Cowboys Play the Super Bowl Champions to Open Up the 2025 NFL Season
The NFL just announced the Week One opener for the 2025 season. The Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles will play their divisional rival, the Dallas Cowboys, on Thursday, September 4th, at 8:20 p.m. EST. Since 2004, the Super Bowl champion from the previous season has opened the next year, with those teams going 15-5 in such games. Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-20 to open the season.
This matchup is intriguing due to the historic rivalry between the Cowboys and Eagles. These games are often close, regardless of the strength of each roster in any given year. The familiarity and mutual dislike between the teams create an exciting atmosphere, and it’s clear why the NFL chose this particular matchup to open the season. Historically, the Cowboys have had the edge over the Eagles, with 74 head-to-head wins compared to the Eagles’ 58. However, in recent years, it’s Philadelphia that has had more success, completing a divisional sweep last season in convincing fashion. The Cowboys will be looking for revenge this time around.
The Dallas Cowboys will need to come out swinging in this matchup to secure a victory. Jerry Jones and company did a solid job in offseason roster construction by improving the running attack and secondary. However, they did not allocate many resources to improving the interior run defense, which the Eagles exploited twice last season, thanks in large part to Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts. Matt Eberflus is the new defensive coordinator, known for a more conservative scheme with two high safeties. The Cowboys’ defense will need to commit more players to the box and be stout against Philadelphia’s powerful offensive line and explosive run game. They’ll also need to trust one of their corners to hold up in one-on-one coverage against either DeVonta Smith or A.J. Brown on the outside.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense will also need to be precise against a strong Eagles secondary. However, CeeDee Lamb and his new partner on the outside, George Pickens, could find success downfield against some inexperienced players. Miles Sanders may begin the game as a heavily featured back and will likely be motivated to perform well against his former team. The battle between the Cowboys’ new-look offensive line and the Eagles’ explosive, powerful front seven is the matchup to watch.
