Eagles Defeat Cowboys, 24–20: 10 Takeaways From Philadelphia’s Ugly Win
The Philadelphia Eagles escaped with a 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. While Week 1 often provides plenty of surprises around the NFL, it’ll be hard to top all of the nonsense that happened in the City of Brotherly Love during the regular season opener.
Eagles IDL Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and Prescott combined to throw zero passing touchdowns. Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb had four drops. Eagles WR A.J. Brown was only targeted once. There was an hour long weather delay due to lightning.
Did I miss anything else? I probably did. But in all seriousness, here are my 10 takeaways for the Eagles from what was certainly a memorable NFC East matchup.
Jalen Carter Needs To Be Smarter (Duh!)
Carter is regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NFL. He’s going to be eligible to sign a massive contract extension in 2026. He is simply too good and too valuable to the Eagles to get ejected for the idiotic decision that he made against the Cowboys in Week 1.
Carter’s absence caused a trickle down effect along the defensive front. Not only were the Eagles without their best defensive player, but now they were unable to utilize the rotation that they initially planned to use on Thursday night.
While Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo were expected to play bigger roles in 2025, Carter’s ejection catapulted them into uncharted territory. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Davis and Ojomo played 50 defensive snaps each (89% of all defensive snaps).
Thursday night marked the first time in the NFL Next Gen Stats era (since 2016) that the Eagles have had two defensive tackles play over 85% of their defensive snaps. Despite the challenge of a bigger workload, Davis impressed in Week 1.
Hello, Jordan Davis!
After being selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Davis has often been called a “bust” for his lack of production. Yet Davis was one of the lone bright spots on Philadelphia’s defense against the Cowboys.
Prior to Thursday night, Davis never played more than 68% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps in a single game. Despite a drastically bigger workload and questions about his stamina, Davis was a consistent force. He registered six total tackles, multiple pressures and also batted a pass down.
Jalen Hurts Put the Offense on His Back (and Legs)
Outside of a 51-yard deep shot to Jahan Dotson, Philadelphia’s passing offense felt disjointed for most of the game. Therefore, Hurts was forced to make plays with his legs over and over again.
Hurts scrambled on 39.4% of his dropbacks against the Cowboys, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He gained 63 rushing yards and had two rushing touchdowns on nine scramble runs in Week 1.
Philadelphia’s offense was ugly, yet efficient, prior to the weather delay in the third quarter. While they ultimately scored enough points to win, it wasn’t necessarily an inspiring performance for the offense overall.
Where in the World Is A.J. Brown?
Brown is widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Therefore, it’s simply inexplicable for him to be targeted just once throughout an entire game. Brown’s only target didn’t come until Philadelphia’s final possession.
Eagles new OC Kevin Patullo had a strong start on the ground in his debut, yet the passing game issues are worrisome. Brown is simply too good to not be involved until there is 1:51 left in the fourth quarter.
It was the fewest targets that Brown has ever received in an NFL game when he has ran at least 10 routes, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. While it’s easy to dismiss as just another Week 1 oddity, it’s an issue that needs to be fixed fast.
Saquon Barkley, Inside Runs Struggle
After the Kansas City Chiefs shutdown Saquon Barkley in Super Bowl LIX, he was held in check by the Cowboys. Barkley had 18 carries for just 60 yards and one rushing touchdown.
After averaging a ridiculous 5.8 yards per carry in 2024, Barkley averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in Week 1. Dallas loaded the box and Philadelphia struggled to get Barkley going.
The Eagles rushed for just 18 yards on 12 carries on runs between the tackles, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Philadelphia averaged 1.6 yards before contact per carry on inside runs last season. That number dropped to -0.9 yards before contact per carry on inside runs in Week 1.
Landon Dickerson Clearly Isn’t Healthy
One thing became clear as the game progressed and the offensive struggles continued: Landon Dickerson clearly isn’t healthy. Dickerson underwent knee surgery last month and was also battling a back injury heading into Week 1.
Yet Dickerson pushed through the pain and played against the Cowboys, until he couldn’t anymore and was replaced by Brett Toth. It was clear that Dickerson wasn’t fully healthy, especially after he had his leg rolled up on during an A.J. Dillon run.
Philadelphia’s interior running game struggled mightily and Dickerson’s injuries didn’t help. If he can’t return to full health, it could significantly hamper the team’s effectiveness on the ground.
Vic Fangio Didn’t Do the CBs Any Favors
Adoree’ Jackson was an easy target on Thursday night, both for the Cowboys and on social media. Yet his struggles aren’t entirely his fault, in my opinion.
Fangio and his staff didn’t really do Jackson or any of the cornerbacks many favors. While Jackson will receive most of the blame for Dallas’ success through the air, Quinyon Mitchell also gave up a few catches as well.
Mitchell was also the beneficiary of Cowboys’ players dropping multiple passes as well. While I’m not sure what Fangio’s plan might be moving forward, it simply can’t be lining his cornerbacks up 8-10 yards off the line of scrimmage and asking them to cover one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL.
The Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell Duo Is Awesome
Zack Baun excelled in a unique role in Fangio’s defense last year. Given his experience, Baun was able to play both off-ball linebacker and on the edge in certain looks. Now the Eagles are able to do that with two different players, thanks to the arrival of Jihaad Campbell.
Both Baun and Campbell showcased their talent against the Cowboys on Thursday night. Baun made a massive hustle play to bring down Cowboys RB Miles Sanders after a big run. A few plays later on the same drive, Campbell had a forced fumble against Sanders.
Campbell and Baun also had impressive pass breakups down the middle of the field in Week 1. Both players bring a unique blend of size, speed and versatility to Philadelphia. It’s going to be really fun to watch them grow moving forward.
Drew Mukuba Had a Bigger Role Than Expected
After missing two weeks during training camp and then battling a hamstring injury last week, nobody knew what Drew Mukuba’s role would be in Week 1. According to multiple reports, Sydney Brown was the favorite to start against the Cowboys.
While Brown primarily played in base, Mukuba played significantly more snaps than many expected on Thursday night. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Mukuba played 46 defensive snaps (82.1%) against the Cowboys.
In 31 total coverage snaps, Mukuba was targeted just once and allowed a five-yard completion. Despite battling multiple injuries throughout training camp and preseason action, Mukuba certainly impressed in Week 1.
Jake Elliott Is Officially Back!
It’s no secret that Jake Elliott struggled last season. After being nearly automatic from 50+ yards throughout his career, Elliott made just one of his seven field goal attempts from 50+ yards in 2024. Yet he bounced back in a major way to start the regular season this time around.
Elliott attempted just one field goal against the Cowboys in Week 1, yet it was in a big spot. Eagles HC Nick Sirianni called upon Elliott to attempt a 58-yard field goal while the Eagles hung on to a 21-20 lead in the third quarter.
Despite last season’s struggles from long range, Elliott nailed the 58-yard field goal with ease. It was an impressive make, reminiscent of his long range success from 2021-2023. Hopefully Elliott continues his return to All-Pro form.