The NFL season kicks off Thursday, with the Philadelphia Eagles internet hosting the Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
The Cowboys are coming off a tumultuous offseason, the place they employed rookie head coach Brian Schottenheimer and traded edge-rusher Micah Parsons to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
Unsurprisingly, “America’s Staff” is an underdog heading into its sport towards the defending Tremendous Bowl champions. As of Wednesday night, FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Eagles as an 8.5-point favourite. Nonetheless, the Cowboys may pull off the upset. Listed below are 5 methods they’ll achieve this:
1. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott goes off
After Prescott turned the league’s highest-paid player ($60M annually) in 2024, he seemed underwhelming. The 32-year-old QB went 3-5 in eight begins and posted a below-average 41.9 QBR earlier than struggling a season-ending hamstring damage towards the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.
Thursday’s matchup towards the Eagles could possibly be an ideal alternative for Prescott to get off to a significantly better begin in 2025. He has dominated the NFC East rival all through his profession. Per StatMuse, he is 9-4 towards Philadelphia and has accomplished 66.8% of his passes for 3,402 yards, 24 landing passes and eight interceptions.
Philadelphia, after all, is a significantly better staff than it has been up to now, however Prescott nonetheless would not worry the Eagles. In February, he instructed there is not a spot between Dallas and Philadelphia. Shredding the divisional rival’s protection would assist him again up that declare.
2. Eagles WR A.J. Brown appears rusty
Brown missed a big chunk of coaching camp after struggling a hamstring damage in early August.
The Eagles are itemizing the three-time Professional Bowler as energetic for Thursday, and he has mentioned he expects to play. After lacking a lot time, although, Brown may look rusty towards a Dallas secondary that options star cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Bland may want to earn his money after signing a four-year, $92M deal on Monday.
The Eagles’ passing offense will change into a lot much less efficient if Brown is not rolling. He completed with 67 receptions for 1,079 yards and 7 TD catches in 13 video games final season.
3. Cowboys DT Kenny Clark helps stymie the run sport
Many Cowboys followers in all probability want they’d stored Parsons as an alternative of Clark, whom they acquired within the blockbuster trade with Green Bay. However they will recognize him if he helps Dallas clear up considered one of its largest defensive points: the lack to cease the run.
Per TeamRankings, the Cowboys ranked twenty ninth within the league in speeding yards (137.1) final season. Dallas proprietor Jerry Jones has mentioned that Clark provides the staff a “better chance to stop the run” than Parsons did.
That is debatable, however the level stands: Clark is dependable towards the run. The three-time Professional Bowler had a career-high 9 stuffs in 17 video games final season. (A stuff is a sort out on a operating play that leads to no achieve or unfavourable yards.) The Eagles offense may certainly sputter if he makes star RB Saquon Barkley go backwards a number of occasions.
4. WR George Pickens appears to be like like Cowboys’ finest offseason acquisition
In May, the Pittsburgh Steelers despatched Pickens to the Cowboys. Whereas proficient, he wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh due to maturity issues.
The previous Georgia Bulldogs star is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract, which can pressure him to be on his finest conduct. Pickens doesn’t seem keen on making an attempt to show something this upcoming season.
Regardless, if Pickens and Cowboys four-time Professional Bowl WR CeeDee Lamb jell in Week 1, the Eagles secondary could possibly be in for a difficult evening. The previous Steeler had 174 receptions for two,841 yards and 12 TD catches in three seasons with Pittsburgh.
5. Play-calling modifications disrupt Eagles’ offensive circulation
One of many few negatives of profitable a Tremendous Bowl is that different groups poach your teaching workers. The Eagles lost offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after he turned the New Orleans Saints HC in February.
Philadelphia subsequently promoted Kevin Patullo to exchange Moore. He has familiarity with the group, having served as a move sport coordinator and affiliate head coach over the previous 4 seasons. Nevertheless, the 44-year-old assistant will probably be making his play-calling debut for the Eagles on Thursday.
In his Monday news conference, the OC didn’t make clear how a lot of the offense has modified this offseason. Whether or not Patullo has revamped it or not, it would not be stunning if the unit would not excel in Week 1.
