed Dallas in his rookie summer time. They will play aggressively, be bodily, and provides the Eagles a variety of high quality reps. What’s the recreation plan for the Eagles’ offense, the primary for brand spanking new Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo? Which results in …
4. Eagles and the bottom recreation: It is what they do
Simply how the Dallas protection performs the road of scrimmage and what number of gamers it employs within the field is nearly irrelevant: The Eagles are going to look to run the soccer. They’ve a gifted three-man backfield headed by Saquon Barkley, with Will Shipley and A.J. Dillon providing their talents, and the Eagles have the very best offensive line in soccer that’s bodily and wins. So, the Eagles will run the ball. How a lot they do is dependent upon what quarterback Jalen Hurts sees when he is calling the alerts, however it’s a given: Until Dallas performs with 8 or 9 gamers within the field, the Eagles are going to look to maintain issues balanced and do what they do on offense. Dallas allowed 137 speeding yards per recreation final season and Barkley ran for 233 yards in two wins over the Cowboys final yr.
See the Eagles get able to face the Dallas Cowboys to kick off the NFL season.
A.J. Brown & Quinyon Mitchell
Jalen Hurts
Adoree’ Jackson
Dallas Goedert
Saquon Barkley
Jihaad Campbell
Jordan Davis
Jalen Hurts
Saquon Barkley
DeVonta Smith
Zack Baun & Head Coach Nick Sirianni
5. Sport 1 of the brand new particular groups guidelines
That is going to impression every little thing: A kickoff that lands in the long run zone for a touchback means the offense has the soccer on first down on the 35-yard line. As an alternative, groups need to kick off to the 3- or 5-yard line and make the return crew deliver the ball out. Protection goes to be extraordinarily vital. The flexibility to return kicks goes to be extraordinarily vital. Rejoice! The kickoff is again within the NFL, with estimates that as much as 80 % of kickoffs will likely be returned. That gives a variety of alternatives for giant performs.
6. The miscellaneous components
These are simply staples of the sport, in order a reminder to you, it is crucial that the Eagles win …
‘I will do something for him.’ The gamers share why they love taking part in for the legendary defensive coordinator.
The Eagles know that the participant they acquired will likely be a handful, and there are numerous unknowns with a brand new coordinator and scheme in Dallas.
Plus, the Cowboys-Eagles opener will look a lot totally different after a blockbuster commerce on Thursday afternoon.
The rookie free agent toiled behind the scenes of his rookie yr and was rewarded with a spot on the 53-man roster.
The subsequent section of the roster-building season is underway, as Roseman and the participant personnel employees will make the most of their sources to boost any nook of the roster.
The Eagles additionally obtain a sixth-round decide in 2026 in alternate for a fifth-round decide in 2026 and a seventh-round decide in 2027.
Friday evening’s preseason finale means every little thing for the gamers out on the sector. Who will earn a roster spot with a robust efficiency? 
The quarterback particulars what the crew completed in Coaching Camp and the preseason, with the transition to the weekly preparation for recreation motion underway.
John Metchie III is becoming a member of a brand new crew weeks earlier than the season, however he has confronted far better challenges in life.
Jobs are on the road because the Eagles wrap up the preseason on Friday evening, then work to get the roster all the way down to the 53-player restrict by subsequent Tuesday. 
The previous second-round decide was faculty teammates with DeVonta Smith at Alabama and is coming off his greatest NFL season.
Sep 03, 2025
For the primary time since 2009, the Eagles will open the season with out Brandon Graham on the roster. He discusses the transition away from the sport within the Microsoft Legend Staff of the Week interview with Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro.
Sep 03, 2025
Robust. Detailed. Collectively. A brief movie.
Sep 02, 2025
After Tuesday’s follow forward of Cowboys vs. Eagles, hear from the next gamers: WR A.J. Brown, WR DeVonta Smith (4:58), T/G Brett Toth (7:44) and S Andrew Mukuba (9:04).
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