Cowboys vs. Eagles Recreation 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 purpose 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 workers. And what does that imply, precisely?
Brian Schottenheimer is accountable for the Cowboys in his first season with Matt Eberflus overseeing the protection. Provided that that is the primary recreation, there’s a nice sense of the unknown. So what do the Eagles research? They take 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 number of pre-snap motion, a foundation within the Tampa-2 scheme and zone protection. He needs his entrance to play in an “assault” fashion. The Eagles may have built-in checks for all of this and will likely be tasked with making changes as the sport goes alongside, not not like each different recreation.
2. The Dallas offense: Huge-play passing assault is the problem
This can be a enormous matchup: The Eagles’ secondary in opposition to quarterback Dak Prescott – who missed each video games in opposition to Philadelphia final season – and a few excellent cross catchers led by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens (who had three targets and 0 catches within the Eagles’ win over Pittsburgh final season). You’ll 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 strain on Prescott, have sticky protection, and provides Prescott a number of appears. Prescott is, by the way in which, 11-5 with six straight wins on Thursday nights in his profession. There are going to be bounce balls thrown to Pickens and the Eagles have to arrange 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 season. They will play aggressively, be bodily, and provides the Eagles a number of high quality reps. What’s the recreation plan for the Eagles’ offense, the primary for brand new Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo? Which ends up 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 sort of 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 skills, and the Eagles have the most effective offensive line in soccer that’s bodily and wins. So, the Eagles will run the ball. How a lot they do is determined by what quarterback Jalen Hurts sees when he is calling the alerts, but it surely’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 dashing yards per recreation final season and Barkley ran for 233 yards in two wins over the Cowboys final 12 months.
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. Recreation 1 of the brand new particular groups guidelines
That is going to affect every little thing: A kickoff that lands ultimately zone for a touchback means the offense has the soccer on first down on the 35-yard line. As a substitute, groups wish to kick off to the 3- or 5-yard line and make the return staff deliver the ball out. Protection goes to be extraordinarily essential. The power to return kicks goes to be extraordinarily essential. Rejoice! The kickoff is again within the NFL, with estimates that as much as 80 p.c of kickoffs will likely be returned. That gives a number of alternatives for giant performs.
6. The miscellaneous components
These are simply staples of the sport, in order a reminder to you, it can be crucial that the Eagles win …
‘I am going to 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 lots of 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 12 months 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 workers will make the most of their sources to reinforce any nook of the roster.
The Eagles additionally obtain a sixth-round choose in 2026 in alternate for a fifth-round choose in 2026 and a seventh-round choose in 2027.
Friday evening’s preseason finale means every little thing for the gamers out on the sphere. Who will earn a roster spot with a powerful efficiency? 
The quarterback particulars what the staff 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 staff weeks earlier than the season, however he has confronted far higher 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 choose was faculty teammates with DeVonta Smith at Alabama and is coming off his greatest NFL season.
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