PHILADELPHIA — In a game that was as much a test of will as it was a display of football prowess, the Philadelphia Eagles emerged with a hard-fought 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys to kick off their 2025 season. It was a chaotic, often bizarre affair, a microcosm of the unpredictable rivalry between these two NFC East giants.
The Eagles, the defending Super Bowl champions, got their title defense off on the right foot, but not without a few scares—and a furious Cowboys comeback that ultimately fell short.
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Eagles Grind Out Win Over Cowboys
The opening minutes of the game set the tone for the madness to come. Before the first offensive snap, Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after a verbal exchange with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott that reportedly involved spitting.
The loss of their defensive anchor, the Eagles’ discipline (or lack thereof), was a theme throughout the night.
The Cowboys capitalized on the early chaos. With Jalen Carter off the field, the Eagles’ defense was disoriented, and Dallas’s offense, led by new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, found its rhythm immediately. Running back Javonte Williams scored two touchdowns, and the Cowboys’ scoring machine seemed unstoppable in the first half, putting up points on all four of their possessions.
The Eagles, for their part, responded with their own offensive firepower. Jalen Hurts, ever the dual-threat, rushed for two touchdowns, and the newly acquired Saquon Barkley added a score of his own. The game was a shootout, a point-for-point slugfest that ended the first half with a nail-biting 21-20 Eagles lead.
But the real turning point of the game, even more so than Carter’s ejection, was the weather. A mid-game lightning delay that lasted over an hour froze the action and seemed to kill the offensive momentum for both teams. When play resumed, it was a different kind of game altogether.
The defensive battle that was anticipated pre-game finally arrived. The second half was a story of field position, stalled drives, and a Dallas comeback that got excruciatingly close to completion.
After a 58-yard field goal from Eagles kicker Jake Elliott to extend the lead to 24-20, the Cowboys mounted their final, desperate charge. They drove deep into Eagles territory, aided by a long Miles Sanders run. But with a chance to score what could have been the go-ahead touchdown, disaster struck for Dallas.
Sanders fumbled the ball at the Eagles’ 10-yard line, a back-breaking turnover that was recovered by Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. It was a stunning and familiar turn of events for the Cowboys, who have struggled with crucial mistakes in high-pressure moments.
Still, the Cowboys weren’t finished. With under two minutes to play and the game on the line, Dak Prescott once again had the ball in his hands. But the magic that had defined their first-half performance was gone.
A pair of crucial deep passes to All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, one a perfectly thrown loft on fourth down, fell incomplete. Lamb, who had been a force all night with 110 receiving yards, couldn’t come up with the catches when they mattered most.
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Conclusion
For the Eagles, it was a gritty, imperfect win. They showed a resilience that has become a hallmark of the Nick Sirianni era, overcoming not just a talented rival but also self-inflicted wounds and the forces of nature. The performance wasn’t flawless, but in the end, it was enough.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, will be left to rue their missed opportunities and the tantalizingly close comeback that fizzled out just short of victory. They showed they can hang with the league’s best, but in this rivalry, a moral victory is no victory at all.
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