If you were watching last season (and of course you were), you noticed that the Philadelphia Eagles pushed all the right buttons on the way to a Super Bowl championship.
They addressed needs during the previous off-season and did it to near-perfection.
In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys did very little to improve themselves a year ago, and they paid the price for it. Are they continuing to pay that price?
Those answers will be supplied soon enough, when the 2025 regular season gets underway.
The Eagles and Cowboys will tangle in the standalone opener, scheduled for Thursday, September 4 at Lincoln Financial Field.
Odds for NFL Week 1 between the Cowboys and Eagles
In the NFL Week 1 betting odds that have been placed on this game by the folks at BetOnline, the Eagles are laying a touchdown:
- Philadelphia Eagles -7 (-115)
- Dallas Cowboys +7 (-105)
- Over 47 Points -110
- Under 47 Points -110
About the Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott missed nine games last year, and in the games where he did participate, he had 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. After surgery on his hamstring, he’s come back to a new coach, a new receiver and a new backfield configuration.
Jerry Jones elevated Brian Schottenheimer from his post as offensive coordinator after firing Mike McCarthy. That might have been an underwhelming hire, but at least there’s some continuity.
CeeDee Lamb is already a top-notch receiver (101 catches last year) and now is joined by former Steeler George Pickens, who offers big production and is known as a big pain in the neck. Tight end Jake Ferguson needs a bounceback year.
First-round draft choice Tyler Booker might become an All-Pro guard. But the days when the Cowboys could dominate people with their offensive line are over.
And that’s not good news for the running game, which lost thousand-yard rusher Rico Dowdle and will have to
go with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, who have seen better days. Maybe they’ll get lucky with Texas Longhorn rookie Jaydon Blue, a fifth-round pick with a lot of speed.
Defensively, they need to get pressure on the quarterback. That comes from Osa Odighizuwa and from overall disruptor Micah Parsons. But linebacker DeMarvion Overshown won’t be back for a while after busting out his knee. Cornerback Trevon Diggs, who suffered a knee injury as well, was fined a half-million dollars by the team for not participating enough in mandatory workouts.
About the Philadelphia Eagles
Listen – we’re not going to tell you that Saquon Barkley is going to rush for 2000 yards again. But you got to see what he can do when (a) he’s healthy and (b) he’s running behind a superior offensive line.
And Jalen Hurts, over the course of the season, put to rest any doubts that he can take a team and lead them to the finish line.
There were glaring needs for the Eagles after they were embarrassed in the 2023 playoffs, and Howie Roseman dealt with them, especially in the secondary, where Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean did fantastic work as rookies. Yes, they lost some talent on defense, as any team might expect to, but the Eagles have plenty of guys who stayed behind, like defensive tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Zack Baun, who both made All-Pro.
First-round draft pick Jihaad Campbell (Alabama) will only add to the mix, although it is not certain when he’ll be fully ready, as he had shoulder surgery in the off-season.
Veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is very aggressive and has a defensive front that gets pressure on quarterbacks without having to blitz. That’s a luxury.
Cowboys at Eagles NFL betting pick
Prescott is priced at +350 by the people at BetOnline to be the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Will that comeback start in a big way in the opener?
Well, it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys making a big dent against Philly’s very capable defensive front. And that will make Prescott and his attack one-dimensional.
And the escapability of Hurts can neutralize the Cowboys’ pass rush enough to make things happen in the air game.
Dallas could not stop the run last year (allowing 4.8 yards per carry) and Philadelphia ran the ball 56.3% of the time, which led the league. You’ve got to wonder what the Cowboys can do to win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
The answer is, likely nothing. We’re not going heavy here, but we’ll lay the points with the team that is +700 to repeat as world champs.
THE PLAY: PHILADELPHIA -7 (-115)
