PHILADELPHIA — The 2025 NFL season got off to an odd start, with Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter being ejected for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play from scrimmage.
The rivalry game remained every bit as intense from start to lightning-delayed finish, with the Eagles pulling out a 24-20 win on the night they unveiled their 2024 championship banner.
With Carter absent from the middle of the Eagles’ defense and Dallas getting used to life without Micah Parsons, both defenses took some time to stabilize before eventually finding their footing.
A coin-flip of a game went the way of the defending champs, thanks in part to dropped passes by receiver CeeDee Lamb and a critical turnover late in the third quarter by the Cowboys, who showed some encouraging signs in Game 1 under coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Carter and the Eagles, meanwhile, can breathe a sigh of relief after a rocky start.
Here are the most important things to know from Thursday night for both teams:
Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts had two rushing touchdowns to propel the Eagles to victory. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
What to make of the QB performance: Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts picked up where he left off, taking advantage of large lanes to score a pair of rushing touchdowns and propel the offense. He now has 16 games with multiple rushing touchdowns, extending his NFL record for a QB (Buffalo’s Josh Allen is second with 12).
Turning point: The Cowboys appeared to be heading in for the go-ahead score late in the third quarter when the Eagles came up with a key takeaway. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell scooped up a Miles Sanders fumble deep in Philadelphia territory to thwart the drive and keep the Eagles up four. He celebrated with his defensive teammates by simulating a tush push into the end zone.
Stat to know: Carter’s ejection earned the headlines, but lack of discipline was a theme for the Eagles, especially early. They had 93 penalty yards at the break — the most in a first half by any team since the Cowboys had 107 in Week 13 of 2023. The Eagles’ high for penalty yards in a game last season was 91 (Week 16 at the Commanders). — Tim McManus
Next game: at Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 14)
Dak Prescott showed he can still move well in the pocket, but the Cowboys fell short in their opener. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
The Cowboys didn’t have a large margin for error going into Thursday’s opener against the Eagles, especially without edge rusher Micah Parsons, who was traded a week ago to the Green Bay Packers.
For most of the game, the Cowboys were right there, but the margins came into play.
A 51-yard Jalen Hurts pass to receiver Jahan Dotson in the second quarter set up Philadelphia’s go-ahead score and a lead the Eagles would not relinquish. It was the longest play allowed by the Cowboys.
As the Cowboys looked to answer in the next series, running back Miles Sanders fumbled at the Eagles’ 10 after his 49-yard run put Dallas in scoring position. It was the only turnover for the Cowboys.
CeeDee Lamb had a fourth quarter to forget. To start the quarter, the receiver dropped a sure first-down catch. On the potential go-ahead drive, he dropped a deep ball that would have put the Cowboys deep in scoring territory. Then, on fourth-and-3, he could not come down with a diving catch. Per ESPN Research, it was his second career game with three drops (Week 13 last season against the Giants).
Those five plays were huge — and led to the Cowboys’ fourth loss to the Eagles in their past five meetings. It meant Brian Schottenheimer lost his first game as Cowboys coach, just like Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy.
It’s a painful lesson of how close and how far away the Cowboys are.
What to make of the QB performance: Forget about Dak Prescott’s final numbers. It was his ability to use his legs that mattered a ton. He didn’t do it much last season, and when he did in Week 9, he tore a hamstring that ended his season. On the second drive Thursday, he was flushed to his left, evaded a defender and found Lamb for an 18-yard gain. On the third drive, he was able to wiggle free from a potential Jordan Davis sack and scramble for 3 yards. Prescott is 32 and has had two major surgeries on his legs since 2020. He showed Thursday he can still move around.
Trend to watch: Do the Cowboys have to fear running quarterbacks? Hurts had two rushing touchdowns and 48 yards on the ground in the first half, most of them on scrambles. The Cowboys have games against Russell Wilson (twice, if he remains the Giants’ starter), Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, Justin Fields, Jayden Daniels (twice) and Kyler Murray, plus the rematch with Hurts. The Cowboys’ rush-lane discipline will have to improve greatly from Week 1, as will running to the football.
Stat to know: Javonte Williams had a favorable debut. In fact, it was the first time a running back had multiple rushing touchdowns in his first game for the Cowboys since before Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989. Herschel Walker did it in his NFL debut in 1986 with Landry as coach. The Cowboys had only six rushing touchdowns last season. They had two on their first two possessions Thursday. According to ESPN Research, the last running back with multiple rushing touchdowns against the Eagles was Saquon Barkley in his final game with the New York Giants in 2023, before joining Philadelphia as a free agent. —Todd Archer
Next game: vs. New York Giants (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 14.)