5 things to watch when the Cowboys play the Eagles
What will you be looking for on Thursday night?
Football season is back. For the Dallas Cowboys, it begins a little sooner as they get to kick off the 2025 season with a Thursday night affair.
And it’s a big one right out of the gate. The Cowboys will head into the always-welcoming Lincoln Financial Field to play the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Yuck.
Trust me, that was just as hard to write as it was for you to read.
Immediately, this new-look Cowboys will be tested. And when we say new look, we’re not kidding.
This year, there will be no DeMarcus Lawrence and Zack Martin for the first time since 2013.
Father time has caught up to those guys, but the team also no longer has the sprightly, uber-talented Micah Parsons.
Now that one hurts.
Instead, the Cowboys have reloaded with a new wide receiver, defensive tackle, and linebacker – all of which were former top draft picks who the team acquired via trade this offseason.
How will this new squad look?
Thursday night’s game sets the table for what type of season they could be looking at this year. Here are five things we’ll be keeping our eye out for on Thursday night.
1. Running the show
The Eagles’ new running back, Saquon Barkley, had himself a monster year last season, eclipsing 2,000 rushing yards.
He carried the ball 345 times at an impressive rate of 5.8 yards per carry.
Historically, the Cowboys have done a good job containing Barkley, but that was when he was with the New York Giants.
They held him to just 66 yards in their first meeting last year, but then he got loose for 167 later in the year.
The Eagles have one of the top offensive lines in the game, with four of their starters earning either All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors last season.
Their run game coordinator/offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, is one of the best in the business. Containing the Eagles’ ground attack will be a huge task.
Run defense has been an Achilles heel for Dallas over the years, but they are hoping some new pieces will help rectify that. Matt Eberflus had a lot of success in that area during his time as the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis, and the team also just received three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
How the Cowboys fare against one of the league’s top rushing teams will be a huge reveal for this football team.
2. Don’t give us the run around
Stopping the run will be paramount, but establishing some sense of a ground game themselves is also important. This was an area that never could get going last season, and it made the Cowboys’ offense one-dimensional. They are hoping things will look a little different this time around.
The team hired two great offensive line coaches in Klayton Adams, who is now the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, and Conor Riley.
The running back room remains a big mystery, as we never even got to see free agent running back Javonte Williams run the ball in preseason.
With an entirely new running back room that features two veteran free agents and one rookie, we have no idea what to expect. Squaring off against an Eagles defense that includes All-Pros Jalen Carter and Zach Baun will be a difficult first challenge.
3. A tough challenge for the rook
The ability to run the ball is so important to Dallas that they used their top draft resource, the 12th overall pick, on Alabama guard Tyler Booker.
This decision came with a lot of criticism, but it reaffirms the team’s commitment to controlling the line of scrimmage. It will be important for the rookie to have a good showing as he lines up next to second-year center Cooper Beebe.
The Eagles are monsters in the middle, thanks to recent draft investments. Both the aforementioned Carter and Jordan Davis were selected with the top 13 picks of the draft. Both are over 310 pounds and present quite the terrain to navigate through.
Watching Booker keep his head afloat will be difficult, both in the run game and in pass-protection. If the offensive line can’t help take some pressure off Dak Prescott, it’s going to be a rough first game.
4. Curious about George
The splashiest off-season acquisition came in the form of former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. The former 1,100-yard receiver was brought to Dallas to help the passing game as he lines up opposite CeeDee Lamb.
This team’s offense isn’t that far removed from being tops in the league, and it’s happened when Prescott has been healthy and he’s had two talented receivers to throw to. The Cowboys will start the season satisfying both of those conditions.
Pickens was a highlight reel in training camp, showing off his amazing ball-tracking skills. The rapport with Prescott is already very promising.
If Dak has time and is in good form, the Cowboys should be able to put a little pressure on the Eagles’ defense, and a big reason for that is the addition of Pickens.
5. Saquon’s not the only one
There is no secret that the Cowboys will come in with a plan to stop Barkley. And if the offense does its part and scores points, this game has a chance to be interesting. However, even with all the stars aligning just right for Dallas, there’s another element to this that could be a little tricky.
If the Eagles find themselves in a bigger dogfight than they originally thought, this offense is dynamic enough to pivot. Just because Barkley and the offensive line serve as the “easy” button doesn’t mean they don’t have other tricks up their sleeve. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are a tough WR duo in their own right, and the Cowboys will enter the year a little depleted at cornerback.
Their best corner, Trevon Diggs, might play but could be limited, and key reserves like Josh Butler and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. are still coming off of knee injuries of their own. Even if the Cowboys are successful in containing the run, the Eagles may turn to plan B and attack their defensive backs.
