Sportsnaut
It will be a frenzied scene at Lincoln Financial Field Thursday night as the Philadelphia Eagles kick off their season against hated NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys. It’s also banner night as the franchise will celebrate their Super Bowl-winning 2024 team.
The Eagles will want to start the year with a statement against a Cowboys team that traded away generational superstar Micah Parsons. Here are four keys to victory for the Eagles to begin the season on the right foot.
This is a dramatically different Cowboys offense the Eagles will face compared to last year. Dallas added wide receiver George Pickens to pair with four-time Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb, forming a dynamic duo. The Birds defense will also deal with Dak Prescott after he missed both games against Philadelphia last season.
The Eagles have a revamped secondary after releasing cornerback Darius Slay and trading safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson earned most first-team reps late in training camp and appears set as CB2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell, while Sydney Brown replaces Gardner-Johnson. It’s a tough matchup as Prescott will look to stretch the field with his new weapon in Pickens.
This represents the biggest concern heading into tonight’s game. If Prescott carves up the secondary, it could be a long night and potentially a longer season.
If the Birds want to neutralize Dallas’ air attack, it starts at the line of scrimmage. Pro Football Focus ranked the Cowboys offensive line 23rd in the league, so the Eagles defensive front should win in the trenches and make life miserable for Prescott.
Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are the team’s top edge rushers after Josh Sweat left in free agency and Brandon Graham retired. Smith broke out in 2024 while defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is banking on Hunt to make a leap this season.
All-Pro Jalen Carter can also wreak havoc on the Cowboys offensive line as he looks to build on last season’s dominance. Rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell will be flying around the field, and don’t be surprised when Fangio unleashes blitz packages for the first-round pick.
The Cowboys enter the opener with a depleted secondary ranked 31st by Pro Football Focus. Cornerback Trevon Diggs has been medically cleared following last December’s knee surgery while cornerback DaRon Bland was limited to seven games in 2024 due to his own foot injury. Both are former All-Pros but haven’t played at that level in years.
Since Dallas will focus on containing Saquon Barkley on the ground, Jalen Hurts can attack through the air to his elite receiving weapons — A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Hurts also won’t need to worry about Parsons breathing down his neck, as the Cowboys pass rush will suffer tremendously from his absence.
Barkley secured his historic 2,000-yard rushing season against the Cowboys last December when he ran for 167 yards. In both matchups, Dallas surrendered 233 total rushing...
