NFL Kickoff 2025: Eagles meet Cowboys on Thursday Night Football

And so it begins. The NFL kicks off its 2025 regular season this evening with a massive NFC East matchup, as the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host a team that has been among their biggest rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.

Last year, the Eagles opened up the season against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil on Friday of week one. That game ended in a 34-29 victory by the Eagles, but they would lose two of their next three games and go into their week five bye at 2-2. However, Philadelphia lost just one game the rest of the season, winning 10 straight through the middle of the season before going on a postseason run that culminated in a dominant 40-22 victory in the Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs.

On the other hand, the Cowboys have had a rough last 12 months — to say nothing of the last week or so. Fresh off a division title in 2023, the Cowboys went 7-10 last year, with Dak Prescott once again missing half the season to injury. Then, just seven days before their opener, owner Jerry Jones decided to send superstar defensive end Micah Parsons to the Packers amid a breakdown in contract negotiations.

With no Parsons, the Cowboys’ pass rush — and frankly, their defense as a whole — will be put to a massive test in their first game of the season. New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus can settle back into calling defensive plays rather than worrying about managing the clock as a head coach, but he’ll have his work cut out for him.

Tune in for tonight’s game as we look to see who wins the first game of the 2025 season.